Climbing the Mountain

The feeling of great accomplishment comes from not just climbing the mountain, but also from over coming obstacles that we encounter along the way. The more difficult the journey, the greater the feeling of accomplishment is. When I first started my climb there were huge boulders that I needed to navigate through in order to even find the path to start my journey. The path was not always clearly marked in the beginning, But I forged ahead anyways. There have been times when the path has turned and twisted and sometimes I have lost my way. When I loose my way I tend to hide in a cave & contemplate why I'm on this mountain and what I'm doing. And while I'm in that dark lonely place I continue with the sit ups and push ups because there is purpose and routine in doing them. Sometimes this is the only thing that keeps some forward motion going. Even when I venture back outside there is still occasionally a cloud hanging over my head as I continue on. Sooner than later a gentle breeze chases that cloud away and sunshine, blue skies, meadows and the sounds of nature come into focus. Awareness is heightened and effort becomes effortless once more.

I've reached many beautiful lookout points, where my mind is clear, thoughts flow freely, and everything comes into focus. As I gaze upon the vistas before me, understanding and a feeling of being connected to all is strong.  And those thoughts and feelings stay with me as I continue up the mountain. As I discover new ways of living and being, I struggle with incorporating them into everyday life. I have gained vast knowledge and understanding on this journey but I am finding that old habits are hard to break.

I'm not really sure where I'm at on the mountain right now, but I do know that I have reached greater heights than I ever thought possible. The slippery slopes are becoming fewer and farther between. I've learned how important it is to believe in yourself. (Still working on that) Perseverance, commitment and physical endurance are also needed.  Practising mindfulness, awareness, and the ability to adapt as new situations and challenges arise are necessary as well.  Knowing when to stop and rest, taking the time to appreciate my surroundings and being able to look back at how far up the mountain my journey has taken me fills me with gratitude for all that has been and all that is still to come.

I recently stepped back into that dark cave. After a couple of days I ventured out, but I can't seem to get rid of this cloud hanging above my head. I wasn't able to journal earlier this week and am finally doing so now. Thankfully a tiny little seed planted itself in my brain. Unfortunately I find myself very much dependent on sunshine, meadows, and songbirds playing gently in my ear for things to be right in my world. The ego can helpful at times or crippling. Hopefully this journal entry is the catalyst needed for that cloud to dissipate.

Michele Ward

Mindfulness

I was fortunate to be able to take part in a Mindfulness workshop on Saturday that was facilitated by a good friend of mine in Calgary this past weekend. When making the decision as to whether or not to participate, I was able to recognise it as an opportunity and see the benefits to be gained from the experience. Unfortunately I was not able to be in 2 places at once and needed to miss class on Friday night as well as dragon practise on Saturday. 

When I think about mindfulness I see it as consisting of two parts, but still connected to each other and part of a whole. I'm sure that most of us recognise and understand the basic concepts of mindfulness, but some of the complexities of mindfulness can be a bit harder to grasp and practise.

(Part 1) My understanding of the basic concept or definition of mindfulness is to always be in the present moment, be self aware, and conscious of our thoughts, actions, words, and surroundings. 

(Part 2) I see the second part as being in a state of non-judgemental observation. We have awareness and compassion for ourselves, others and the environment. We practise non-attachment and letting go rather rather than being detached. This allows us to be compassionate human beings and stay in a state of mindfulness. The more we practise mindfulness, the greater our ability becomes for adjusting to unforeseen circumstances, and stress. When we learn to go with the flow we become more in tune to the natural energy of the universe and to ourselves.

When i am not being mindful it is because I am thing about something in the past or a future event, or my imagination has taken over. Times of stress, anxiety and depression can be especially difficult. Because life doesn't always go smoothly and according to plan we need some tools to help us in our quest towards mindfulness. 

First we need to recognise and catch ourselves not being fully present. Sometimes that is all that is needed to come back to the present moment. Old habits are not easily broken, so remember to be kind to yourself. Some of the tools or techniques that we can utilise on a regular basis require setting aside some time each day for practise. These tools can help keep us grounded and centered. When we are grounded and centred, we tend to be calmer, more relaxed, less affected by stress and anxiety, and have the ability to think clearly. We also need to have different tools available when we are struggling or find ourselves in a situation where immediate action is required as we go through our daily routines. 

