In Part I of Warrior Weight Loss I discussed the proper use and focus of your mind and words. Your thought or mind diet is the most crucial element in getting the leaner you that you want. This involves using your imagination, which I consider to be your mind’s katana, or samurai sword.

It is important to know how to use your mind-sword of imagination as it can either help you or harm you. The same goes for your second mind-sword. This is your wakazashi, or short sword of the mind…your Emotions.
It is the second sword that makes your visualization have more power and effectiveness. It allows you to create what you see in your mind faster and easier. Your emotions are the secret weapon in helping you become leaner and healthier and here’s how.

What do you really want when you are lean and healthy? You want to feel happy or have a sense of relief or a sense of accomplishment, right? These emotions are easier to bring forth right here and now than the lean body you desire. The shape of your body will follow the images you put in your mind and will move faster when coupled with strong emotions.

The fun part is emotions can be influenced right now. All you have to do is think of a past happy or exuberant time and if you were to dwell on it and really daydream it, you will feel like you are actually there. This skill is very important, because the subconscious mind that is in charge of your weight works in associations, not logic.

It will change your body’s shape based on the feelings of feeling good right now!

So, when you visualize yourself lean you should always have the feelings of how great that is. If your feelings are in a state of “I hope so….or this isn’t going to happen”, your visualization will not happen. You will get frustrated and most likely revert back to old ways.

Leanness will occur when your feelings of ‘how great this would be” are strong and coupled with the visualization of the lean and healthy you. Now, some people have a hard time generating good feelings, so here is a quick technique I call ‘bridging’ to help you.

Here is how I do it.  My last great ‘Yahoo’ experience was when the Packers won the Super Bowl. I was totally elated. So, when I need to generate strong good feelings, I remember what it was like at the end of the game and my family and I were jumping with joy.

Then, when my feelings are high, I quickly insert the goal or goals I desire. They are now associated with very strong feelings of jubilation and victory. Exactly what I want when I achieve my visualized goal.

This bridging technique will quickly help you accomplish your goals of a lean, healthy and happy you. I will soon have on my website, www.blackbelthealing.com a self-hypnosis CD or mp3 download on Warrior Weight Loss. Check back from time to time…I hope to have it within the month.

Be Well.
 

What do you think is the most crucial aspect of losing weight?

If you say eat less, exercise more…or eat more protein, less simple carbs….or follow a certain fad diet or buy the latest exercise gadget, you’re wrong.

The most important part of any weight loss regimen is your mind. Yes, your mind. The most important diet you can follow is having the right Mind Diet. What your thoughts are and how you manage your thoughts are the key to getting the lean and healthy look you want. Let me explain, because it is more than just having a positive mental attitude.

Warriors know that the martial arts is 95% mental and about 5% physical. The same goes for your weight management. 95% of it is how you manage your thinking. In my book, Black Belt Healing, I explain how your Subconscious Mind (your mind’s dojo) contains Mind-Swords. These Mind-Swords are just as sharp as a real blade…and as the saying goes they can take your life or give you life. Depends on how you train them and use them. If you are struggling with weight loss issues you are not using the right technique with your Mind-Swords.

Just like you can’t become a black belt overnight don’t expect to get your mind-sword black belt overnight either. I am going to cover some of the basics of Mind-Sword management over the next few posts and it will be up to you to practice.

The first lesson is to STOP trying to lose weight. Stop focusing on weight and trying to get rid of it. This is only keeping you fat. One of the rules of the mind is that what you focus on with intent expands, even if you are trying to get rid of it.

Right now, Do NOT think of a blue monkey with a big red butt carrying nunchakus. I can see you smiling already. That blue monkey is there. The secret here is the word NOT. Your Subconscious Mind works in pictures and there is no picture for the word NOT. Same goes for the word Lose, as in lose weight. All your mind can see is weight…and what it focuses on expands…and so does your middle. The weight loss industry actually keeps people fat.

