Instant Health and Fitness.

4 Small Steps To Wellness

2012-02-09T07:52:00.000-08:00

1) One small step

"When you improve a little each day, eventually big things occur... Don't look for the big, quick improvement. Seek the small improvement one day at a time." John Wooden - successful basketball coach

Taking one small step makes our training manageable. If you can keep your skill over the winter months and not lose your stamina or technique this means you are improving. If you've stopped training, then take two movements from The Eight Treasures Qigong form and practice them for a few minutes every morning. It will make you feel better and give you the motivation to keep going.

2) Integrate the training into your life

Everything we do can be an expression of our Shaolin training. When we stand in a queue we can spend that time to go over in our mind the form we are practicing. When we walk to the supermarket we can walk quickly to help our fitness. If you have kids, go to the park and play football or tag. Teach your kids how to do the Five Fundamental Stances and have fun with it.

3) Get outside

The more you stay inside the more you start to feel lazy so try to go outside at least once a week and do your training in a park or an outside space. It may be a little cold but the autumn air is cool and refreshing. Training outside can help to ground and connect us with the greater Qi.

4) Stay in the present moment

"The moon's reflection on the surface of the water moves incessantly. Yet the moon shines and goes nowhere; it stays but it moves"

Now never returns. Every breath we breathe can never come back. The breath that comes after is never the one that came before. Yesterday was yesterday and today is different. If we can concentrate on the here and now then we can keep our practice fresh and new.

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Zen And The Art Of Training - You Already Are What You Want To Become

2012-01-20T03:29:00.000-08:00

As most of you know, The Shaolin Temple is considered the birthplace of martial arts and Ch’an (Zen) Buddhism. This doesn’t mean that in order to practice Shaolin we need to be Buddhists but the Ch’an philosophy can help us to see our world with fresh eyes. This was the Bodhidharma's ambition when he came to China, he wanted to get away from the books and learning and enter the pure raw experience.

One of the Ch’an teachings that we can apply to our training is aimlessness. This means: You already are what you want to become. Does a tree have to do something? The purpose of a tree is to be itself, and your purpose is to be yourself.

We have everything. There is no need to put anything in front of us and run after it. So, whatever it is that you believe you want – good health, more energy, an increased sense of wellbeing or to be an exceptional martial artist – you already have.

Bring this energy into your practice and you will find that it will enrich whatever you are doing – running, kung fu , qigong, meditation, and also your work and family life. It helps us to stop putting our life on hold or waiting for the future when we think we will have more time or be less stressed.

There is no future time there is only now. And now is the most important time we have. Now is the building block for the future. Instead of drifting into the future of “if” and “when”, we focus on the single point of now.

For this month, check yourself and train from that perspective rather than constantly trying to improve yourself or thinking there is something wrong with you.

Remind yourself that right now you have all the elements for your health, you just have to apply the Shaolin techniques you are learning.

Shaolin Martial Arts helps us to reach the potential in ourselves that we only dreamt of before. Using the powerful life energy that exists inside our body we can make ourselves healthy and balanced. If you approach these Shaolin teachings with intelligence and determination, you can bring to your life the wholeness, health and inner satisfaction that you seek.

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Fix It With Massage

2011-12-06T04:56:00.000-08:00

Babies need to be held and touched, when we become adults, we still hold and touch each other, whether that's hugging goodbye to a friend or shaking hands with a business partner.

When our body is tired, we want to be massaged. When we go to the spa, we step into the Jacuzzi to help our muscles relax. The need for touch and massage is instinctive. Massage is one of the oldest healing practices.

The Shaolin Temple has a long tradition of self-massage, using the bamboo Instant Health Massage Brush and progressing to the heavier metal brush. Shaolin disciples train as much as Olympic athletes but we don't have an army of massage therapists or physiotherapists, self-massage along with Qigong is the only thing we use to reduce the risk of injury and keep us fighting fit.

The Qigong massage doesn't fit any types of massage that are given person to person, for example: sports, acupressure or deep tissue. It combines all of the above and even more, the end aim is to use the vibrations of the brush to penetrate and detoxify the bone. By doing this massage we feel empowered because we are taking charge of our health.

Because the self-massage is convenient and cheap - it's only the cost of a brush - you can do it on a daily basis or at least a few times a week. The more you do, the more effective your massage will be.

When you do this massage, don't be afraid to use power. You will feel a little pain but not too much. Each day you use it, your massage will get stronger and stronger. The aim of the massage is to keep the Qi and blood flowing properly, open the meridian channels, reduce any muscle tension, detoxify the body, increase the immune system, and open the joints.

In the UK, we don't have much sunshine and especially in winter, the cold can be a problem for people's joints especially when they get older. Doing the Instant Health massage can help to reduce this problem.

