To move is to live.
When you hear people talking about having an active lifestyle, they really just mean a lifestyle.
The alternative is to do nothing.
It is to be sedentary.
But this is not living.
This is entropy.
This is dying.
You are here to live.
And to live is to move.
To live is to do.
To live is to have drive, to have purpose, and to pursue joy, and difficulty, and love, and pain.
Being active is not a lifestyle.
Being active is living.
Do something now before you no longer can.
Self care is not selfish.
It is necessary.
If you do not afford yourself sufficient rest, hydration, nutrition, exercise, and even play, you simply cannot care for others effectively.
This may seem like a long list and it is difficult to find a perfect balance with all of these facets of health, but it is essential that you try.
And, like all aspects of life, self care requires practice.
It requires trial and error.
You are not going to get it right all at once.
Nor will what works for another person necessarily work for you.
In fact, what works for you today may not work for you tomorrow.
But taking care of your physical, emotional, and mental health is essential not only for your own wellbeing but for your ability to be of service to others.
If you do not take care of your health, inevitably someone else will have to take care of it for you.
If you do take care of your health, however, you are also able to care for others.
Self care, therefore, is not selfish.
We brag about how busy we are, how early we wake up, or how late we stay up at night, as if we are all competing to get the least amount of rest, to have the most stress, and to spend the least amount of time with our loved ones.
What does not get talked about, however, is the exhaustion, the loneliness, and the unhappiness that this lifestyle creates.
Meanwhile, we should be bragging about getting a good night’s sleep, eating well, exercising regularly, maintaining healthy relationships, and having peace in our hearts.
Health and happiness are the real flex.
We must not forget why we started training martial arts and why we decided to stay.
It is difficult to explain to people who do not know, just how important martial arts are to the lives of the people who practice them. For many practitioners, martial arts saved us from ourselves. They saved us from isolation, loneliness, depression, and an otherwise unhealthy, self-destructive lifestyle.
More than just a hobby, martial arts give us a community, a sense of purpose, a feeling of belonging, a place where we can get away, challenge ourselves, work out, and put life in perspective. Martial arts bring people together from all different walks of life, socio-political and economic backgrounds, religions, and occupations. They unite us around the common purpose of mutually beneficial self-improvement.
For many of us, martial arts are our lifeline, our stress relief, our exercise regimen, our social life, the means by which we improve our mental, physical, and emotional health, and perhaps even our primary source of income. For some, the martial arts we practice are even our chosen spiritual path and the dojo our temple. It is not all that important for others who do not practice to understand these things, but it is essential that we who practice do not forget.
Holistic Budo: As it is in budo, so too it is in life. As it is in life, so too it is in budo.
Robert Van Valkenburgh is co-founder of Taikyoku Mind & Body and Kogen Dojo where he teaches Taikyoku Budo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
All photos by Robert Van Valkenburgh unless otherwise noted.
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What can we do today to promote mental, physical, and emotional health and well-being for ourselves and those around us?
With more time on our hands than usual lately, many of us are thinking about what an ideal, productive, and healthy day can and should look like. Here are some general guidelines, a checklist if you will, for a pretty full and fulfilling day. This is intended only to be helpful and can be adapted based on individual needs and circumstances (family, work, ability, etc.) and, obviously, as with all ideals, the goal is incremental progress and consistency through practice, not immediate perfection.
*Disclaimer: Always consult your physician before beginning any exercise program. This general information is not intended to diagnose any medical condition or to replace your healthcare professional. Consult with your healthcare professional to design an appropriate exercise prescription. If you experience any pain or difficulty with these exercises, stop and consult your healthcare provider.
Holistic Budo: As it is in budo, so too it is in life. As it is in life, so too it is in budo.
Robert Van Valkenburgh is co-founder of Taikyoku Mind & Body and Kogen Dojo where he teaches Taikyoku Budo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
All photos by Robert Van Valkenburgh unless otherwise noted.
If you found this post helpful or meaningful in some way, please feel free to Share, Comment, and Subscribe below.
Meditations on God 