Focus and visualize a happy and lean you. Happy and Lean are the thoughts and feelings you need. This is the Mind-Sword technique of creation language. What you want to see needs to be your focus, then your subconscious mind begins to create the physical change in your body that you desire. From here all the exercising and dieting will be easy and results begin to happen.

Think about this for a moment. What are the feelings and thoughts associated with weight loss? If you are like me, it is, “hard work and restricting calories and foods I enjoy. I don’t think I am going to like this.”  This is going to make it hard to accomplish your goals. Think ‘I am Happy and Lean…and I will be happy and lean the rest of my life”. Make this your reality. Remember ‘Act As If’ from a previous post. I will cover this aspect next week.

Be Well.

Next: Warrior Weight Loss Part 2…or should I say “How to create a Leaner You.”

 

March 22, 2011

Be the most dangerous man alive….Learn Dim Mak!

Most of you are probably too young to remember or know about the infamous Count Dante. He was a martial artist back in the late ‘60’s who used to advertise as being the most dangerous man alive. He claimed if you sent for his home study course you can learn the secrets of The Death Touch or Dim Mak…and be the most dangerous man alive as well.

We can look back at this now and sort of laugh. But what if I could promise to teach you a form of Dim Mak? Yes, I can teach you the Death Touch, but you won’t be killing anyone. You will be killing uncomfortable emotions, such as anxiety, worry, fear, anger, frustration, sadness and yes, even depression.
Now, Dim Mak itself, which translates loosely as “artery push”, has come to be known as the Death Touch. Experts of Dim Mak were proported to be able to touch an assailant and kill their assailant instantly, or there would be a delayed effect and the assailant died days later. In some circles, the legendary Bruce Lee, is believed to have been the victim of Dim Mak.

Well, the emotional Dim Mak I am going to share with you can also “kill” an uncomfortable emotion instantly, or have a delayed effect and the emotion will eventually die off. So, how do you do emotional Dim Mak?
One word: Gratitude.

Being thankful for everything you have in your life begins the process of killing off any uncomfortable or unwanted feeling that is coursing through your system. Saying, “Thank You”, to the negative emotion itself elicits powerful forces that erode the power of the negative.

Now, that can seem strange, to give thanks for the uncomfortable emotion, but give it a try and see how it goes. With practice you will be able to sense a shift in how you feel.

Another form of gratitude is to simply to count your blessings. When you are feeling sorry for yourself, or worried about an upcoming test or tournament or worried about your finances, start counting and giving thanks to all that you do have…right here and now. Counting your blessings, like having a dry bed to sleep in at night and food in the fridge, can be mood altering and kill off any negativity you are facing.

My kids would often complain about having to clean the dirty dishes after supper. I would tell them to be thankful for the opportunity to wash dirty dishes because it means they just had food to eat. Yeah, my kids think I am a bit weird. But when you think about it, this type of attitude is the Death Touch to the resistance of doing dishes. When applied properly, washing dishes can be a joyous event. Or, when you don’t feel like going to the dojang or dojo to practice…give thanks for what you have. Look around your room and give thanks to whatever you are sitting on, standing on, wearing, eating, watching, playing with or looking at. Give thanks to your teachers, fellow students and the ability to even do the martial arts. Count all the blessings you have in your life right now and feel the emotions shifting.

So, practice Gratitude.  It is the Dim Mak for uncomfortable or negative emotions. Really get into it and you will see and feel a whole new world open to you.

Next week: Warrior Weight Loss

March 15, 2011

What’s one of the first things you do when you get scrap a knee or twist an ankle? You grab it, right?  When you get hurt in most parts of your body one of the most instinctual things you do is put your hands on it. It makes it feel better. This is energy work.

Your hands have tremendous amounts of energy flowing through it and when you hurt it is natural to soothe the hurt with touch. When a friend is crying, perhaps from the loss of a relationship or tragic events, one of the first things you might do is put your hand on their shoulder…and then give a hug. All Energy Work.