The signs that you are doing the self-massage correctly is that your body skin will be incredibly soft. You will feel energized when you have done this massage. You will sleep better at night and have more energy throughout the day. You will get colds less often and you will feel stronger.

I teach how to do this massage in all of my Qigong DVDs apart from Volume 1 and also in my book Instant Health: The Shaolin Qigong Workout For Longevity.

The massage equipment is available from my website.

Activate Your Environment To Support Your Goals

2011-11-29T02:58:00.000-08:00

It's a good idea to have some small things in your home to remind you that you need to train. Whenever I travel, I always wear a Jade Buddha amulet. This isn't just for good luck, this also reminds me to be peaceful. If something difficult happens, I tell myself to calm myself down. I also carry a small Buddha with me. Before any important decision, I meditate for twenty minutes to clear my mind.

I also take my Instant Health Massage Brush with me, and a skipping rope in case I can't find a place to run then I can find a small park to skip for half an hour. This means, I never have an excuse not to train.

In my office I have a Jade Energy Stone and a Wooden Star Palm Massager in front of my computer. When I work at the computer a lot, I stop and use this to massage my hands for a while.

These are all powerful things to remind myself to have a positive mental outlook and to keep training. These positive things I surround myself with, make me feel that I'm not even training, this is just my routine, this is part of my life.

Different things inspire different people, think about what inspires you. Can you see it every day? Small changes in our environment can help us to activate our health and fitness goals and make them real. Research has shown that even simple things like using a smaller plate helps us to eat less.

If you're environment isn't positive then change it so it is. Make sure that your environment is supporting and not hindering your goals.

Body Conditioning & Qigong Self-Massage - Metal Massage Brush

2011-11-23T05:05:00.000-08:00

For many years, my on-line students have asked me to provide them with the metal brush they have seen me using in my book and DVDs. I have been reluctant to do this without seeing the student first because this metal brush is not like the bamboo brush, if used incorrectly, it can cause damage to the body.

The person who uses this brush needs to be trained correctly and train with responsibility. But now that many of my students have followed all of the training from my first DVD through to my fifteenth, I feel, if their body is telling them they are ready to use this brush, then they are.

This is a professional brush, only to be used by highly trained martial artists, fighters, Qigong masters. It is not suitable for anyone under the age of 18, pregnant women, old people or health seekers. The Instant Health bamboo massage brush is perfect for most people and they should continue to use this rather than change to this metal brush. The bamboo brush is safe to use for all people.

I had this metal brush hand-made to my specific specifications. It was difficult to find someone who could make it for me, and I only have a limited number available. This is a very heavy metal brush, it weighs about 1.6 kg and has 108 metal rods. Shaolin Temple is carved in Chinese on the end of the brush. If used correctly, it will last a lifetime.

Safety Guidelines for Using The Metal Massage Brush

1) The brush needs to be cleaned with a soft cloth before use.

2) The brush must never be used on the head, face or any other sensitive area.

3) Keep the brush in a private place away from children and adults.

4) Never share the brush with another person.

5) Never use this brush without doing Qigong first.

6) Warm up with the bamboo brush first then move onto the metal brush.

7) Do not use this brush for body conditioning unless you have had direct training from a qualified master.

8) Only use this brush for self-massage after the Qigong Forms that I teach on my DVDs.

9) Your body should feel happy when you massage. Listen to your body. If something feels wrong or there is any pain, stop immediately.

10) Exercise extreme caution. Remember, this brush has the potential to damage your internal organs. Make sure you know and understand what you are doing. If in doubt, seek advice from a qualified instructor.

I teach five Qigong forms that can be used with this brush. They can be found on the following DVDs:
The Way of Qigong Volume 1,2, & 3
Qigong For Upper Body & Lower Body
And in my book:
Instant Health: The Shaolin Qigong Workout For Longevity

Apart from Qigong Volume 1, all of the above give precise instructions as to how to do the Instant Health Massage. The instructions are the same for the bamboo brush and the metal brush. If you are using the metal brush, warm up with the bamboo brush first. The metal brush gives a deeper vibration to the bones.

I've also made this video to give more clarification on the different uses of the brushes. This is only for a guide and is not a teaching video. Please refer to my teaching DVDs and books for correct instructions on the self-massage.

The metal massage brush is available from my website.

Building The Stamina Of Your Mind

2011-11-16T04:14:00.000-08:00

I recently had a student who was a chess player. He came to study Shaolin with me for two weeks. He asked me if he needed stamina when he played chess, I said, yes, it would help him, because when you play chess, you need to be steps ahead, working out your moves and your opponent's moves. This is the same as fighting but every teacher or coach knows that if their student don't have stamina then it doesn't matter how good they are, they can't use their skills. This means, you have build your stamina. Through building your stamina you build the strength of your mind.

