Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy your holidays, but make good choices!
As most of the country continues to struggle with the current situation, please keep in mind that some of the measures many people are taking to avoid becoming infected, are actually putting them more at risk of becoming ill.
Get out of the house, call family/friends, eat healthier foods, stay active and avoid stress. Don’t wait to get sick or rely on a vaccine to keep you healthy – get proactive now.
Anything of value is always going to require some amount of sacrifice of time, effort and resources.
For most people, it is very difficult to train or discipline their mind and consequently, their body. People often say or do things they regret only to realize later that they lacked the self control and self awareness to make good decisions to begin with.
By gaining control of the physical anatomy, a relationship with the physical body is developed. When aligning the limbs and joints to stretch and strengthen them, while also maintaining deep and deliberate breathing rhythms, an individual can cultivate a more harmonious link between the mind, body and spirit (self awareness). Practice of exercises that truly engage the mind and body, (very much like yoga) to improve health & wellness. The mind directs the body, while the body protects the mind.
Discipline the mind in order to discipline the body!
Ship Pal Gye, Taoist yoga or the “Filling the 8 Vessels” are methods to increase the capacity of your nervous system. By holding the body in specific alignments, the nervous system is strengthened to endure more pain, stress and discomfort. Think of tempering steel in fire to strengthen the metal. Building self-discipline of the mind and body simultaneously!
When engaging the muscles, tendons, bones and fascia, the 12 regular energy meridians are engaged plus the 8 extraordinary meridians are opened and filled as reservoirs to adjust the ebb and flow of energy throughout the body and thereby strengthening the immune system among other bodily functions.
Exercise methods like these have been known for centuries, but are considered new or “alternative” to modern western culture.
Watch the video to get a sample of what this type of instruction entails. Often times people will ask me, “where did you learn this?” Well…almost 40 years ago I began studying Korean kung fu, then Traditional Chinese Medicine, medical qigong, fitness, wellness and anatomy. It didn’t happen overnight or from a weekend seminar. It took me decades of learning, studying and teaching from and with high level masters and teachers. And I’m not done learning yet, are you?
Learn how this all works from private, small or group instruction.
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.
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, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, are thought to be directly related to not achieving sufficient recovery during the sleep cycle. 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.
STRESS affects REST!
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.
Study the below graphic to gain a better understanding of the delicate balance between sleep, work and leisure.
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.
United Martial Arts Association 