meditation

The following is 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 ฉ 2006 Sifu Shi Yan Ming

More chi! Train harder!

Sifu often encourages his students with the cheer "More chi! Train harder!"

What does this mean?

Chi (also spelled qi) is often translated as "life force." It is similar to what we in the West mean by "energy
but it's much more than that. Chi is the vital force that flows through all things -- humans, animals, plants, rocks, microbes, mountains. Chi connects us to all other things in the universe. It is the source of all spiritual, mental, and physical energy and health. It is dynamic, circulating in us like our blood. It has been compared to electricity flowing through circuits, and to the force flowing around magnetic poles.

When our minds, hearts, and bodies are in harmony and in balance, the chi flows freely, helping us to live beautiful lives. When our lives are out of balance, the chi may be blocked or depleted. Stimulating the correct flow of chi can heal us when we are sick and invigorate us when we are tired.

Chi is the force that gives kung fu masters like Sifu their incredible power. It is through stimulating and guiding the flow of chi that we train and push our bodies to actions we might never have known we could do before. This is why we constantly cheer one another on with the cry
More chi! Train harder!" The more chi you put into your exercises and movements
the harder you are able to train. The harder you train
the more you master your body and its movements
and the more chi you'll have.

Some beginners fear that they'll never be able to master certain stretches or movements. It's not unusual to experience some muscle pain when first performing certain exercises and stretches. A "pulled muscle" is a muscle that's not used to being stretched and worked. In the modern world
we use our legs for so little. We sit all day in our cars
at our desks
on the sofa
watching TV. Now you're suddenly asking your muscles to do some work. It's no wonder they're sore!

The wrong way to respond to that sore muscle is to tense up
physically or mentally. Tension will only block the flow of chi to that muscle.

The right way to respond is to relax your body and your mind
extend your body and your mind
and train harder. Athletes have that saying
No pain, no gain.
That's what "Train harder!" means as well. Don't back away from the work
don't tense up
and certainly don't give up. If you give up on your exercises
you give up on yourself. Have faith and confidence in yourself
and tomorrow the stretch you found difficult will feel easier. The next day
it will be easier still.

Today
think about how you can apply this warrior's attitude to your whole life. The more chi you put into your life
the more you'll get out of your life. When you feel like you just can't face another day of washing and folding the kids' laundry . . . when your boss drops an extra stack of paperwork on your desk an hour before quitting time . . . when you get home exhausted after fighting rush hour and plop down on the sofa
and your son asks you to help him with his math homework. Whatever chores
problems
or responsibilities you face today
don't flinch from them
don't avoid them
don't feel defeated by them. Tackle them head-on. Put more chi into it and get it done. Train harder!

Reprinted from: The Shaolin Workout: 28 Days to Transforming Your Body and Soul the Warrior's Way by Sifu Shi Yan Ming ฉ 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.

Author
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.