In spite of bad circumstances, good things may emerge. For example, the recent COVID-19 pandemic did actually produce some positive results for some people. For others, not so much. I think this concept requires a greater understanding of the bigger picture of how the pandemic has brought some level of clarity, meaning and purpose into many individuals’ lives, in spite of having affected so many in a negative way. Some people lost their lives, while others more “fortunate” lost their businesses, jobs, homes and friends. Others made vast amounts of income by acting upon opportunities. This leads me back to the dichotomy of yin and yang, that is found in almost all things. In order to appreciate the “good” in anything, we need to also see the “bad” in order to understand the contrast. While some people were quite traumatized by lockdowns, mandates, isolation, job loss and the illness itself, others thrived while working from home and around their family and loved ones. Some used this time to re-invent themselves, cook and eat healthier at home, exercise more and other positive events and realizations that might have never come about.
Conversely some people ate less healthy, exercised less, and acquired mental ailments of depression, anxiety, and others. I bring this back to the realization that I have discussed before that everyone perceives stress, pain, suffering and trauma differently in relation to their own availability of coping mechanisms. I think it takes a certain level of wisdom to be able to see the good and bad in all things, while also choosing to see the good in people in spite of their attempts to prove otherwise. The COVID-19 pandemic gave many more than ample opportunities to tone their personal social skills while trying to keep their relative stressors in check. There will almost always be good and bad in all things. It is our choice how we choose to see things and act upon them accordingly.
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I teach and offer lectures about holistic health, stress management, qigong, tai chi, baguazhang, meditation, phytotherapy (herbs), music for healing, self-massage, and Daoyin (yoga).
I look forward to further sharing more of my message by partnering with hospitals, wellness centers, VA centers, schools on all levels, businesses and individuals that see the value in building a stronger nation through building a healthier population. I also have hundreds of FREE education video classes, lectures and seminars available on my YouTube channel at:
Post-traumatic growth (PTG) is the term for what happens when someone who struggles psychologically from past trauma and adversity or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), comes to experience positive, and maybe even transformative changes in their mindset and behavior. Over time, a survivor’s focus shifts away from their trauma, moving toward a new purposeful narrative that may include possibilities for a better future. A key factor for PTG is the ability for the sufferer to create an emotional distance from the traumatic event and realize that it doesn’t define who they are.
Potential benefits may include:
(1) A sprouting of personal strength (2) An ability to relate to others more deeply (3) An openness to new possibilities and maybe even greater opportunities (4) A greater appreciation of life (5) Spiritual and existential change
It is important to note that not everyone who experiences PTSD can or will also experience post-traumatic growth. Those who respond to trauma by assuming control, manage much better.
Contrasting PTG is that of “learned helplessness” where a person acquires an altered state of being, that can occur after a person has experienced a stressful situation once or repeatedly. The individual comes to believe that they are unable to control or change their negative situation or future circumstances. Eventually, the person stops trying to change their conditions, even when opportunities for positive change become available. This thought process puts extra wear and tear on the nervous system, as the HPA-axis is constantly engaged in order to cope with and manage the inner stresses on the psyche. This can further lead to the general adaption syndrome (GAS) were the body sees the continued heightened level of stress as the new norm, and consequently psychophysiological mechanisms become affected.
After reading The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, I have a better idea of how mental wounds can heal or stay fresh, active and continue to live on in a sufferer’s mind. Over my past years as a martial artist, tai chi and yoga teacher, almost all of my teachers (masters in their respective fields of expertise) spoke of how the mind protects the body, as conversely and more often synergistically, the body protects the mind. The mechanisms that control our physiology that are affected and managed by are nervous system, embody this exact relationship between our mind and body. What really embraced my attention was the concept that if our being is not able to react and take some level of control over a traumatic situation, we may well be caught in a never-ending loop of reliving the original trauma, often leading to the learned helplessness that I spoke of earlier. Our nervous system, along with our mind, body and spirit will continue to perceive the original trauma as present threat until reprogrammed to be otherwise.
