Do not pray
for the outcome you desire
pray only that the will of God
be done
and that your will
be harmoniously aligned
with God’s
this is the prayer of humility
this is the prayer of wisdom
this is the prayer of courage
to desire only that which God wills
is the path of peace
PATH OF PEACE
By Robert Van Valkenburgh
Meditations of a Gentle Warrior
To read my longer writing, subscribe at robertvanvalkenburgh.com
Sit quietly
be still
in the eternal quiet and stillness
of Love
every inhalation
draws God closer to you
every exhalation
draws you closer to God
INHALE EXHALE
By Robert Van Valkenburgh
Meditations of a Gentle Warrior
To read my longer writing, subscribe at robertvanvalkenburgh.com
Relax your gaze
Unfurrow your brow
Exhale deeply and allow your tension to fall away
As your body refills with breath
Feel the spirit enter you from above and below
Filling your body with light and love
Know in your heart that you, too, are this light and love
For where your finitude ends, the infinite begins
Your limitations exist only in your stories
The spirit has no boundaries, no beginning, and no end
The spirit tells no stories
It is
You are spirit
Be
As I sat at my dining table last night after a long, but satisfyingly productive day, I scrolled through the open tabs on my computer looking for something to lose myself in.
I sought distraction, something to help me unwind.
Out of habit, I checked my social media accounts, hoping to see or read something of value or interest, but was ultimately unsatisfied by what I found.
I then looked for a movie or show to watch, but, again, nothing seemed worthy of the time and attention that would be required of me and I was left feeling disappointed.
As I sat there restlessly wasting time, the thought came to me, “If you have time to do this, you also have time for God.”
I ignored this notion for a while, but I knew what I had to do and I also knew that I was procrastinating.
I closed my laptop, walked over to my meditation space, opened up the book that I read from before settling into quiet contemplation, and said a prayer of both thankfulness and invitation.
I then proceeded to sit quietly for twenty minutes as I try to do twice a day, every day, seeking that place inside of me that is beneath the noise and beyond the toil, the place wherein I attempt to settle into that which is eternal and wherein I attempt to allow that which is eternal to settle into me.
After my meditation session was over, I said another prayer and got ready for bed. I slept well knowing that I would not easily forget the thought: If you have time to do this, you also have time for God.
“I have only ever asked God for enough and he has always provided.”
—Joe Sheya (my first martial art instructor)
I am have never been shy about discussing the large degree to which my late hapkido teacher, Joe Sheya, impacted my life. He passed away in 2014, but some of the lessons he passed onto me and others near me still resonate within me as being as, or more, true than ever. Recently I am reminded of the above statement I heard him say on many occasions.
Joe was not a financially wealthy man. He was a career school teacher who took side jobs so that he could enjoy his hobbies of motorcycle riding, scuba diving, and later flying airplanes (a hobby cut short for medical reasons) and boating. In addition to these, he enjoyed wearing nice clothes, going to the movies, and going out to eat whenever the mood suited him, but he always worked hard in order to be able to afford what he understood to be luxuries.
In spite of running a dojang (Korean martial art academy) for essentially his entire adult life, he never made money off of martial arts, even though he tried to in various ways throughout the years. He lived in a small home built just for him that had everything he needed, nothing more, and nothing less. Every time the subject of money, and especially wealth, came up, he would, at least to my memory, always say the same thing, “I have only ever asked God for enough and he has always provided.”
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 (artist unknown, unless otherwise noted).
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Meditations on God 