Walking the path of a martial artist, we are often confronted with the past and the history behind the arts that we practice.
Important parts of any culture are the religious or spiritual practices of its people.
In Thailand, one simply has to observe the many golden statues dispersed throughout the country to know, the principal practice is Buddhism.
As a student of the art, I was intrigued by these practices.
A brief definition Throughout this article I will discuss a variety of meditative techniques, all rooted in the same general practice but each offering their own little subtleties.
As a general definition, encompassing all of these methods, I will describe “Meditation” as: “Making a conscious effort to control one’s breathing and mental processes in order to achieve a pre-determined goal”.
Breathing: fuel for the engine Our automated breathing system produces on average 900 breaths/hour.
With meditative practice, you train your breathing system directly.
As your system evolves, you take in more air per breath and breathe fewer times per minute, therefore increasing your breathing efficiency.
Closed-eye vs open-eye Many different schools of thought exist on meditative practice.
Here are a few examples: Closed-eye with focused attention : Visualization is a big part of sports psychology and many elite athletes are trained to use it on a regular basis, especially those practicing individual sports where strategy is important.
This can only be improved through regular meditative practice.
This practice can translate very well to martial arts, where having the ability to study an opponent and notice the smallest of details can often be the advantage needed to be victorious.
As with most meditative techniques, the ability to focus depends on the ability to control one’s thoughts, to focus one’s mind, and again, this can only be accomplished through regular meditative practice.
In my personal practice, I like to experiment with another possibility, especially when it comes to training, and that option, for me, is Wolf.
These two options are important for the martial artist but require a different approach: Peace : According to studies, regular practice of most meditative techniques leads to a natural evolution of self to a more peaceful state.
Wolf : I have experimented with this concept in different ways, and though it is still early in my practice, I have achieved some interesting results.
Practice: the only way I’ve but touched on a topic that is incredibly vast and includes so much more information.
Just like every other technique required in martial arts, the only way to perfect meditation is through hours of practice and repetition.
One must enter this practice with an open mind and a peaceful mind.
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