I was taught and encouraged to teach others also, that in a self-defense or other traumatic situation, a victim will almost always fair better emotionally and mentally if they try to defend themselves against a would-be attacker. In spite of the obvious potential for becoming injured, killed or otherwise, a victim at a particular time or place, need not accept that they will forever be a victim. I know this to be true from the hundreds of students that made their way to our schools and pursued self-defense instruction and classes, often after already having experienced some type of personal abuse, crime, or assault. However, at the time of my interaction with such individuals I was not following any scientific data nor studies, but rather my firsthand observations and conversations I had with many of my students. More recent research on my part, has led me to various studies of how yoga has been studied and implemented in the treatments of symptoms from traumatic events, such as fear, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Macy et al., 2015). Additionally, other research has been studied regarding specifically how self-defense training can be used as an intervention as a psychotherapeutic treatment for traumatic events (Rosenblum & Taska, 2014). Yoga, qigong, tai chi, martial arts and other mind-body practices have proven the test of time for hundreds if not thousands of years within other cultures. Hopefully, are scientific and medical communities will continue to pursue their due diligence to confirm how beneficial these methods can be for those in need within our fast-paced and often stressful lifestyles.
References:
Van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Viking.
Macy, R. J., Jones, E., Graham, L. M., & Roach, L. (2015, December 9). Yoga for Trauma and Related Mental Health Problems: A Meta-Review With Clinical and Service Recommendations. Trauma, Violence, &Amp; Abuse, 19(1), 35–57. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838015620834
Rosenblum, G. D., & Taska, L. S. (2014, March). Self-Defense Training as Clinical Intervention for Survivors of Trauma. Violence Against Women, 20(3), 293–308. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801214526048
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I teach and offer lectures about holistic health, stress management, qigong, tai chi, baguazhang, meditation, phytotherapy (herbs), music for healing, self-massage, and Daoyin (yoga).
I look forward to further sharing more of my message by partnering with hospitals, wellness centers, VA centers, schools on all levels, businesses and individuals that see the value in building a stronger nation through building a healthier population. I also have hundreds of FREE education video classes, lectures and seminars available on my YouTube channel at:
Seek the right teacher for you, because in time a student (you) can become similar to your teacher, sometimes absorbing good and bad traits alike.
“Learn to earn” One must learn something and understand it effectively before teaching it to another. It is usually quite difficult to teach another what you yourself are not proficient with. Learn to understand – earn to have purpose and meaning. Jack of all trades, master of none – think about it, do you know something well enough to help another rather that hurting them with what you do or do not know? Not everyone who carries the title of teacher, is indeed a good teacher.
Teaching visually as well as audibly.
The Teacher/student relationship In the teaching and learning environment, there has to be an even exchange of energy. The teacher shares their knowledge while the student listens, watches, absorbs and hopefully learns and applies. Gratitude is a reciprocating relationship between student and teacher, because if there is no teacher, there is no student. If there is no student, there is no teacher. Yin and yang in all things. Teachers too, benefit from this relationship. Teachers, first responders, armed forces members, public service workers and others don’t help others just for others to benefit. These types of individuals often find purpose and meaning through their service to others. At the very root of these endeavors is indeed a self-serving motivation that needs to be kept in check. Helping and teaching others to have purpose is one thing; indulging a god complex is another. A god complex is when an individual truly believes they have a greater power, influence, ability, etc., and see themselves as superior to others. A god complex behavior is often associated with having a narcissistic personality disorder. We all have much to offer and learn from one another, regardless of fame, wealth or social status.
A wise and experienced teacher realizes that not everyone learns the same way and adjusts accordingly. Some teachers are better at this than others as not all teachers are the same. Various students are better at grasping concepts through graphic or visual presentations, while others gravitate towards the sounds of words. Some may visualize the words in their mind’s eye. While still others learn best through touch and movement, where they need to be physically engaged in order to mentally comprehend concepts.
Teaching verbally, visually and tactilely.
Embrace the “beginner’s mind.”
Students and teachers alike can benefit from understanding that they cannot fill a full cup, without first emptying what they already have. Once a student’s ego lets go of what one thinks they already know, they can then be open to learn something new or see something from a different perspective. Teachers can often learn much from their students if they are open to it and not let their own ego get in the way of their own learning from a student.
Learn so that you can earn a living and hopefully a purpose!
Learning ability/environment later in life
It is never too late to learn something new. Those who were once a teacher, can be a student once again. We are only limited by our own boundaries. However, learning ability does change as we move through the various phases of life. Short term memory becomes just that, shorter. We may remember complex details from our youth but fail to remember someone’s name that we were just introduced to seconds prior. Memory is indeed a muscle that needs to be exercised continuously in order to keep it working effectively. Sitting in a classroom or behind a computer screen can have a toll on the physical body, so plan accordingly and find the format that works best for your circumstances.
