A Method to Pursue Mind, Body & Spirit Harmony – The 8-Step Path
Quite often I hear people talking about wanting to pursue a better understanding of the mind, body and spiritual (or self-awareness) relationship. Usually, most people have little understanding of this concept beyond repeating someone else’s words. Understanding of this relationship cannot come from someone else, but rather grown or cultivated in oneself from personal knowledge, experience and wisdom. There are no books, shortcuts, seminars, gurus or masters that can do this for the individual, however they may help guide one to reach self-realization. I am sharing here what I have learned and have tried to live as part of my daily life. Spirituality and religion are often lumped together but have rather distinctly different meanings. With this article, I look at spirituality more as a level of self-awareness, purpose and life direction and not necessarily a membership to any particular religion or belief system.
A long-understood method of achieving harmony between one’s mind, body and spirit, is this 8-Step Path. It has its origin in the ancient Chinese philosophy of Daoism but is highly relative to modern culture. The figure “8″ is important to understand that as the infinity circle, there is no beginning nor end to entering into this process. It is a journey of self-awareness that can be entered into at any point throughout one’s lifetime. Life is a challenge, and so is staying on this path of self-improvement. The reward is at the end of one’s journey, knowing that they have pursued a meaningful life with direction and purpose.
The graphic immediately below shows how the 8 steps are all interconnected. Below that are the brief descriptions of each of the 8 steps. This is by no means the only method to find this harmony of mind, body and spirit. It is a time-proven method that I have learned and have tried to cultivate for many years.
Qigong, tai chi, baguazhang, and yoga are not the only methods that can be used within this formula but have proven the test of time as methods to cultivate harmony of the mind, body and spirit. These exercise practices offer a wide spectrum of physical wellness benefits, stress relief as well as means of self-awareness. Not all teachers nor students practice these for the same goals.
I started my martial arts training at the age of 16, starting with Korean martial arts and evolving into BaguaZhang, Tai Chi, and Qigong. I have been training, studying and teaching for almost 40 years effectively educating hundreds of students.
As a recognized master instructor, I have trained with a diverse group of masters and high-level martial arts teachers of many different disciplines. My specialty is teaching exercises to improve chronic conditions, working with people of all ages, especially senior adults. Offering guidance and instruction, I have also worked with Parkinson Disease patients through Florida Hospital. I offer regular lectures as requested by AdventHealth (Florida Hospital) regarding the benefits of Eastern practices.
I am the author and graphic artist of numerous journals, graphic charts and study guides relative to the mind and body connection and how it relates to martial arts, fitness and self-improvement.
I continue training and teaching in the Orlando, Florida area conducting classes, seminars and lectures as my schedule allows. I balance my teaching and businesses with my own personal cultivation and time spent with my wife and two college-age kids.
I have found that in order to manage posture issues, it helps to have some type of physical exercise program that is geared towards maintaining symmetry while also providing strength, flexibility, control, etc. Examples would be be Yoga, tai chi, Pilates, kettle bells, and some weight training (with lighter weights). Most people don’t realize that they have a posture issue until they have pain and discomfort. It is similar to have tires on one’s car that are out of alignment, where the owner sees and feels their car bouncing around so they replace the balding tires. A few months later the problem returns and they again replace the tires, but the alignment is the root problem. I know a root cause of postural issues is sometimes the lack of flexibility and muscle tone to keep the spine and associated joints and muscles in the proper alignment.
I have had issues with my posture due to an old knee injury affecting other parts of my body, causing me to pursue TCM, chiropractic, yoga, massage, rolfing, martial arts and maybe a few others. I attached a graphic I produced a while back showing what I have learned from my teachers and other CAM practitioners.
From my past experiences, many people lift weights with the goal of becoming stronger or cosmetically more “in shape” which are both admirable results to pursue. I have found that training with lighter weights, with exercises that work more than just the main muscles groups, can actually provide better overall body strength as well as flexibility, control, reflex, speed and eventually power. This latter concept can often lead to better posture and consequently less chronic pain issues.
Depending upon the trainer, instructor and/or practitioner heavy weight training is often geared towards the main muscle groups of the pectorals, abdominals, quadriceps, glutes, biceps, triceps, etc. Some exercise programs with lighter weights, wrist/ankle weights, medicine balls, kettle bells, etc. are sometime referred to as functional training, where the movement of the body with the weights for resistance is more of the focus than just trying to lift a certain amount of weight.
From my experience, staying active and even more specifically being engaged in exercise methods that not only stretch but encourage strength and flexibility are key components of managing chronic pain. Many types of pain relief methods whether massage, pharmaceuticals, heat/cold therapy, acupuncture, etc. often address the symptoms of the root cause of the pain. Chronic pain issues of the spine can be relieved but in order to find long-term benefits there needs to be some muscle tone to hold the proper alignments of the muscles, bones, fascia, nerves etc. in place. Flexibility is needed to allow a comfortable range of motion for joint mobility. So to sum it up, pain relief methods can help, but long-term benefits come from strength, stability, flexibility and range of motion, or so I have been taught and experienced.