A few of the tools available are:

Breathing exercises - can be done sitting or standing

Saying "Ah" - this is a natural way to relax the body

Mantra - personal and customised to yourself

Walking meditation - can be done inside or outside

Grounding or centering - can be done anywhere

These are just a few of the many tools I've learnt that are available to us. Practise and find what works the best for you in any given circumstance and remember to be kind to yourself. Gradually those old habits will slip away and mindfulness will become more and more present in your life.

Michele Ward

What's up?

In the beginning we all started off strong. I was doing well and was pushing myself. Then I hit a minor road block after a couple of months and missed 2 weeks of blogging. Even though that was an automatic fail I was able to stay motivated and pushed on.  Not only did I continue on, but I pushed myself to keep increasing the number of push ups I was able to do each day. Then we hit the half way mark and while I may be happy with what I have accomplished this far, If I look at the big picture I can see where I'm falling behind. Push ups, forms and sparring need to be addressed. A plan of action has been put into place and my goal is to bring those numbers up to where they need to be.

 So what is the problem? I feel my motivation and follow through is lacking. Is it that I've already failed on more than one requirement that has reduced my motivation? I know that commitment has a lot of importance for me and determination is not some thing that I lack, but staying motivated and on track can be difficult. What causes the breakdown in motivation and follow through?

If we have already failed does that reduce our motivation to continue or do we push on and finish strong? Is it believing in ourselves and what we are trying to accomplish that helps to keep us motivated? I am not the most organised or goal orientated person. I normally like to just go with the flow and my determination is what gets things accomplished when the need arises. It can be very easy to make a lot of excuses as to why we were not able to follow through. 

I know that we need to have the ability to be flexible, We need to focus on our own behaviours and what is in our control and practising awareness and being mindful at all times also helps.

Commitment, determination, motivation, mindfulness, and follow through all play a key role in our success. I don't know what the answer is for me, but I will keep working on it and try to sort things out.

Numbers

sit ups         990      (32,120)

push ups     930      (22,905)

walking      22.21   (922.94)

sparring      0          (156)

kempo        11        (211)

nunchuks    0          (412)

Aok's          22        (609)

Michele Ward

The Great Within

Growing up I was very fortunate to have amazing grandparents. They lived close by and my brothers and I saw them quite frequently. My grandfather and I had a very special bond and he had a way of making me feel that I was special. As a child I was extremely shy and lacked confidence which made our relationship so important to me. He passed away shortly after I graduated from high school. He was a very intelligent man and ahead of his time in many of his thought processes and in the things that he accomplished. Mastery was maybe not something that he consciously strived for, but he was definitely well on his way to achieving.

 I realised many years later that I had learned to rely on outside validation to feel better about myself. Even now I still struggle with confidence and self worth on almost a daily basis. In the past when thinking about myself and greatness, I would not put the two together in the same sentence. I could sometimes see the potential for greatness in myself, but it scared me, and yet excited me at the same time.

When we look at nature all around us, we see greatness everywhere. We marvel at the intricacies and beauty of a flower, the amazing power of a summer storm, the resilience of a blade of grass, or the beauty of a sunrise or sunset. If we were to consciously see and feel the connection between ourselves with everything and everyone in the world, then we would be able to apply the same greatness that we see and feel in nature to ourselves. That very same greatness that can be found throughout the world is also found in each and every one of us. Believe and know that you are great!

 We need to believe and know whole heartily in the greatness all around us and in ourselves. That greatness will inspire and permeate into everything and everyone. What each of us believes will be drawn to us and we will create more greatness. Mastery would become the norm instead of mediocrity. 

Do we need to first surround ourselves with like minded individuals on our journey towards mastery? Or does it start with a simple belief in our own greatness that will change how we live our lives; attracting more greatness and more like minded people to us? 

Michele Ward

Numbers for the week

sit ups              910

push ups          935

walking           26.5         

Aok's               38

kempo             17

nunchuks         5