Relax is the word I have heard more than any other while training at the Wudang Daoist Kungfu Academy. I have heard it from the Grand Master, my instructor, and even from an eleven-year-old boy who has become my friend.
It's like a mantra here: relax while you are stretching. Relax while kicking and punching, relax while practising form, and, of course, relax while you are relaxing.
So I asked my instructor a question about my ongoing hip pain, wanting his opinion as to how much of the pain was fear in my head. He answered with a question of his own. “Why do you think like that”? To which I had no answer.
He then explained that our relationship with our body changes daily, but you seem to be speaking the old language; listen more; your body is trying to help you.
So, what has Tai Chi practice taught me?
Well, it has slowly taught me to accept precisely where I am; and to be content with wherever that may be.
It also taught me to say farewell to things that were no longer serving me, and to be bold and honest enough to follow my heart wherever that path may lead.
And of course practicing Tai Chi allowed me to get to know myself, just a little better.
During the past four months of training, there have been times when I felt completely exhausted.
My mind, body, and spirit have yearned for something other than the training I was undergoing.
In these moments of perceived weakness, I realised the importance of having lazy days.
I have been training at the Wudang Daoist Kungfu Academy for two weeks now, and I can’t help but wonder about the differences between the two schools I have attended.
And like most questions in life, the answer is difficult to pinpoint and may seem rather contradictory.
I am happy that I achieved all I set out to do at Shaolin Warrior Training; it was a challenging experience that will remain deep within me. But on the other hand, I feel indifferent that I didn’t find or could not discover the balance I was searching for.
Which is precisely why the search will continue in the famous Wudang Mountains, where I will be spending three months learning Tai Chi under the skilful gaze of the Taoist Masters at the Wadung Academy.
So the speech was delivered, the graduation certificate was presented, and the photos were taken.
Now, after three hard months, it is time to bid farewell to this little Shaolin Warrior Training adventure.
But before I leave, I thought I would take a moment to reflect on this leg of a bigger and ongoing journey.
I should have known.
And at the very least, I should have considered the concept, that every dream, no matter how noble it may seem, will come with its very own unique ups and downs.
You could call me naive, deluded, shut down, but sadly the down side of this little Shaolin adventure never crossed my mind until it arrived knocking at my door.
So what is the downside?
I can no longer deny that I have the power, knowledge, free will and almost duty. To take responsibility for what comes next in my life; and how I show up to tackle it.
And a very large part of this acknowledgement, is to make sure I compose a soundtrack for my life, that pays tribute to all of the small steps that I take, while humbly remaining hopeful, that one day they will all add up to something far greater.
So perhaps the Shaolin Master is right, perhaps we all do have a shared destiny. And if that is the case then it stands to reason, that every other door we open, and every person we meet behind it is also an opportunity to expand our limitless shared destiny.
As the body adapts to the relentless demands of life on the extreme physical edge, the mind begins to carve out a sanctuary in the uncharted territories of possibility. By the end of my second week immersed in the rigorous training at the Shaolin Monastery in China, a transformation is unfolding. Subtle yet profound, changes are stirring within me, reshaping my reality in ways I once deemed impossible.
You know, the world you thought you knew is fading into the distance when a minute feels like an hour, and an hour feels like a day, and a day feels like a week. After ten days of training in the Shaolin Monastery in China, I thought it might be fun to show you what a week looks like for me.
I believe that the middle path is out there.
I believe that it is possible to achieve all you desire and I firmly believe that life is exactly what you create.
So now it is time to get to work and create.
Just like any other life-changing task, challenge, or goal, you can never be 100% prepared, but sometimes, you have to accept that it is time to go.
I have made the tough decision to live and train as a Shaolin Warrior Monk in China for the foreseeable future. I hope you can join me as this unique journey unfolds.
