Martial Arts Kellyville
Meditation is the underappreciated aspect of martial arts. It is perhaps the underappreciated aspect of a balanced life. To an novice observer the ability to sit still may look like nothing, or a waste of time. But meditation is about being in harmony with oneself, and in harmony with the world we all live in. The importance of meditation becomes apparent when we see how difficult it can be for some people to sit quietly for any period of time.
A poorly adjusted person, and that is everybody at least some of the time, feels some internal conflict – clashing priorities, inappropriate desires, rivalries, past regrets. These things are real, but not productive, at least not when they pull us in different directions and prevent us from pursuing important goals. To be able to sit quietly, meditate, and recognize these conflicts from an impartial perspective – this is important for a well adjusted person.
It is too easy to be carried along by social obligation or to simply fall into habits (good, bad or monotonous) that we have developed in the past. And we end up where ever this pushes us. Meditation allows us to step back and see more of the bigger picture. We can feel at peace despite the situation we are in, and be in a clear state of mind for deciding the best course of action.
Of course this cannot exist on its own. We cannot really spend an entire life meditating, anymore than we can spend an entire life planning while never getting anything done. Meditation is about getting into the right state of mind to do things well. When suitably prepared, we then have to go out and get things done.
Martial Arts Kingsgrove
Anybody who seriously pursues any form of physical training knows that rest is as important as exertion. We exert our muscles now and we let them recover afterwards. This allows the muscle to grow. The same principle applies to mental training. We need to sit still and let the knowledge and skills we have acquired sink into our brain, to integrate with what we already know. We absorb information and skills and let them become an integrated part of who we are.
Meditation is not withdrawal, it is about being poised to respond in exactly the right way at exactly the right moment. Seeing ourselves as a small entity in a bigger world, and knowing how to interact with that world effectively.