When one thinks about spirituality, one doesn’t normally associate that with kicking and punching. One might envision someone meditating in a serene area for hours, but not practicing fighting. But the spirituality of martial arts is the marrying of both and necessary for real growth in either.
But… let now think of the monk practicing kung fu on a mountaintop and meditating for hours, this is the perfect example of using meditation/spirituality to harness and increase one’s power.
Most people see martial arts as a more physical activity. However, if martial arts are trained and experienced properly, it’s a lifestyle. It impacts all aspects of your existence and makes you want to be better, physically, mentally, spiritually, socially and more.
Now, I know that might sound a bit extreme, but if you are truly involved and devoted to something, it becomes a part of everything you do, at least the principles that it teaches. Think about anything else you may love to do, writing, cooking, you find yourself thinking about and incorporating that into your life.
Martial arts usually hook people with fancy movements and what it teaches your body to do, but at the core of martial arts training are basic fundamental principles, which we can get into in a later post. This is just to say that there is more to martial arts than just kicking and punching. There are levels, just like in everything else you try to do, there are levels. There is always room for improvement. Martial arts can be started at any age, by anyone, there are so many varieties from different cultures and background that you can find one that will blend with your spirit.
My Personal experience with Martial Arts and Spiritualality
My husband and I were recently talking and dreaming about our martial arts school and how we would run it. Martial arts again being whole experience for your body and mind. We plan to incorporate this as part of our training as we develop a school. When I first started training, we meditated at the beginning of every class for just a few minutes. This was to get our minds right. It was the cue to turn off anything else that was weighing on us outside of class and just focus and release on the task at hand, and that was training.
Check out my post on meditation, here.
Meditation, whether included with martial arts or on its own is essential for life. Check in with yourself it the most important this you can do for your overall wellness. This meditation was very important for me when I started training as a teen and even today as an adult, even if I forget sometimes. Your mindset is your driver. If your mindset is not ready, your body will never be. This can be applied anywhere in life, any change, your mind has to be ready, or you will never accomplish anything.
Check out my post on visualization, here.
The power of the mind is great and is strengthened by spirituality and faith. Our thoughts will always create our reality. We choose who we are and what we are capable of.
This is why martial arts, an act that pushes our bodies goes hand in hand with spirituality. Practice becomes a form of meditation, a way to clear our minds and mentally push ourselves.
Martial arts may not be everyone’s cup of tea, and that is fine at the end of the day it is finding something that will strengthen your mind, body and spirit. For me, that is martial arts, find yours for a better today, tomorrow and forever.
