TheMartialArtsReporter.com provides very general medical information and does not replace the advice of a medical professional such as a qualified doctor or physician, nurse, pharmacist/chemist,etc. TheMartialArtsReporter.com is not a doctor.
It’s late November and that usually means cold season for many parts of the Northern Hemisphere.
The typical symptoms are sneezing, running nose,sore throat, cough, head and body aches and overall you just don’t feel like your goodself.
So, what is a martial artist to do?
Well, there is no one size fits all.
I think I should listen to my body and if that means that I have to take a break for a couple of days, then I just do it.
Yeah, we have all heard those sayings such as “If it doesn’t kill me, it will only make me stronger.” There’s a time and place for everything.
Now would be a good time for my body to rest and get healthy again. And again, I am talking about getting rid of a cold.
Besides loading up on Vitamin C and healthy fluids like chicken soup, TomYum soup, tea and water, and generally speaking a lighter diet lower on calories compared to my normal intake when healthy applies, because I will be burning off a lot less,while moving around a lot less.
So whenever I’m waiting for my hot water to boil, I might do some dips or pushups. A couple of Yoga exercises never hurt me, either.
I try not to get my pulse too elevated, but still I can always get in some light strength exercises. (I said light!).
What definitely always works with a cold is going for a walk.
Other than that using common sense should get us all through this cold season:
The term meditation (in Japanese, Mokuso) refers to a variety of techniques or practices intended to focus or control attention.
Most of them are rooted in Eastern traditions. These techniques have been used by many different cultures and martial arts throughout the world for thousands of years.
I remember that during my years of studying Shotokan karate we always started and ended our training sessions with a short, maybe 1-2 minute each of relaxation or meditation in a kneeling position, also known as ‘seiza’.
The important part is to control your breathing like this:
Breathe in through your nose, and out through your mouth, exhale from deep within the abdomen.
Relax to let the troubles of the day evaporate, and clear your mind to be ready for the Karate class and to start refreshened.
Mokuso is the time to clear your head and eliminate any anger before entering class. There is no religious meaning attached to Mokuso.
A even more physically active way of meditation would be by performing kata .
Today, many people use meditation even outside of its traditional settings as a form of mind-body medicine.
Many claims have been made about its value in promoting or improving health and wellness.
Just this morning I read that daily meditation exercises have the potential to cut the risk of death from heart attack by 30 (thirty) percent and cancer even by 49 (forty-nine) percent.
There are even claims that one can add up to 12 more years to on’e life. That’s powerful in my book.
There you have it in a nutshell: Mokuso Or The Power Of Meditation Not Only for Martial Artists.
Don’t try this while driving or operating heavy machinery!
Just several months ago I successfully completed a 90-day extreme fitness program which entailed working out 6 days in a row and either rest or stretch on the seventh day. Stretching is what I opted for and that was a really good idea.
I am pretty happy with the results, except that I still have to buy new pants/trousers.
But I guess that’s a good problem to have.
The program consisted of exercises to improve overall strength, cardiovascular fitness and flexibility.
One of the elements was Yoga.
Alright, I hear some of you saying, “Yoga? You gotta be kidding me!”
Well, work with me here.
I am not going to bore you with historical and/or statistical facts about Yoga. For example that it has been practiced for over 5,000 years and as you might know, originated in India.
No, seriously, the benefits of incorporating Yoga in any martial artist’s training regimen could be summed up in:
Develop, maintain and even improve your breathing, flexibility, strength, and balance.
Listen, if Yoga is good enough for martial arts legends like Rickson Gracie, do you think we could find some benefits for us?
Personally, I am glad that Yoga was introduced to me as part of that 90-day fitness program I told you about.
Either way, I hope you find inspiration in this clip on Yoga for martial artists:
Your comments and ideas are always welcome here. Namaste!
