Self-reflection can lead one to contemplate about how they are motivated to accomplish specific tasks and goals.
Intrinsic Motivation:
Intrinsic motivation is executing an activity for its own sake. Enjoy the activity because it is fun, satisfying or challenging. Not because you’ll get a reward or avoid punishment.
Extrinsic Motivation:
Extrinsic motivation is doing something not because you enjoy it, but rather because you want to receive a reward or avoid punishment. This is the opposite of intrinsic motivation.
What we do during the waking hours, often determines how well we sleep at night. How well we sleep and how much determines how the quality of our waking hours is utilized. By practicing stress relieving exercises and habits during the day, the mind and body can more easily process information and rejuvenate during the sleep stages. Sleep requirements vary depending upon age, mental and physical conditions.
Are you low on energy? Hard to focus throughout the day? Many chronic illnesses can be attributed to poor sleep. More serious diseases such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, are thought to be directly related to not achieving sufficient recovery during the sleep cycle.
STRESS affects REST!
Each phase of our day is intimately interconnected with the others. What you do or don’t do during the waking hours will definitely affect the quality of the sleep time. Then the quality of the sleep affects your energy and outlook going into the next day. This can make a never ending cycle that continues until you decide to make it change.
During the sleep cycle our body needs adequate time and quality rest to perform daily maintenance and restoration. Additionally, the brain waves need to change and slow in order for this restoration to take place.
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Mental activity can become stressful when trying to work, solve problems, manage a family, finances and juggling hundreds of other daily tasks. Physical activity, relaxing and enjoyable activities are key components to balancing this daily stress. A good night’s rest is earned, by what eat, what you think about and what types of physical activity is executed throughout the day.
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Tai Chi, bagauzhang and qigong are all methods of exercise that also embody the philosophy balancing physical exercise with mental engagement to relieve stress and tension, while also increasing the flow of energy ( and blood flow) within the body improving health and well-being.
The Horary Clock (Circadian Rhythm) – 24 Hour Qi Flow Though the Meridians
Here is another graphic presentation of the Horary Clock or Circadian Rhythm showing more of the relationship to the 5 Element Theory.
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Understanding how the human body works and interacts within nature, along with self-awareness are the basis of Traditional Chinese medicine.
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The graphic shows what is known as the Horary cycle or the Circadian Clock. As Qi (energy) makes its way through the meridians, each meridian in turn with its associated organ, has a two-hour period during which it is at maximum energy. The Horary Effect is recognizable by measurable increases of Qi within an organ system and meridian during its time of maximum energy.
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Some activities are better to execute in accordance with the energy being more present in a particular organ at the specific time of day.
Harmonizing Habits:
5-7am – Wake Up, Move Bowels, Meditate
7-9am – Sex, Breakfast, Walk, Digest
9-11am – Work, Best Concentration
11am-1pm – Eat Main Meal of Day, Walk
1-3pm – Absorb Food, Short Nap, Work
3-5pm – Work or Study
5-7pm – Exercise, Light Dinner
7-9pm – Light Reading, Massage Feet
9-11pm – Calm Socializing, Flirting, Sex
11pm-1am – Go to Sleep, Cellular Repair
1-3am – Deep Sleep, Detox Liver & Blood
3-5am – Deep Sleep, Detox Lungs
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Tai Chi, yoga and qigong are all methods that increase the flow of energy within the body improving health and well-being.
A root cause of the health issues in the U.S. is the poor quality of food and the amount we consume. This is complicated even more so with the sedentary lifestyle and laissez-faire attitude towards individuals accepting responsibility for their own health. These factors help contribute to the increase of obesity over the last 60 years. Obesity is a key factor in many health issues as can be seen by the graphics below from the CDC and other reputable sources.
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The CDC, believe their data or don’t. I would hope their numbers are accurate if we are to believe in their guidance. Take a look at their stats for the US population when it comes to not only obesity, but also the lack of consistent exercise, and low consumption of fruits and vegetables.
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These numbers are truly pathetic. Stats for kids (not shown) are just as appalling. The current guidance of wearing masks, wash your hands often and keep social distancing is a band-aid response to a very unhealthy nation. I can’t understand why more direction isn’t stressed on eating better, relieving stress, sleeping better and becoming more active in addition to other measures?
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We rank #35 in the world for overall quality of health but rank #1 for healthcare spending. As a nation, we eat a extremely high amount of junk food and then sit on our butts hoping to efficiently digest what will eventually cause our illnesses and death. This is our reality that many choose to deny. True is true.