When you're tired, you can't show your weakness, you have to pretend that you still have stamina. If your opponent finds out then this is your weakness and he can beat you. Sometimes you have to learn how to hide your feelings, it's the same when you have an injury, you have to hide your injury. This is the same as a chess player who makes a bad move, he can't show it or give up, he has to hide.

The warrior fights to the end. The warrior is really competing with him or herself. His competitor is his teacher

When I taught this chess player, I made him do a lot of physical exercise; running, punches, squats, press ups. All training that had nothing to do with the mind. He wanted to give up but I pushed him. He trained with me every day for two weeks. Towards the end of his training, I made his training plan a little easier and suddenly he found out he strong he was. Everyday he trained, I would do just 25 minutes of Qigong to show him how to balance his Yin and Yang. I didn't want to do too much because I didn't want him to think.

He told me that the Shaolin training gave him a lot of confidence and he felt stronger when he played chess because he no longer cared whether he won or lose, he only thought how to make a strong move and how to conquer himself. If he made a mistake, it didn't matter, he just kept going, sometimes he could change the situation from bad to good but the most important thing was that he always gave his best.

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How To Balance Your Yin And Yang For Mind And Body Health

2011-10-27T23:14:00.000-07:00

When you watch my Qigong DVDs, I always start with a warm up, stretching or some physical training then I do the Qigong form. The reason I start this way is not only because this is the professional way but also because I've found many Western people believe Qigong is light training or very focused training, they believe it's about using the mind in a thinking way to control the body.

All exercise has internal and external, it's just we can't see it. For example, if you are running ten miles but at the beginning your pace is too fast then you won't be able to do ten miles. You need to understand how to pace yourself. This is the internal part of your training.

The Yin and Yang needs to be balanced and this is a combination of Qigong and physical exercise. When a person does personal training with me and I start with a warm up and stretching then the five basic stances, they find it hard. A recent student who had been working with my DVDs, realised he was only using 20% of the strength he was supposed to be using for Qigong. This is because he had a mistaken belief that Qigong was soft training. I told him, the training is not difficult, it's your body that is not strong yet.

Some fighters want to learn Qigong with me but they feel everything is too slow. They don't have the patience to learn it. I tell them, if you can't close your eyes and sit for five minutes to clean your mind, I guarantee you can never become a champion because you don't know how to calm yourself. Your body, mind and heart is not working together.

I am different from most Shaolin Masters because I don't just teach forms. I use my heart to find a way to help people achieve their health, fitness, martial art or fighting goals.

If you want to fight, Shaolin only give you a good foundation, you have to change and use modern techniques. If you think I'm wrong then you can research any kind of fight, K1 or UFC. Can you find any Shaolin traditional martial artists fighting there?

The world has changed. This is why I teach my fighters a fusion of traditional Shaolin with modern fighting techniques.

If you want to make your body healthy then you need a routine and a proper balance. For fighters, I recommend when they finish their training they do Qigong for half an hour.

If you are working with my DVDs and feel they are too hard this doesn't mean my DVDs are too hard, it means you are not strong enough yet and you need to build up your strength. Don't underestimate yourself.

You don't need to follow everything exactly. Learn from my DVDs then swop things around to make your own training programme that suits you and your lifestyle.

For more information please visit http://www.shifuyanlei.co.uk/

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The Shaolin Way To Train Mixed Martial Arts - Part Three

2011-10-25T06:56:00.000-07:00

Every morning, I get up and train. My students see me do the same thing, year by year by year. It’s only when they go in the ring and fight that they understand why I do the same thing every year, every day. The simple things are the most useful but they take time and effort to master.

For example, I train my left leg to be fast and sharp. It’s not very powerful but it's fast. My right leg is very heavy and I use my left leg to attack, to break my opponents plan, any time I have the opportunity. I use my right leg to do the round house kick. If I get them with this kick then I know I will knock them out. I practice many years just for this one kick. I know I can do this kick from any angle, close or long distance. I have confidence because I've done this kick so many times.

I'm not very tall but I'm quite heavy. My opponent is always taller than me so they have a longer reach than me. This is why I need good body conditioning. I don’t have as much opportunity as them to punch and kick. I practice a lot of body conditioning so I know that my body can take their kick and punch. When I get close to them, I can use my kick to finish this fight.

The important thing is you have to know yourself and know your body. Everyone is different. My technique wouldn’t work for you. Do you know what would? What do you want to do? Build up your punch or your kick? What are you good at? What are you bad at? How do you hide the things you're no good at? How do you use your good things? No-one can teach you. You need to find this out for yourself. You have to become your own teacher and teach yourself.

If you love martial arts then you need to be humble and lonely and simple. Try to make simple things not simple . Try to make lonely life not lonely. Try to make hard training easy. Once you have this kind of thinking you can become a good fighter because you have truly conquered yourself.

