I should be good at meditating.
I am not.
At least not in the traditional sense. I am not one to sit quietly by myself, listening to my breathing, trying to clear my head. I know what a chakra is, but you will never catch me chanting.
The way I clear my head is through training. I always tell people that Tae Kwon-Do is a form of active meditation.
When you’re training properly, you’re focused. Focused on your patterns, on your belt requirements, on your movements, your stances, your speed, technique, etc. You tend to block out the rest of the world.
When you come to the dojang and you take your shoes off before entering, it’s symbolic of you leaving your problems, your worries, your life, at the door. It’s a symbol that you’re coming into the dojang clear and you are ready to accept Tae Kwon-Do. Ready to accept your training and all that it entails.
To begin training, we yell “joonbi!”, which is the ready stance. It should be done with strength. It should be you asserting to the world and to yourself that you are truly ready in your mind, your body, and your spirit, to train.
For me, being at the dojang is like a short vacation. I felt that way as a student, and I still feel that way as a Grand Master. I understand that people’s problems will still be there when they leave the dojang.
But isn’t it nice taking an hour off, where you’re doing something for you?
Sometimes, people will tell me that their life is getting crazy and hectic, and they use that as the reason that they have to leave Tae Kwon-Do. My response to that is to ask, if your life is truly so hectic and stressful, why would you want to stop doing the one thing that is good for you? That can keep you centered?
I advise those people to dig deep and figure out a way to give themselves at least two classes per week, and practice once or twice per week at home.
You need time for you.
On the day I am writing this, I trained non-stop from noon until 2:45pm. It was an amazing, cathartic experience. Afterward, my mind, my body, and my soul were cleansed and awakened, all at once.
If that’s not meditation, I don’t know what is.
Master Gorino’s Tae Kwon-Do offers a trial program for individuals and families in Buffalo, NY and the surrounding areas that allows you to get a feel for the different classes, meet our instructors, and experience our dojang. It’s a great way to see if Tae Kwon-Do is right for you. To learn more or to sign up, visit the Contact Us page or call(716) 836-KICK (5425) and a member of our team will follow up with you on next steps. We look forward to helping you achieve your goals. Pil-Sung!