Fees for instruction
Fees and/or tuition are almost always necessary, in order for the teacher/student relationship to flourish. Time, effort and monetary compensation are all forms or conduits of energy. Sometimes labor (physical as well as mental) in return for knowledge is a viable commodity and can offer many opportunities for personal growth. No fee, cost or sacrifice on some level = NO VALUE. No skin in the game most often leads to no commitment or investment of one’s time and effort. Give a young adult an automobile and often they don’t care about maintenance, dings or scratches. The spoiled or entitled individual sooner or later learns a whole different set of life lessons. The person that saves and buys their own vehicle, often takes more pride and care of their assets, as they realize and value the time, effort and sacrifice that they put on the line for their own personal gain. Most people know this in spite of looking for the best deal or “free any things”. We usually pay for what we get, good or bad quality. Teachers need to earn living and be rightfully compensated for their time, effort and sharing of their earned knowledge.
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I teach and offer lectures about holistic health, stress management, qigong, tai chi, baguazhang, meditation, phytotherapy (herbs), music for healing, self-massage, and Daoyin (yoga).
I look forward to further sharing more of my message by partnering with hospitals, wellness centers, VA centers, schools on all levels, businesses and individuals that see the value in building a stronger nation through building a healthier population. I also have hundreds of FREE education video classes, lectures and seminars available on my YouTube channel at:
Would you seek dental help from a dentist with rotten teeth?
Ask for relationship advice from someone that has a record of domestic abuse?
Take your car to a mechanic whose own automobile is always broken down?
Then why would you seek advice on health and well-being from someone who themselves is not healthy and well?
I have previously come across the concept of the “wounded healer.” There is no shortage of books and articles on this topic, where people that have first-hand experience with surviving trauma are often the best empaths for a particular issue. Psychologist Carl Jung may have been the first to use this term back in 1951, where he proposed that disease of the soul could be the most advantageous type of training for a healer. Jung was thought to believe that only a wounded physician could heal effectively. An empath that truly understands another’s circumstances may be of great benefit and perhaps provide a guiding path to post-traumatic growth (PTG). PTG is the term for what happens when someone who struggles psychologically from trauma and adversity, comes to experience positive, transformative changes in their mindset and behavior. “Finding the silver lining in all things, good or bad,” is a quote many of us are quite familiar with.
How can something “good” come from things that are seemingly “bad?” While I don’t think anyone truly looks forward to any personal loss and/or suffering on any level, there are sometimes good aspects that can come out of even the worst of circumstances. Losses or misfortunes can offer the possibility of life-enhancing “post-traumatic growth” as someone weaves the lessons of loss and resilience into their life moving forward. Personal growth following major experiences of loss is common (Hall, 2014). From my experiences in teaching fitness, wellness, and mindfulness, I have found most people do not have a deeper connection to their own health, well-being, or consciousness until some event of trauma as a life-threatening or life-changing situation enters into their life. Loss of life of a family member or close friend can be the spark that causes another to change their behaviors. Someone passing of a heart attack at an early age, might motivate others to watch their own health closer. Mental or physical trauma can sometimes lead to what some call “knowing one’s true self”, self-realization or enlightenment. Taoism and Buddhism has taught me decades ago, that trauma can be means to knowing one’s true self. Trauma can be very intense and life-changing experiences that an individual may become so affected, that they may appear to others to have evolved overnight into a different person. Many of us have encountered someone who while in dire straits, promises to change their ways if their circumstances where to play out in their favor. Changes of this sort can be viewed as positive or negative, as all things are relative. Change through motivation, stemming from trauma.
I have discussed alcoholism in some of my past posts here, as it is a topic that I am quite familiar with. We can see the wounded healer here, where survivors of alcoholism or those who have experienced alcohol abuse-related relationships often have firsthand experience with coping with alcohol related issues. Similarly, survivors of abusive relationships and varying levels of trauma have been wounded themselves but can also help others to heal by extending empathy and, if sought, advice. This same concept may hold validity for survivors of law enforcement related events, survivors of war trauma as soldiers and/or civilians, healthcare workers, firefighters and many others involved in service to others. However, in order to serve effectively as a wounded healer, this individual needs to be able to manage their own stress, suffering and other mental and physical ailments before extending their advice to others that are suffering. Otherwise, this individual, while having good intentions, may actually come off as being less understanding, less empathetical and perhaps hypocritical, and therefore causing more harm to a sufferer.