Related DVDs:
Fighting Punches and Kicks Volume 1 & 2
Shaolin Bootcamp Volume 1 & 2
Shaolin Workout Volume 1, 2, 3
Kung Fu Ch'an
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The Shaolin Way To Train Mixed Martial Arts - Part Two

2011-10-19T01:59:00.000-07:00

If you want to become a good MMA fighter then you need to train with focus. You can't be the best at ground, punch, and kick. You need to choose one or two skills that you will become special at and focus on these then have the other skills as the extra things you can do.

I have many MMA students that want to study with me, they say they know Juijutsu, Thai Boxing, Boxing etc but when I see them train, I ask them, “Which is your weapon? Your kick or your punch?” Most people don't have a lethal weapon. They are not 100% in control of their punch or their kick. They have no weapon that can enable them to win. This means they have nothing special.

I tell them, this means that every time you go to fight, you are hoping for luck. You don't know which skill will help you to win the fight: kick or punch or ground fighting. When you become a fighter, you can’t live for luck, you need to have full confidence, believe in your punch or your kick or your knee or elbow. Know that when you have the opportunity, you can knock your opponent out.

Because you know you can do this, then you make a strategy to trap them, you are setting them up so you can have the opportunity to knock them out. It's only when you are at this level that you are a good fighter.

This is the reason why you need to be humble. If you have too much desire to have everything, you can't have everything. You can only have one or two skills. This is enough for you to win. Simplify your training and strengthen your skill.

But it's not easy. Because when you have a skill, you have to use your brain, you need to fight different kind of fighters so you need to be able use your weapon from different angles, you need to practice over and over again to make your weapon sharper and sharper. This humbles you. It’s boring. There’s nothing exciting. Where as when you learn different martial arts and different techniques, you feel excited and stimulated but the truth is, you can’t master them. You will always be an average fighter. This week I want you to find your special skill and train in it intensively until it becomes your special weapon
Related DVDs:
Fighting Punches and Kicks Volume 1 & 2
Shaolin Bootcamp Volume 1 & 2
Shaolin Workout Volume 1, 2, 3
Kung Fu Ch'an
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The Shaolin Way To Train Mixed Martial Arts - Part One

2011-10-10T00:25:00.000-07:00

This is the first blog post in a series of three about how to train in Mixed Martial Arts. Each week I'll give you one training method to do and by the end of the three weeks, you'll have three new skills which will help you in your training. Remember to send me a message and let me know how you're getting on.

How To Replicate Your Fight In Your Training

Recently I've been asked to train MMA fighters. I know some martial artists are purest but I love not only martial arts but also the fighting arts. I like to watch MMA fights because there aren't many rules and the fighter need to be able to use many skills. But I think that MMA fighters stay on the ground too long. Everyone knows that in any fight competition, if you can knock someone out as quickly as possible then not only will you win but you will become a famous fighter.

If it was a street fight and you had someone on the ground for a few minutes then you would probably be killed by someone else who is standing. A few minutes is a few minutes too long. When we train in Shaolin, in some ways it's similar to MMA because we practice punch, kick, and take-down. The only difference is that in Shaolin we don't train in ground fighting because Chinese culture doesn't allow us to fight on the ground. We don't see it as equal if someone is on the ground and we are standing. It's not wrong to fight on the ground, it's just different culture.

At the Shaolin Temple, we train our arms in many different ways to make our punch and arm become our weapon. When you do MMA, you need to train your arm to punch and wrestle. Wrestling takes a lot of energy and makes your arm tired more quickly than a punch. This means in your training, you need to replicate the different ways that you use your muscles.

In my Shaolin Bootcamp Training DVDs, we use our body weight to train our arms. The training doesn't look difficult but when you train like this, is the toughest workout you can do because we are constantly using our muscles in different ways. It gives you the strength to shift from punching to wrestling and back again. This week, I want you to challenge your muscles in every way, this will help you keep your training alive so it's similar to a fight.

Next week: How To Find Your Special Skill And Turn It Into A Weapon

If you like this post please share or tweet by clicking on the links below the related DVDs.

Related DVDs
Shaolin Bootcamp 1 & 2
Fighting Punches and Kicks - volume 1
Fighting Punches and Kicks - take downs
Kung Fu Ch'an - fighting combinations, blocks and pad work.

Your Personal Diet And Training Plan

2011-09-26T23:47:00.000-07:00

Most people who want to lose weight, usually start by going to the gym or getting a personal trainer. These things can help but without controlling their diet, they will find it hard to lose weight.

The first thing that you need to do if you want to lose weight, get fit, improve your martial arts or look younger is check your life. Which of your habits are good and which are bad? Where are your weaknesses? Also, what about the weaknesses of your environment? You need to be aware of them so you can deal with them and not become a victim of them. For example, if a person smokes or drinks and at the same time they want to lose weight and train, the first thing they need to do is stop smoking and drinking then they need to start training lightly to detoxify their body.

