The Shaolin Workout

The Shaolin Workout - Harmony

Author: Sifu Shi Yan Ming

These physical harmonies reflect spiritual and mental harmonies: Your heart is in harmony with your mind. Your mind is in harmony with your chi. Your chi is in harmony with your power.

These are inseparable relationships. You can't separate your heart from your mind, or your mind from your body. The physical and the mental are linked. When your body is weak and tired, so is your mind. When your body falls asleep, your mind stops working, too. And by the same token, if you exhaust your mind, your body will be exhausted, too. If you're thinking and worrying so much at night that you can't rest, the next day your body will have no chi. You'll be doing your workout Sleeping Style!

That is why we relax both our bodies and our minds. We want flexible minds in flexible bodies.

If you find yourself getting stressed-out today -- at your desk at work, in a long line at the supermarket, wherever it is -- take a moment to relax. If your mind is stressed, your body tenses. You feel the muscles in your neck tighten, and your shoulders hunching. Your chest constricts, and you can't breathe right. You can give yourself a headache or stomachache.

When you're tense, you can't celebrate your beautiful life. Loosen up. Relax your body and your mind. Stand up from your desk and do your neck stretches and shoulder rotations. Or do them standing right there in that supermarket line. Who cares if other people are watching? Untense those muscles, and you'll relieve some of the mental stress as well. It's not magic or mumbo jumbo. It's your body and mind working in harmony. And now that you're relaxed, you'll see how much easier it is to get through the task at hand. A relaxed mind in a relaxed body allows the chi to flow and releases your power.

Try it today. You'll see.

Reprinted from: The Shaolin Workout: 28 Days to Transforming Your Body and Soul the Warrior's Way by Sifu Shi Yan Ming © 2006 Rodale Inc. Permission granted by Rodale, Inc., Emmaus, PA 18098. Available wherever books are sold or directly from the publisher by calling (800) 848-4735 or visit their website at www.rodalestore.com.

an excerpt from the book The Shaolin Workout
by Sifu Shi Yan Ming
Published by Rodale; May 2006;$29.95US/$39.95CAN; 1-59486-400-4
Copyright © 2006 Sifu Shi Yan Ming

Sifu Shi Yan Ming, a 34th-generation Shaolin warrior monk, is respected not only in the martial arts world but also in the entertainment world by stars like Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Wesley Snipes, and the Wu-Tang Clan. His kung fu classes have been featured in USA Today, The New York Times, New York Daily News, and Entertainment Weekly. Brian Gray of Inside Kung Fu magazine has called him a "living treasure of China." He has also appeared on the Discovery Channel, MTV, and CNBC, among other major networks. Sifu Shi Yan Ming lives in New York City.

More Martial Arts and Self Defense Articles

Iron Thread is a Powerful System for Achieving Health and Longevity
Iron Thread is a complex of exercises developed by Shaolin Temple monks during centuries. Practicing Iron Thread exercises Shaolin Temple monks achieved amazing results in Kung Fu and became invincible fighters. However, besides the fighting...read more

Verbal Self Defense – A Critical Factor in Self Defense for Women
Verbal self defense, the use of your voice in a threatening situation, is an extremely important tool in protecting yourself. How? Uncommon to popular belief, criminals do not pounce on an individual when the mood strikes them. They attack when they...read more

Children Need More Exercise and Martial Arts Can Help
With the start of a new school year, it’s time to think about the school kids who now head back to school to get only about 30 minutes of physical activity during the day – and that’s if they take advantage of their recess time. Kids need exercise...read more

The Best Self-Defense Strategy - The 6 Phases of a Perfect Self-Defense Plan
Contrary to popular belief, there is a big difference between a fight and a self-defense situation. While both may look the same on a physical, combative level, the reason that each participant is there is very different. As a general rule, a...read more

Real Life Self-Defense Starts From...
“Nicky Bats” was an “old school” kinda guy. He was “street” thru and thru. He was a hard bark tough as nails S.O.B. He was a survivor. His definition of “success” in life was dying peacefully at a ripe old age of natural causes, not dying on some...read more

Diabetes and Tai Chi Therapy
I was quite surprised when I began searching for research on Tai Chi’s benefits for diabetes . . . it was very difficult to come by. Because on its face, Tai Chi seems to possibly offer many benefits to someone with diabetes. Tai Chi is known to...read more

Overcoming Fear in a Self-Defense Situation
How do you overcome fear in a self-defense situation? Basically you don't, you learn to use the fear instead. Making it a tool that you shape not allowing fear to control you. All fine and dandy, but how do you go about learning how to use fear? ...read more

What Practically Guarantees Success in a Self-Defense Encounter?
It never ceases to amaze me just how many people have the same questions or ideas about self-defense and what works. Seriously. Almost as soon as someone finds out that this is what I do, I invariably get one of two responses. You can break...read more

Self Defense Life Saver-Auto Emergency Tool
Have you or a loved one ever been in a situation where you needed something very simple to solve a problem but it just wasn't available? Last summer I had an example that was burned into my mind forever. I live in southern Colorado at 4500 ft...read more

Simple Self Defense Move Forces People Who Have You Pinned Down To Jump Off You As Fast As Possible
It's a pretty well-known fact that most fights get taken to the ground. And one of the scariest things in the world can be when a very large person -- 200 pounds or more -- pins you to the ground with all their weight, slowly suffocating you to...read more

Notice: These martial arts and self defense articles are gathered from various public sources and are presented "as is" for for informational purposes only. They do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of the Lo Man Kam Wing Chun Kung Fu Organization. The authors of this site make no claims and take no responsibility regarding the content of these articles.

Wing Chun Las Vegas Kung Fu School | 6366 W. Sahara Ave | Phone: (702) 768-1201

Martial Arts Articles Self Defense