Our word this week is Mind, or more specifically Balance in the Mind. Many people think of this as being mentally stable, which may or may not be true, but when it comes to exercising the mind, it can certainly go a long way to having a healthy one.
One way to keep your mind in learning mode is to, well, keep learning. Not just the forms and techniques of martial arts, but also doing mental exercises like puzzles, learning new languages, logic games, etc. These things can not only help your mind grow, they can help you look at other things you are learning in a whole new light. This can help your mind grow in many ways and make it easier to learn newer things. You can see how this will expand upon itself.
Another thing that is usually discussed with mental balance is the way you think, positive or negative. When learning something difficult, have you ever told yourself, “I’ll never get this!”?
That kind of negative thinking actually impedes the learning process because you start to believe it and your mind will put up barriers to your understanding. Instead, every time a thought like that comes up, try adding a positive one to it, such as “If I keep practicing, I will learn this.”
This kind of replacement exercise can help you not only in learning, but by helping you to think of yourself in a more positive light. In the end, this goes a long way towards the balance of mind, body and spirit.
Until next class,
Head Instructor Shawn Morris