Someone who eats a lot of junk food or cakes or drinks a lot of sugar drinks like Coca Cola needs to stop. A person who has a very stressful job with a lot of responsibility, has to tell themselves worry can not change anything. They have to train themselves to be relaxed. Shaolin training helps us to relax and let go. It effortlessly shifts us into a positive frame of mind.

People are always searching for the best diet for health or to lose weight. They do the same with a training programme, how can I get maximum benefit for minimum effort? They spend hours on the internet researching but they don't realise that no one can give them an exact diet or training programme because everybody's mind and body is different.

For me, I listen to my body and follow what it says. If it tells me I need to eat apples today then I eat apples. Each person needs to try and find their own diet and their own training programme. I eat a high carbohydrate diet, this works for me, but for other people, low carbohydrate and high protein works better. Neither is right or wrong, they have found out what works for their body and I have found out what works for mine.

The one thing I would say is that everyone should cut out sugar. This has no nutritious value and is not good for blood sugar levels. The other rule is, always eat breakfast. People who eat breakfast tend to eat less throughout the rest of the day. Also, drink green tea. Green tea doesn't contain enough caffeine to spike cortisone levels but research has shown it helps boost metabolism.

My advice when you embark upon a training , diet or health plan is don't be too ambitious. Start with a small step that is achievable then build on that small success. A diet and training programme is not just for eight weeks or 28 days, it is for the rest of your life so make sure it's one that is right for you and you can stick with it so it can become a part of you, enriching your life experience.

For information on Shifu Yan Lei's training DVDs and books please visit http://www.shifuyanlei.co.uk/dvd_latest_release.html

Instant Buddha: Progressions On The Path Of The Warrior

2011-09-20T23:55:00.000-07:00

It is vitally important that we train intelligently and with awareness, always keeping our beginner's mind.

When you walk to your training hall or go home to practice your martial arts, do walking meditation. Walk at your normal pace and be aware of your steps and your breathing. When thoughts come up, simply let them go. This walking meditation helps to ground and prepare you for your training.

When you start to do the Qigong and Kung Fu forms, you repeat them over and over again for years and years until they become a habit. In the beginning, you have to think: where should I breathe? What is the next movement? Is my posture correct? This is a process we all go through. Then, as you progress, you forget about your practice and move into non-thinking.

As martial artists, we use our body to abandon our body. We let go, forget the ego and follow nothing but the wisdom of the universe. Then the thinking comes from the body and no longer comes from the mind. When you experience this you experience freedom.

If you open your hand you can take hold of anything, if you close your hand, nothing can enter. You need to open your hand and allow the practice to enter you.

To enable this you need to have the confidence to commit fully and get out of your comfort zone. Stop saving energy for a future time. Only when you are empty can you be re-filled.

You must concentrate 100% on your movement and your breathing. If you do that, your practice will remain fresh and not go stale. You must practice not only in your training but in your day to day life.

This is why the meditation aids I brought back from China are every day items like tea and key rings and Buddha bags. When I was at the Shaolin Temple, the environment was a constant reminder that I was on the path of the warrior but here in London, I can easily forget and I need reminders to come back to the now. Now never returns to us, now is all we have. The Warriors appointment with life is in the present moment.

When you practice in this way, your practice becomes The Way. Only then can it penetrate the marrow of your life.

www.shifuyanlei.comhttp://www.shifuyanlei.co.uk/

Flowering Green Tea - Instructions On How To Use

2011-09-15T04:22:00.000-07:00

Part of traditional Chinese medicine is the drinking of green tea, modern science has discovered that green tea is rich in antioxidants, aiding our path to longevity. Green tea also balances the metabolism, boost the immune system, and has anti-ageing benefits for the skin.
If we drink our green tea mindfully then this has even more of a beneficial effect. Click here to learn how to have a Zen Tea Ceremony in your own home.

How To Use Flowering Green Tea

1) Put the tea ball in a glass cup or tea pot.

2) Pour boiling water into the cup.

3) Watch the flower blossom and release its fragrance. It usually takes about five minutes.

4) Drink and enjoy.

Do not throw away. As with all high quality green teas, the tea can be used at least four times. Simply pour water over the blossomed flower and continue to enjoy.

Click here to purchase this premium Flowering Green Tea

A Zen Tea Ceremony

2011-09-15T04:21:00.000-07:00

At the Shaolin Temple, novice monks are taught to be present in everything they do. In our fast paced modern life this is impossible. If we are always fully present then our mind will overload so we need to perform some actions automatically. But if we are always mindless and our mind is always on the run we will become increasingly burnt out, stressed and unhappy.

We rest and look after our body, so why do we not take as much care with our mind as we do our body?

