It's been known for thousands of years that physical disciplines such as Tai-Chi and yoga, have proven to increase our mental and spiritual powers. So how can we apply these same practices to enhance our modern day lives as parents, business professionals, athletes, or artists.
What we first need is to remove that certain mysticism about these activities before adoption.
Not that they don't have any esoteric aspects, but rather we need to approach them on a more realistic level and a clearer mind.
It's been said the taller the tree, the deeper the roots are. The taller the buildings, the more rigid are it's foundation. If you're wanting to soar, then make certain your tether is secure.
To Strengthen From Within
What we need to begin with is an easy physiological explanation, and then suggest ways how you can tie it all together.
Ways to develop more advanced artistic accomplishments, intellectual clarity, better relationship skills, and spiritual growth.
The history and the science of it is by studying indigenous health systems which goes back centuries.
These are the precise movements and the wellness concepts, along with the interpretations of this core knowledge.
It's All About Body Mind And Flow
The single most important extraction when it comes to the Body and Mind connection, is whats known as the "Flow State Performance Spiral."
Since it might be impossible to properly relate this concept in its entirety, it needs to be condensed considerably.
• All of these physical techniques are composed of three basic aspects: proper breathing, movement, and structure
• Each of the individual aspects are controlled by the other two. For instance, breathing is created by movement, which supports structure, etc.
• What stress does is it will disintegrate this structure. So in times of stress, anxiety, or hardship, these physiological symptoms will manifest themselves in your breathing technique and rate, such as it becoming shallow, which affects your posture, forcing your muscles to tense
The Stress Concept
Experts in this area refer to it as the "stress" concept, which reveals it's not the actual stress that hurts us, but it's rather the strain.
Stress is rather the direct pressure that we're under, and the resulting strain is the degree to which the stress is capable of warping us.
As a result, the stress itself isn't considered the enemy.
In fact, when it's handled correctly and healthfully, it can be the primary motivator for personal growth.
The key becomes to avoiding the stress which leads to strain as much as possible.
How To Get Into The Flow
When it comes to your personal pursuits, your ability to utilize your: artistic potential, intelligence, skills, education or talents, depends on your ability to maintain "flow" when under times of stress.
For instance, in life, we at times are rewarded for how much stress we're able to handle without giving in, without folding.
Writer's block, for example, is nothing more than a poor reaction to performance related stress.
When combining these ideas, what we then have is that mental and emotional balance under stress which leads towards excellence.
Combine this with the fact learning to somehow cope with physical stress, will develop skills which can be tremendously applicable to the mental arena.
The most vulnerable when it comes to the "Flow State" trio of breath, movement, and structure, is proper breathing.
Breathing naturally becomes degraded by the introduction of stress before you can detect it in your posture, or before your muscles become tense.
This is the major reason why controlling your breathing is always addressed in most religions and spiritual teachings, such as pranayama yoga, prayer, exercising, dance, or posture exercises.
It All Begins With Proper Breathing
Yoga instructors will teach their students to use postures which may be extreme, this strictly to force channelled concentration.
Once the student learns to relax and focus better, proper posture then becomes relatively easy, and more extreme advanced postures can be taught.
The point of these stoic exercises are to teach the student how they can monitor their own internal process of control.
Advanced martial artists and breathing meditation teachers will use similar techniques.
The student will learn how to recognize the early signs of strain, and then learn how to dissipate them. It's realized there's nothing in life which creates more stress than the lack of oxygen.
Learning to remain as calm as possible in the midst of oxygen debt, becomes key.
What it does is teaches the student to remain calm when there's external stress, such as your kids or your boss yelling at you, or when someone cuts you off in traffic.
Other instances of stress include when you need to perform under pressure, that writing deadline, when fear or personal insecurity confronts you, when you're undecided, or you need to resolve something.
Physical Discipline For A Calmer Mind
The key becomes to deliberately practice a physical discipline, to enhance the quality of your calmness while becoming more centered.
This can be achieved while also simultaneously working towards balancing your body, mind, and spirit.
What this does is exposes you to all of the currents of life, while helping you develop the skills and strategies needed to improve and excel.
This eventually over time leads towards excellence, even when it's in a purely mental state.
There are numerous physical disciplines such as yoga which can teach proper breathing techniques when under stress.
If you're wanting to reach your maximum potential as a spiritual and emotional being, seek one of these proven techniques out.
You can then integrate what you've learned into your life. It will prove to be one of the best investments you'll make for yourself and your future.
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