Daily writing prompt
How do you know when it’s time to unplug? What do you do to make it happen?
When my body says to move, I move. I dance like a puppet on its string.
PROMPT: Unplug
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Category Archives: exercise
PROMPT: Learned
Heavy Indian Club movement patterns and the core tenets of Perennial Philosophy.
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PROMPT: Fun
List five things you do for fun.
1.) Read; 2.) Move; 3.) Juggle; 4.) Hike; 5.) Breathe
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PROMPT: Physical Activity
I don’t have a favorite, but there are several that I could not maintain health and sanity without, including: hiking, yoga, calisthenics, taiji / qigong, free movement, and at least one cardio (I currently swim and run.) I’m currently struggling with juggling.
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BOOKS: The Shaolin Workout by Shi Yan Ming
The Shaolin Workout: 28 Days to Transforming Your Body and Soul the Warrior’s Way by Yan MingMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
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This book presents an exercise regimen based on Shaolin Kung fu as taught by a prominent New York City martial arts teacher. The book moves from gentle joint articulations suitable for anyone through to movements that require some degree of flexibility and athleticism. The sequence is presented in such a way as to build on itself, adding a bit more each time until one is doing the entire sequence.
Interspersed with the descriptions of the physical exercises are meditations, mostly of a contemplative nature. The illustrations are color pictures and provide the sequences of movement, though the textual descriptions will be necessary in many cases to clarify the transitional movements. There are a number of full-page color plates that are very well shot, though mostly for aesthetic (versus educational) purposes.
The book is probably the most pep-talk laden book I’ve ever read. That said, there’s not much discussion of modifications or capacity building for individuals who are incapable of doing the full expression of the techniques.
The practices often reminded me more of yoga than of martial arts. There are many deep stretches and low positions, e.g. similar to Warrior I (Virabhadra I.) It’s true that there are punch and kick movements, but they are done in more of a range-of-motion building way than as one would in combative arts.
It is an interesting set of movements, and I’d recommend it for those who like to work with unconventional workouts and movement systems.
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PROMPT: Physical Exercise
What is your favorite form of physical exercise?
I play no favorites. I love calisthenics, yogasana, running, swimming, functional movement, movement drills (e.g. martial arts,) etc.
I do have least favorites though, and – collectively – those are exercises where I have to go somewhere in particular to have access to some specialized equipment. So, for example, I don’t care for weight lifting or using ellipticals or climbers, etc. (I still enjoy the exercise well enough, but it’s more hassle than it needs to be.)
My whole equipment inventory consists of a yoga mat, a pull-up / dip apparatus, and a few resistance bands, and I can make do without those quite nicely — e.g. when traveling.
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PROMPT: Lazy Days
Rested. Definitely. I believe one has to think of rest and recovery as part of the process of living. If one thinks of it as just wasting time between “doing things,” then one isn’t going to get the most out of body and mind.
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PROMPT: Walk or Run
How often do you walk or run?
Every day. And sometimes I crawl, and – if there are monkey bars – I swing.
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BOOK REVIEW: Mindfulness in Wild Swimming by Tessa Wardley
Mindfulness in Wild Swimming: Meditations on Nature & Flow by Tessa WardleyMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
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Release Date: June 13, 2023
As the title suggests, this is a book about combining mindfulness and swimming in natural bodies of water. It’s part of a large series of “Mindfulness and …” books, and this particular volume is a re-release of a title that came out a couple years back.
While the book does provide an overview the basic methods and considerations for both mindfulness meditation and wild swimming, it’s largely a peptalk or enticement to take up wild swimming as a means to improve awareness (as well as to bolster physical health and mental well-being.) That said, some of this peptalk is artfully, almost poetically, written, and the book is a pleasure to read.
The book discusses solo swims versus those in a group, and it even explores using onshore experiences to bolster mindfulness — e.g. using the sensory experience of the water as a focal point for practicing awareness. The around- (v. in-) water discussions are probably in part because the book uses seasons as a secondary mode of organization, and long and leisurely winter swims in lakes and rivers aren’t an option for people in many parts of the world.
I picked up some interesting food-for-thought in the book, and — as I say — it made for enjoyable reading.
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BOOK REVIEW: Training and Conditioning for MMA ed. by Dias / Oliveira / Brauer & Pashkin
Training and Conditioning for MMA: Programming of Champions by Stéfane Beloni Correa Dielle DiasMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
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Release Date: September 15, 2022 [It may already be out in some formats and markets]
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This book provides an overview of fitness building for Mixed Martial Arts athletes. It covers program design, athletic assessment, nutrition, exercises and conditioning practices, and injury prevention methods. On the positive side, it’s not only comprehensive, but – also – presents some of the best and latest methods in combative sports training based on sound scientific research. On the other hand, the book does assume a certain level of understanding of sports science, and it gets pretty deep in the weeds with respect to technical detail and to scientific and specialty jargon. If one doesn’t have such background, one may find some of the content (particularly the early chapters) a bit daunting. That said, it offers an excellent reference for those who are interested in methods and sports science not just for MMA, but for combative sports, in general.
The book uses color photographs throughout. I found the photos to be clear, well-sized, and well-lit. While there is definitely an attempt to keep the number of photos to a reasonable level, they do offer multiple angles where necessary and – generally – give enough pictures to make the action clear. There are also tables after each of the methods sections to give a handy summary of sets, reps, and scheduling suggestions for various exercises. In the early chapters, the ones that convey more technical content, there’re charts, graphs, and diagrams as needed. There’s an extensive bibliography, though it should be noted many if not most of the references are not in English. (The team of editors and contributors is large and international.)
This book offers an excellent reference for coaches, trainers, and athletes. While it does get quite technical, it’s great that it offers insight into cutting edge science and training methods.
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Tiger Riding for Beginners 