Bringing our heart and mind into the present moment is the Zen Masters secret to real happiness. There are many ways we can do this. And one way is to have a simple Zen Tea Ceremony.

Zen Tea Ceremonies, alongside calligraphy and martial arts are tools that Shaolin Temple disciples use to hone, focus, and sharpen their mind.

The Art of Tea was born in the Zen Temples of China. But you don't need to be a Buddhist or go to a temple to experience this profound art, you can have a Zen Tea Ceremony in your home.

It's good to do a drinking tea meditation on a daily or weekly basis. You can do it on your own or with other people. If you do it with other people then practice in silence.

Six Simple Steps To Having A Zen Tea Ceremony In Your Home

Put aside a set time

If you're doing it every day then let's say fifteen minutes. Switch off or silence your phone so you will have no distractions.

Set your motivation

Tell yourself: For the next fifteen minutes every time I get distracted I'm going to bring myself back to the present moment.

Boil the kettle

You can use English tea but I use Flowering Green Tea. This is the tea we use in our tea ceremonies at The Shaolin Temple and the fragrance immediately invokes a feeling of well-being and wisdom.

Watch The Lotus Flower Bloom

Pour the water over the tea ball and sit with the tea in front of you.

As I watch the tea ball unfurl, I think of the lotus flower and the inner potential we all have to be peaceful urban warriors.

It takes about five minutes for the flower to unfurl, during that time, sit and watch your breathing.

Drink Your Tea Not Your Thoughts

Once the flower has blossomed, cup both hands around the cup, and drink your tea slowly.

Inhale the tea, taste the tea, feel the sensation of the tea and what effect it has on your mind and body.

If you drink tea while thinking about your worries then you are not drinking tea, you are drinking your worries. Live only for this moment.

Observe

Once you've finished, as with any good quality green tea, you can continue to make at least four cups.

I always feel refreshed and at peace after performing this simple tea ceremony. I feel more connected to myself , the Shaolin Temple and the great Zen masters who even though I may never have met, I take as my masters, and hope they accept me as their disciple.

Try it and let me know how you feel.

It's great to do at the end or beginning of your Qigong session.

To learn more about Flowering Green Tea click here or to purchase click here.

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Ten Tips From A Shaolin Monk On How To Stay Young Forever

2011-06-07T01:52:00.000-07:00

People always say health is the most important thing but how many people live by this belief? We need to start today. In order to help us stay on the path to health I have translated an extract from one of the Shaolin Classics. Written by a monk who was a great martial artist and scholar, here he gives advice to lay people as to how to stay young and healthy.

Ten Tips From A Shaolin Monk On How To Stay Young

1) Don't think too much. Thinking takes energy. Thinking can make you look old.

2) Don't talk too much. Most people either talk or do. Better to do.

3) When you work, work for 40 minutes then stop for 10 minutes. When you look at something all the time, it can damage your eyes and also your internal organs and peace.

4) When you are happy, you need to control your happiness, if you lose control then you damage your lung energy.

5) Don't worry too much or get angry because this damages your liver and your intestines.

6) When you eat food don't eat too much, always make sure you are not quite full as this can damage your spleen. When you feel a bit hungry then eat a little.

7) When you do things, take your time, don't hurry too much. Remember the saying "Hasten slowly you will soon arrive"

8)If you only do physical exercise all the time and you never do Qigong this makes you lose your balance and you will become impatient. You lose the Yin of your body. Exercise balances the Yin and the Yang.

9)If you never exercise, just peace, meditation, soft training, Qigong, then this doesn't give you Yang energy so you use up your Yang energy.

10) Shaolin Gong Fu gives you everything. The purpose of our training is to balance our Yin and Yang. How many hours is not important. It's down to knowing what your body needs.

If you like this blog post you can sign up to my newsletter. As well as my monthly training tips direct into your inbox, you get access to more than a year's worth of archive newsletters. As well as DVDs, meditation aids are available so that not only your workout is a meditation but your life.

http://www.shifuyanlei.co.uk/

Are You In A Workout Rut?

2011-05-11T00:25:00.000-07:00

You may have a great martial art's routine but are you in a rut?

In order for your body to work at its optimal you need to keep surprising it.

My 15 DVDs complement each other and keep your body surprised as they move you through traditional kung fu, hard and soft Qigong, Shaolin Tai Qi, and the fighting arts. Once you know the moves on the DVDs, you can get creative and start mixing them up to make your own workouts.

Even if you're not working with my DVDs, your workouts still need to have elements of surprise. If you don't confuse your body, it will get lazy and reach a plateau where it's no longer burning fat as quickly as it should, and your fitness levels, flexibility and skill are no longer increasing. Here's my six top tips to how you can keep your mind and body in optimal fitness.

Please note these tips are not for beginners but for those who already have a solid martial arts or workout schedule.

