The founder of Zen, Bodhidharma (Damo) gave us a prescription for health, and his prescription was Shaolin Martial Arts. Time-tested for thousands of years, Shaolin Kung Fu and Qigong is no longer practiced just by monks at the Shaolin Temple in China but by millions of people all over the world, in parks and in their homes.
This prescription is beautiful to look at it but it doesn’t make us healthy or fit. We have to take the medicine. This unique combination of Qigong and Kung Fu is what, I feel, Western exercise misses out on. For true health and fitness, we need to focus on our internal body, not just our external.
Once you’ve learnt the movements, I encourage you to use what’s useful in your life. You can break the movements down and create shorter or longer workouts depending on how much time you have. Do more Qigong if you feel tired, more Kung Fu if you feel stressed.
And remember that meditation is a by-product of your physical practice so if you’ve been sitting at a computer all day, I encourage you to do a physical meditation, not a mental one. Don't forget your body needs to move.
Keep your training simple. Combine Qigong with Kung Fu.
Focus on your breath and your movement.
Just do it.
That’s it.
That’s the prescription.
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