But what really is energy work? It is simply transferring our energy to another or back into ourselves with mindful intention. As Martial Artists we are exposed to energy early by hearing the words, Qi, Ki, Chi…as they are incorporated in the arts themselves. There is Tai Chi, HapKiDo, Aikido. Qi, Ki, and Chi all mean Energy. Flowing energy…that is in all and pervades all things. It is central to Quantum Physics as well as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

An entire branch of TCM is Qigong, or Energy Exercises. These are designed to circulate the Qi in our bodies for health and healing. Acupuncture is also designed to enhance the flow of Qi…and you guessed right when ask about herbs. TCM herbs are also designed to regulate, balance and help the Qi to flow easily and smoothly.

Proper Qi or Energy Flow is paramount for good health. When you place your hands on an injured part of your body or holding a friend’s hand who is hurting, your mind’s intentions activate the flow of Qi to flow through your hands and facilitate healing. It is natural and we all can do it.

Here is a simple healing technique you can use:
First, simply tune into your breathing and begin to slow it down with longer exhales than inhales. Relax. ..and put your mind’s attention into your center (three inches below your navel and three inches in)…do this for about a minute.
Then focus on moving the energy with your exhale from your center up your spine to between your shoulder blades, then send the energy into your hands. Simply place your hands about an inch over an injured part of your body or on the part itself. Visualize in any way that seems right for you and if you can feel the movement and transfer of energy.
Remember to breath.

Overtime, you will be able to really feel the energy. Don’t worry if you don’t right away. It’s there. Also, what I do now that I am more confident in my skills is simply to tell myself…”Energy On:…and my hands warm up. When I am done, I say…”Energy Off”. My best advice is to just play with this and don’t force it…energy works best when relaxed and your mind is calm.
Be Well…

Next: Emotional Dim Mak

March 8, 2011

My herbalist and good friend, Miles Coleman, is a Master Herbalist and a Master of Goh Family Kung Fu.  I asked him what he stocks in his medicine bag and considers essential for any martial artist to know.

The one herb he highly recommended for trauma pain is Corydalis or Yan Hu Sou. As a martial artist we engage in a lot of contact that obviously creates trauma. We get bruises, bumps and pain. Yan Hu Sou or Corydalis is a blood mover and relieves blood stagnation that causes  bruising. It also has sedative properties along with pain killing attributes. In fact, Cordydalis has been in Traditional Chinese Medicine since the eighth century.

Master Coleman has spent over 20 years studying kung fu’s “da ke”, or hit trauma medicine. Corydalis is one of the herbs he feels is the best for all types of pain, but most specifically for sharp stabbing pain or pain that is constant, dull, aching and throbbing. He states it also works well with pain that feels better when rubbed or massaged.

 Today, it is used to alleviate abdominal and menstrual cramps as well as an herbal sleep aid to relieve insomnia.  Moreover, because it is excellent for increasing blood circulation it is thought to protect against heart attacks and stroke and improving heart arrhythmia. It has many other healing properties, but the primary purpose for a martial artist would be to help alleviate bruising and pain that comes from blunt force trauma.

It is important to use Chinese Corydalis and not North American Corydalis as they are different in quality and effects. Master Coleman states that Corydalis should only be used under the guidance of a qualified and certified herbalist as it has very strong properties.

I want to also remind you that this post if for educational purposes only and not a substitute for medical care. Corydalis should always be used under the supervision of a health care provider as it is contraindicated under certain medical conditions.

If you ever have questions about herbs feel free to contact Master Miles Coleman. He is a registered herbalist with the American Herbalist’s Guild (AHG). He is also well-versed in Eastern and Western bodywork.  He has a private practice in Council Bluffs, Iowa and can be reached at blkbeltherbs@gmail.com

I can vouch for the herbs he uses. Six years ago I tore the medial meniscus in my left knee. Along with proper mindfulness, visualization, energy work and herbal mixtures from Miles, my meniscus healed…a minor miracle for which I am grateful.

Next week: A simple Energy Medicine strategy for Martial Artists.