1) Switch Your Workouts

Do bag work one day, Qigong the next, traditional kung fu the next, Shaolin Bootcamp the next, Shaolin Workout, just sprinting, just jogging. Don't rule out canceling the cardio for one workout and going through the 36 movements in Rou Quan. These movements work your muscles and mind and elevate your heart rate in a relaxed way. I think of this form as food for my kung fu.

2) Change Your Focus

Sometimes focus on doing the movements perfectly, other times just get yourself through the workout. Focus on flexibility one day then Qi the next, focus on power one day then speed.

3) Make sure you do aerobic and anaerobic

When you jog make sure it's aerobic. When you do kung fu make sure it's anaerobic. Do one 5k run a week.

4) Stop making excuses

Don't use the excuse of having no time. If you only have twenty minutes then do anaerobic interval training. You can take a 20 minute segment from one of my kung fu DVDs or run intervals and mix this with squats and press ups.

5) Use your own body to build muscle

Muscle burns fat by increasing the metabolism but Shaolin martial artists usually use their own body to build muscle. To build upper arm strength, do Qigong press ups as well as regular press ups. When you do regular press ups, change where your hands are in relation to your body.

6) Work your body from the inside out and the outside in.

Never forget to do Qigong. Even if you're pushed for time, do ten minutes to cool down after your workout. Our life is increasingly fast-paced and stressful. Qigong reduces cortisol, balances the hormones, regulates the blood pressure, and un-blocks stress. You will find that regular Qigong not only increases your energy levels but also your fitness level too.

If you like this blog post you can sign up to my newsletter. As well as my monthly training tips direct into your inbox, you get access to more than a year's worth of archive newsletters. As well as DVDs, meditation aids are available so that not only your workout is a meditation but your life.

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One Small Step To Transform Your Training

2011-05-04T00:59:00.000-07:00

For this blog post you will need a pen and paper.

What small step can you take to improve your health and fitness?

Or, if you're a martial artist or fighter, what small step can you take to make your skill better?

Write it down - writing something down increases the likelihood that you will do it.

Don't make it ambitious - The Tao Te Ching says: "With expectation, One will always perceive the boundary"

Make sure it's simple and doable.

If it isn't then think again.

Schedule this small step into your diary for the whole month.

Make a note of where you are now so that you will be able to see the improvement you've made.

Keep acting on this small step. (This one step is something you're going to build on later on and I'll explain how in next month's blog post. )

The famous basketball coach, John Wooden says, "When you improve a little every day, eventually big things occur. Don't look for the big quick improvement. Seek the small improvement one day at a time... and eventually a big gain is made."

The Tao Te Ching says, "A Journey Of A Thousand Miles Starts With A Single Step."

Trust in their wisdom. Trust in this small step. Don't doubt it. Just Do It.

If you like this blog post you can sign up to my newsletter. As well as my monthly training tips direct into your inbox, you get access to more than a year's worth of archive newsletters

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Just Do It: How To Become A Disciple Of The Bodhidharma

2011-04-18T01:32:00.000-07:00

The Bodhidharma Is Your Teacher

I've been studying martial arts for more than twenty years and I've been a teacher for more than ten years. I make my DVDs, and write these posts because I want to pass my experience and love of martial arts to people, like myself, who also love martial arts. I am a Shaolin Master living in the West, and I am saddened to see so much myth and magic surrounding the Shaolin Temple. My aim is to clear away the myth so that you can get to the heart of the practice. Whatever your view of The Shaolin Temple, this is not important. It's the teachings that are important. The teachings originate from the founder of Zen, Bodhidharma.

The Buddha said, do not rely on the teacher, rely on the teachings. When we take up the teachings, we owe a debt to our ancestors, and we must respect them for passing such great teachings to us. In many ways, I see the Bodhidharma as my teacher more than the Buddha because he showed me how to use martial arts as a meditation. Each person who learns from me, either in person or with my DVDs or book is also a student of the Bodhidharma. I see myself as a conduit, passing down what my master taught me. I'm always a beginner, always learning, always grateful for these teachings.

Does The Shaolin Temple Have A Gym?

The question I get asked the most about my own training is, do I lift weights? The Shaolin Temple doesn't have a gym. My muscles are purely from my martial arts training. What Shaolin does is make our training intelligent. When I train in Kung Fu I use my own body weight, and when I train in Qigong, I do specific Qigong exercises to strengthen my muscles and give them power and Qi. This is using the intelligence of the teaching. This is a very holistic approach. We don't just train for one reason, we train for many. In my latest DVDs, I demonstrate how to build muscles through kung fu and how to transform the shape of the muscle and give it energy through Qigong.