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Money doesn’t change our health. Education and a healthy mindset are what is needed. So strange to see people become so angry about wearing a mask or not; keeping the 6ft separation (MIT research shows a sneeze or cough can travel 20-26 feet) when they are not trying to maintain good health to begin with. Do the research. Follow the numbers. Follow the money. Just my .02.
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Eat better, move more, stress less. Be well please.
Jim Moltzan started his martial arts training at the age of 16, starting with Korean martial arts and evolving into BaguaZhang, Tai Chi, and Qigong. Jim has been training, studying and teaching for almost 40 years effectively educating hundreds of students.
Master Instructor Jim Moltzan has trained with a diverse group of masters and high-level martial arts teachers of many different disciplines. Jim’s specialty is teaching exercises to improve chronic conditions, working with people of all ages, especially senior adults. Offering guidance and instruction, Jim has also worked with Parkinson Disease patients through Florida Hospital. Jim gives regular lectures as requested by AdventHealth (Florida Hospital) regarding the benefits of Eastern practices.
He is 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.
Jim continues his training and teaching in the Orlando, Florida area conducting classes, seminars and lectures as his schedule allows. He balances his teachings and businesses with his own personal cultivation and time spent with his wife and two college-age kids.
This post is a continuation of the 5 Element Theory showing another manifestation, that of the 5 Seasons of Life. Each season or phase has a relationship with one of the 5 elements:
Winter – Water – Transformation 83-108
Spring – Wood – Sprouting 0-8 years old
Summer – Fire – Flowering 8-33
Late Summer – Earth – Fruition 33-58
Autumn – Metal – Harvest 58-83
Some of these relationships might seem somewhat obvious as children have a sprouting or growing personality learning and showing their identity and ego from 0-8 years of age.
A person from 8-33 is seen as flowering or showing their creativity, intelligence, attractiveness, and excessive behavior.
The 33-58 is the fruition years when one starts to blossom as an adult using their knowledge and experience to further their career, family, and material assets.
58-83 brings the harvest of what was nurtured or squandered from the previous years becomes more apparent. Health issues arrive if prior neglect is not addressed.
The last season of transformation from 83-108 is a reflection on what was accomplished mentally, physically, and spiritually throughout the prior phases. The realization of self and that material possessions are only temporary up until this point.
Most people are looking for some type of balance and harmony within their lives. Often, they have no plan nor method to achieve this other than doing their best on a day to day basis to find happiness. The 5 Element Theory represents ancient wisdom that when studied and applied, can help to find the balance we seek.
Ancient Chinese scholars of the time approximately from 1600-1000 BC, recognized continuous patterns of change and transformation. Initially, these patterns were interpreted using yin-yang (balance) logic, but later these interpretations were expanded to the theory called The Five Elements. The 5 Elements Theory is based on observation, contemplation and meditation of the natural world and the environment we exist within.
A deeper understanding of these concepts and cycles leads to a more detailed interpretation of these stages into the phases of Warrior – Scholar – Sage. This concept could apply towards many paths in life, where someone starts out more physically involved maturing into more knowledge of a subject and eventually gaining wisdom by understanding how to utilize the knowledge best for a given situation. Examples would be that of a doctor, carpenter, teacher, parent, martial artist – among thousands of other paths of which one gathers knowledge and wisdom through the course of study and practice.
In the martial arts and energetic studies community, the warrior phase relates to Jingor the understanding of the essence of the physical body. The scholar phase reflects an understanding of Chi or the breath and internal energy flow within the human body. The sage phase is where the experience and knowledge of the previous phases manifests into Shen which is ones spirit and self-awareness.
Jim Moltzan started his martial arts training at the age of 16, starting with Korean martial arts and evolving into BaguaZhang, Tai Chi, and Qigong. Jim has been training, studying and teaching for almost 40 years effectively educating hundreds of students.
Master Instructor Jim Moltzan has trained with a diverse group of masters and high-level martial arts teachers of many different disciplines. Jim’s specialty is teaching exercises to improve chronic conditions, working with people of all ages, especially senior adults. Offering guidance and instruction, Jim has also worked with Parkinson Disease patients through Florida Hospital. Jim gives regular lectures as requested by AdventHealth (Florida Hospital) regarding the benefits of Eastern practices.
He is 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.
Jim continues his training and teaching in the Orlando, Florida area conducting classes, seminars and lectures as his schedule allows. He balances his teachings and businesses with his own personal cultivation and time spent with his wife and two college-age kids.
United Martial Arts Association 