(1) Survivors of alcoholism or those who have experienced alcohol abuse-related relationships
(2) Survivors of abusive relationships on all levels of trauma
(3) Survivors of violence and/or law enforcement related events
(4) Survivors of war trauma as soldiers and/or civilians
(5) Survivors from cults and other particular groups
(6) Survivors of physical accidents or catastrophe
References:
Daneault S. The wounded healer: can this idea be of use to family physicians? Can Fam Physician. 2008 Sep;54(9):1218-9, 1223-5. PMID: 18791082; PMCID: PMC2553448.
Hall, C. (2014). Bereavement theory: recent developments in our understanding of grief and bereavement. Bereavement Care, 33(1), 7–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/02682621.2014.902610
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I teach and offer lectures about holistic health, stress management, qigong, tai chi, baguazhang, meditation, phytotherapy (herbs), music for healing, self-massage, and Daoyin (yoga).
I look forward to further sharing more of my message by partnering with hospitals, wellness centers, VA centers, schools on all levels, businesses and individuals that see the value in building a stronger nation through building a healthier population. I also have hundreds of FREE education video classes, lectures and seminars available on my YouTube channel at:
Rough initiations is another term for rites of passage, which can be ceremonial events that mark important transitions in an individual’s life. A rough initiation refers to the challenging aspects of an initiation process or symbolic ritual. These events often involve the change of one’s social status, roles, or responsibilities within a family, group or community. Initiations are a common element within rites of passage, taking various forms or presentations. Challenges may involve physical and/or psychological challenges of endurance, meant to push an individual to achieve their full potential, capacity or limits. By overcoming these challenges, the individual can demonstrate their willingness and qualifications to accept new roles or responsibilities within a particular group or community. Rough initiations are integral to various cultures and traditions around the world, where they are often designed specifically to assess an individual’s strength, fortitude, courage, resilience, and loyalty to a group or community. Details and particulars for rough initiations vary widely, but most have the underlying purpose of facilitating personal growth, strengthening of social bonds, and promoting a sense of identity and worth within the group.
I don’t think that our current American culture offers much in the way of positive reinforcement of any real “coming of age” initiations or rites of passage. Common American initiations over the years have typically been the introductions of smoking cigarettes, drinking of alcohol, driving our first automobile, graduation from high school, and religious ceremonies of confirmation, bar/bat mitzvahs and other initiations that usher the individual into adulthood. Some of these previous examples other than the religious ones, can on some level be loosely interpreted as Francis Weller defined initiation, as “a contained encounter with death.” Upon further reading of Francis Weller’s Rough Initiations, what first started to catch my attention is that not everyone experiences things quite the same way. For what may be traumatic for one individual might be trivial or an inconvenience for another. My understanding of trauma beyond the actual definition of events that our done to someone mentally and physically that manifest suffering to the individual, is that trauma most often comes at us unwelcomed, unannounced and usually free of a monetary charge. Initiations (rough or otherwise) on the other hand, are often welcomed, announced well ahead of time, seen as acceptance into adulthood, and for some there may be a monetary reward or financial fee in order for the initiation to be held. Trauma is firsthand experiences or witnessing of physical injury/violence, abusive/toxic environments, death of a loved one, etc. Modern day rough initiations might be seen in religious ceremonies, the first hunt/fishing, cold/hot plunge, an intense mountain hike, college all-nighter, fasting, isolation, sleep deprivation and other tests that may challenge someone to perform at higher levels of physical activity and mental discipline. Basically, trauma comes to us, whereas we may pursue rough initiations, or so I have come to understand. We are all quite literally wired differently in regard to our own physiological nervous system, that often helps us to interpret stimuli as either positive or negative to mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. I do think that other cultures, may still hold their initiations of upmost importance, as I have come to learn more about that of indigenous peoples throughout the world.