Be well, get healthy, be wise.
I am currently available for health and wellness lectures and classes for group, & private instruction in the Orlando, Florida area. Mind and Body Exercises on Google: https://posts.gle/aD47Qo
I posted this article of mine almost 1 year ago. I thought it would be interesting to re-post and re-visit to contemplate if much has changed in the last year regarding the health of our nation.
In the words of Dr. Jerome Adams, the former surgeon general of the United States, “You know what will make you and your community healthier but still, you choose not to do it.” He goes on to state that 7 out of 10 of 18-24-year olds are ineligible for military service. They cannot pass the physical, can’t meet educational requirements, or have a criminal history. In years past, recess and physical education were part of the school day from kindergarten through elementary school. High school students had PE every school day until graduation. Today if students are not involved in school or extracurricular sports, few make the time or commitment to stay physically active. Unhealthy kids quickly turn into unhealthy adults. The health of our people is directly affecting the safety of our nation.
Ask an average citizen in the US if their health and their family’s is a priority and the response will be something like, “Of course our health is my top priority and we have the healthiest country in the world!” No, not true for both statements based upon data from seemingly reputable data outlets. The Bloomberg Global Health Index for 2020, ranked the US #35 in the world for overall quality of health but ranks #1 for healthcare spending. The US spends more than $3.4 trillion annually on health care, more than any other country. Made obvious from the data is that investing more money in healthcare, does not necessarily make a country or the person healthier. Money does not change our health. We need to improve life expectancy and other indicators of health with better education along with a change in mindset. If someone has great healthcare coverage but eats junk food every day, does not exercise regularly and has a negative outlook, they will probably experience health issues sooner than later.
As a nation, we eat an extremely high amount of low-quality junk food and then sit for hours per day. We hope to efficiently digest low quality food that will eventually often cause illnesses and even death. More than 36.3% of youth aged 2-19 eat fast food on a given day.This is complicated even more so with the sedentary lifestyle and laissez-faire attitude towards individuals accepting responsibility for their own health. Americans meeting the CDC guideline for aerobic and muscle strengthening exercises is only 23.2% as of 2018.These factors help contribute to the increase of obesity over the last 60 years. Obesity is a key factor in many health issues based on data from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and other reputable sources. In 2017–2018, the age-adjusted prevalence of obesity in adults was 42.4%. Stats for kids (not shown) are just as appalling. These numbers are truly pathetic. Further issues to discuss would be how many manage their nutrition by monitoring their intake of sugar, salt, trans fat, alcohol, and other consumables? What about managing stress and emotional health? The US economy needs our citizens to support the fast-food industry and consequently gives the health care industry an overabundance of its own customers. It seems as if the US wants its people to be healthy enough to work, but not too healthy as to put the fast-food and healthcare providers out of business. This is our reality that many choose to deny.
The leading causes of death in the US are all very much influenced by our diet, our sedentary lifestyle, lack of exercise and excessive sitting. Also contributing is our attitude towards managing stress or lack thereof. Thinking that more is always better or if we are not stressed, we are not doing enough. Heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and respiratory issues are all leading causes of death by far. Each of these ailments can be much less if we made it a priority to do so.
Another health issue is our obsession with following the news and the mental stress that can develop from it. Media in the US, love it or hate it, usually focuses mostly on reporting politics, crime and mostly the negative aspects of our society. The phrase “If it bleeds it leads” shows America’s fascination with negative news. This year so far has been mostly the tragedy of Covid19. The media, the government, the entertainment industry and healthcare leaders fail to promote personal responsibility for the individuals’ own actions relative to diet, exercise and lifestyle, and how that can affect on a much broader level the health of our nation. Instead the strong focus is mostly upon wearing masks and social distancing as a way to make an unhealthy nation, somehow immune to disease and illnesses that affect most those that have multiple health issues to begin with. Please understand that even typically well and health conscious people do get sick also. Athletes and health enthusiasts can get sick too. However, people that are active usually recover faster though.
We need to honestly look at the root causes for our health issues, instead of looking to politics or others to blame for our own personal accountability. Blaming others will not make us healthier. We are where we are, because of our choices. I love pizza but I should not be eating it every day of the week. Some TV viewing is fine but 4-7 hours a day is a bit much no? We need to own our health.
Our actions support the data that we do not truly put exercise, nutrition and stress as high priorities deserving more action than mere conversation. Healthy living and habits are a choice and a mindset that we as Americans as a whole, fail terribly at practicing. It does not need to be this way. There are things that can move us forward to become a healthier nation.
