Soft Martial Arts

Today is exercise day, and really I'd just like to post a video of some Chinese bike riders, and just reiterate slow movements, but I figured I'd do some research and bring you some mental exercising as well. Asians, as I've mentioned before, tend to be healthier than Americans (except when Western influence wins out and they succumb to our lifestyle of fast food and chronic illnesses). Exercise is no different, there's no chronic cardio there. To get around, just general transportation, they usually walk or bike (think of all those videos or photos you've seen of Chinese streets congested with bike riders). Even the practices we're going to look at are slow movement. First we'll glance at Tai Chi and Qigong, before exploring the wildly popular practice of yoga. Millions of Chinese have practiced tai chi, for centuries past. It incorporates detailed physical movements, breathing techniques, and cognitive tools that strengthen the body and mind, while balancing qi (life force). There are 5 popular styles, each named from they family they originated (Chen, Yang, Wu Hao, Wu Chu'uan yu, and Sun styles). Another martial arts type training is qigong. It originated some 5,000 years ago and there are over 10,000 styles/systems! It has developed over time for different Chinese society systems: Chinese medical community (preventative and curative), martial artists, religious (Taoist and Buddhist as part of their meditative practice) and Confucian scholars (improve moral character).

 There are 4 types of training: dynamic (special movement and exercise), static (postures), meditative (visualization or focus on specific ideas, sounds, concepts, or breathing patterns), and external aids (ingestion of herbs, messages, or physical manipulation). Let's now look at the ever-so popular yoga. Yoga has been around for at least 5,000 years; stone carvings dating back this far have been found in the Indus Valley. A big misconception is that it developed from Hinduism, but it actually pre-dates the religion. The techniques used today are the collective experiences of many individuals over many thousands of years (which has led to over 100 different schools of yoga. The 3 main structures are: exercise, breathing, and meditation, that are designed to place pressure on the body's glandular system. Breathing is based on breath being the source of life in the body. Breathing and exercise prepare the individual for meditation (quiet mind for silence and healing everyday stress). There are 8 steps in classical yoga (although not all are practiced in 'US' yoga). 1. Yama 'restraint' from violence, lying, stealing, and hoarding 2. niyama 'observance' purity, contentment, tolerance, study, and remembrance 3. asana- physical exercise 4. pranyama- breathing 5. pratyhara- preparation for mediation (withdraw mind from senses) 6. dharana- concentration 7. dhyana- meditation (focus on 1 thing or nothing) 8. samadhi- absorption or realization of the essential nature of the self. In addition to steps there are several schools of yoga: hatha (what we consider yoga- physical movements and postures, plus breathing), Raja ('Royal Road' all, plus meditation and study for the well-rounded individual), Jnana (most difficult, path to wisdom), Bhakti (extreme devotion- centered on personal concept of God), Kashirs Shaivism (ultimate union of opposites; emotion rather than intellect), and lastly tantra (show unseen consciousness through specific words, diagrams, and movements). What can you do? Of course there's the traditional DVD or picture book, try joining a class and get instruction and feedback, plus comrades. It's a great way to practice mediation (check past blogs).

I'll end with a list of just some of the many benefits of yoga: decreased blood pressure, decreased respiratory rates, flexibility, increased range of motion (joints), improved hand-eye coordination, improved posture, increased energy levels, improved sleep, improved balance, increased mood, decreased depression, improved memory and concentration, lower cholesterol and triglycerides, increased self-awareness, and personal growth. So go on and get your warrior poses on!