This is not a new concept as we can see examples from ancient times, where groups such as the Spartans, Romans, Vikings, Samurai, Mongols, the Knights Templar, Benedictines, Franciscans, Native Indigenous people worldwide, secret societies, and perhaps many others have had their own particular initiations and rites of passage. In more modern times, rough initiations can still be found in various presentations, although they may not be as common or standardized as some traditional cultural practices. Here are some examples:
Cultural or Social Initiations: Cultures, subcultures or social groups can have initiation rituals that require symbolic actions or engaging in challenging tasks that can range from endurance challenges to symbolic acts designed to demonstrate loyalty to the values of a group.
Fraternity/Sorority Hazing: Many organizations discourage, restrict and even ban hazing, however some fraternities and sororities still include initiation rituals that can be physically or emotionally challenging.
Sports Initiations: College and professional sports may have initiation rituals that involve rookies undergoing tasks or challenges, or participation in team-building events in order to demonstrate their commitment or loyalty to their team.
Military Training: Military basic training involves physically and mentally challenging tasks needed to prepare recruits for the demanding risks they may encounter in their roles as soldiers. Initiation activities may include intense physical fitness routines, such as “hell week,” and other psychological stress events that help to build discipline, resilience and camaraderie.
Specialized Training Programs: Elite military units, law enforcement agencies, first responder emergency teams and others may require their members to participate in stressful training which may be considered as extremely rough initiations, to ensure they are prepared for life and death situations.
Authors in the book and movie industry have played an enormous role in promoting this whole concept of rough initiations as can be seen in a seemingly endless stream of titles such as Star Wars, Harry Potter, Narnia, The Matrix and many, many others. Challenging initiations can help to cultivate a sense of belonging, camaraderie and commitment, however there is a nuanced relationship between beneficial rites of passage and detrimental hazing practices. Many organizations now deliberately discourage or restrict activities that can potentially put individuals at physical or mental risk, compromising their overall well-being. Most would agree that responsible and respectable initiation processes should focus on the individual’s personal growth, social connections, and instilling a positive sense of belonging.
Iron Palm training (strategic trauma or rough initiations)
Reading Rough Initiations brought some memories back from my first years in my martial arts (cult)ure and having experienced many initiations. I refer to it as such because at this time of the early 1980’s, American and Eastern cultures from China and Korea did not exactly assimilate well with each other in the conservative Midwest. One person’s culture can very well be seen as another’s cult. This can be quite apparent as seen today regarding one’s religious, philosophical, and sometimes political beliefs. Even facets in pop culture, social issues and sports can reflect this divide between perspectives of what trends seem to have their own culture. With the former being said, the martial arts community of years past was often viewed as having its own unique culture as demonstrated in its traditions, rituals, and ceremonies. My lineage did indeed focus beyond the basic goal of self-defense, due to the deep Taoist and Buddhist roots of my teachers. I was not quite aware of this before my first introductions, but I would soon learn that most martial arts systems are indeed rooted in having a series of initiations or tests, designed to bring an individual at least from being physically and mentally weak to that of enhanced physical and mental strength, and for those interested in cultivating higher spiritual awareness. I too have sought out rough initiations or “voluntary suffering” in what I would later learn to be called strategic trauma. Intense exercise, meditation, fasting, sensory deprivation, isolation and other methods of self-cultivation can be considered types of self-induced strategic trauma. “Iron palm” training is one such method of self-induced trauma that I did willfully partake in. Mental, physical and self-awareness benefits can be achieved from skillfully hitting bags of dried beans, and then applying medicinal herbs and acupressure techniques thereafter to promote healing. I think when others recognize an individual for having accepted these challenges either on their own volition or with the guidance, encouragement, and assistance from others, these events are now transformed into initiations. We as a group, consisting of my teachers, peers, and later my students under my guidance, did heavily invest in Weller’s five variables of initiations that are the same used to heal individual trauma. These variables are community, ritual, the sacred, time and place. These components can help stabilize and anchor our inner dialogue, when either coping with traumatic life-changing events or self-cultivation.
I teach and offer lectures about holistic health, stress management, qigong, tai chi, baguazhang, meditation, phytotherapy (herbs), music for healing, self-massage, and Daoyin (yoga).
I look forward to further sharing more of my message by partnering with hospitals, wellness centers, VA centers, schools on all levels, businesses and individuals that see the value in building a stronger nation through building a healthier population. I also have hundreds of FREE education video classes, lectures and seminars available on my YouTube channel at:
United Martial Arts Association 