The 5 Pillars of Health
Eating healthier can be achieved by managing less intake of junk foods, sugar, and salt, as well as reasonable amounts of alcohol. More fruit and vegetables are healthier snacks that have many nutritional rewards. Become more active by getting up and off the couch, stepping away from the PC, TV, smartphone, and other electronic addictions. Better sleep is a major immune system booster and can be earned by being more active during the day. Relieve stress through exercise, meditation, or breathing deeper and more deliberately, or take more breaks from the news and social media. Be nice to others because what you put out, you receive back. Basically, get moving more, eat healthier foods, sleep better, stress less and be a nicer person. Enjoy life but know your limits and take all things in moderation.
Fryar, Cheryl, et al. Fast Food Intake Among Children and Adolescents in the United States, 2015–2018, NCHS Data Brief No. 375, August 2020, www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db375.htm
Hales, Craig, et al. Prevalence of Obesity and Severe Obesity Among Adults: United States, 2017–2018, NCHS Data Brief No. 360, February 2020. www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db360.htm
Qigong, tai chi, baguazhang, and yoga are not the only methods that can be used within this formula but have proven the test of time as methods to cultivate harmony of the mind, body and spirit. These exercise practices offer a wide spectrum of physical wellness benefits, stress relief as well as means of self-awareness. Not all teachers nor students practice these for the same goals.
I am currently offering wellness lectures and classes for group, small group & private instruction in Wekiva, Longwood and Winter Park.
I thought I’d share my perspective on this subject of state of American health. Mostly just my opinion from my experiences as a father of 2 young adults and teacher (martial arts, wellness, qigong, Taoist yoga etc.) for almost 40 years. Yes, I am showing my age. When I was in elementary school in the 70’s, we had a 1/2-hour recess and 1-hour of physical education (PE) every school day. Middle & high school was PE everyday regardless of weather. I cannot remember more than 1-2 kids during that time as being labeled “hyperactive” however a lot more kids had trouble focusing and getting good grades in particular subjects; so focus had always been an issue on some level. Ritalin was the only medicine that I had even known to exist for a few young people, that had what was to in later decades diagnosed as ADHD.
Fast forward to the last 20 years of my life. My kids while in elementary school had recess for about 15-20 minutes a few days a week alternating with PE for two days a week. High school required 1 credit of PE over the 4 years of attendance; online or in person were the options. Talking with other parents and teachers over this time led me to understand that a large portion of kids were having ADHD, depression, anxiety, obesity and many other health issues that were dealt with through pharmaceuticals on a daily basis. Sports and PE were often not even considered as methods to manage these ailments. Getting good grades and into a good college are the main focus in high school, leaving little time for such non-academic pursuits of physical activities that actually make the mind work better.
Having discussed this issue with many school teachers that I knew as friends, most felt that less recess and PE was a major step backwards in child development. Additionally, these teachers felt that it was much more difficult for them to teach while attempting to harness the pent-up energy and emotions of kids sitting for hours on end throughout the school day. Most wished that recess and PE were brought back as a standard daily requirement.
So while I strongly believe that yoga and other mindful methods would be great (this is what I teach!) I would be very happy just to see regular exercise of running, swimming, calisthenics, and game play come back to all levels of school. So many benefits for the mind and body that are associated with whatever level of physical as well as mental and social engagement that are being left out of schools in lieu of more time spent on academics. If we are to have a strong and healthy population, we really need to be planting seeds of good health education and self-responsibility with our youth, in order to make it grow into the adult years.
I offer instruction in qigong, Taoist yoga, tai chi, martial arts, ship pal gye, hapkido, fitness, wellness and many other avenues to improve health and well-being.
I am currently accepting new clients for group, small group & private instruction.
Many of the chronic diseases in the US are somewhat preventable from lifestyle changes. Most ailments do not manifest overnight but rather over years of personal neglect.
Having multiple chronic conditions (comorbidities) opens the door to acquiring other illnesses.
Eat more fruits & veggies; less sugar, salt and junk food
Be physically active daily
Be socially engaged
Get outdoors for fresh air and sunlight daily
Reduce news & social media
Control your life, thoughts & emotions
Research natural remedies in addition to time-proven options
New tai chi/qigong class at:
The University Club of Winter Park
841 N Park Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789
Thursdays, 11:30am-12:30pm
$10 for drop-in class or quantity discounts
Contact to confirm attendance at 407-234-0119 or inquire about other learning options.
I also offer instruction in qigong, Taoist yoga, tai chi, martial arts, ship pal gye, hapkido, fitness, wellness and many other avenues to improve health and well-being.I am currently accepting new clients for group, small group & private instruction.
United Martial Arts Association 