The Toughest Workout Ever

The movements in Shaolin Bootcamp may look deceptively easy but this is possibly the toughest workout ever taught on a DVD. As you move through the Bootcamp workout you train intelligently. When a martial artist does a push up, she also needs to punch. A strong arm does not mean a powerful punch. As martial artists we need to tune into the intelligence of our bodies and finely tune our training so that we are getting the optimal results for the goals we have set for ourselves. The Bootcamp is designed to keep us moving; push up, stretching, punch, shadow and speed training. It's designed this way for a reason: this kind of training is guaranteed to get us fighting fit; melting the fat and toning the body. It's giving our body new challenges while increasing its speed, coordination and power.

It's important to vary our workouts because the body is always trying to find ways that it can be lazy. Maybe it finds a comfortable way of doing push ups, so change the angle and make it difficult again. There are no surprises in weight lifting. You do a set and you don't move around so even though you are building your muscles, you’re not increasing your stamina. Shaolin Bootcamp builds your stamina, speed and muscles in one fully integrated movement.

Yoga Can Be Bad For You

I'm not saying that weight lifting is good or bad. I'm saying, what is your goal? If your goal is to build muscle then great. But if you're a martial artist, then your body has a whole set of goals and building muscle is just one of them. People who do yoga are very flexible in one way but if they wanted to kick or punch there would be no power so in some ways they have no flexibility at all. Martial Artists not only stretch but they also do the five kicks to extend and give their stretch power and movement. If you love yoga and you're not interested in self-defence, there's nothing wrong with this type of training. But if you're a martial artist then too much yoga can be bad for you!

Increase Your Peace And Your Punch

Another misperception is that some older people believe that all they have to practice is some gentle Qigong or Tai Qi exercise. But this isn't true because as we get older, not only do our organs shrink but also our tendons, muscles and bones. In Qigong For Upper Body and Qigong For Lower Body I address these concerns by teaching a Qigong form that links hard Qigong with soft Qigong. This is the first time I've taught hard and soft Qigong on a DVD. For fighters or young people who find it difficult to concentrate, these forms are more challenging so easier to focus on, they will increase the power of your punch while increasing your peace. Strengthen your Mabu and your meditation. Strengthen the internal organs while strengthening the external muscles. This is a tough Qigong because it uses your muscles in a new static way that is different from a push up. It gives your muscle Qi, energy, power. This is the Zen way to train intelligently.

Take Action Now

Now that I'm 38, and having trained for so long, I know that it's increasingly important that we practice these Qigong's. Doesn't matter what martial art's we do, Qigong can help us and prolong our martial art's life.

In the West we tend to get wrapped up in our minds and over complicate things. My master never allowed me to do this. Coming from a Zen Temple meant I wasn't allowed to ask my master many questions because if he gave me answers then they would be his answers and this would cloud my direct experience. The Nike slogan is nicked from the Zen philosophy: Just Do It. What does this mean? Stop thinking, stop making such a big deal, stop procrastinating. Make your health a priority. If you start thinking too much when you practice - where is the Qi? What am I feeling? Should I focus on my Dan Tian? - Just stop.

In Shaolin the focus is not on our Dan Tian. Shaolin is a holistic way of working with our body. Our body is made up of not just a Dan Tian. This is why the focus is on the breath and the movement. Simple. Always keep it simple. Just Do it. Combine internal with external, Qigong with Kung Fu. Practice movement and breath, breath and movement, train intelligently, don't over complicate. Just do it. This means you a disciple of the Bodhidharma. This means you are training in Zen.

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What Is Qigong (Chi Gong Ki Gong) ?

2011-03-15T03:25:00.000-07:00

The Shaolin Temple In Your Living Room

2011-03-01T13:11:00.000-08:00

With the exception of Rou Quan, all of my DVDs can be practiced in a space the size of a yoga mat. What can't be taught in a DVD I don't teach. I'm not interested in wasting my time or my student's time. Morihei Ueshiba was correct when he said, " Progress comes to those who train." But training incorrectly and without direction is like not training at all. My DVDs and books take you step by step through exactly what is taught in the Shaolin Temple with a focus on health and combat. These are the two aspects I'm passionate about. I give you the key to unlock the gate of the Shaolin Temple , but it's only your sweat and training which will open the gate and let you in.

Transformation

My DVDs are designed to transform your mind and body into a martial artist's mind and body. This means you become fighting fit, flexible, have strong will-power, inner confidence, sharp reflexes, peaceful sleep, an abundance of energy, look younger than your years, and there is a glow to your skin and eyes.

The Way of Qigong Volume 1 and Shaolin Workout Volume 1

If you are starting from scratch then I recommend that you begin with these two DVDs. The Eight Treasures Qigong is taught in my book and on The Way Of Qigong Volume 1 DVD. If you are only going to learn one Qigong then learn this one.

It's important to work your body internally and externally. This is like the two wings of a bird. The Qigong changes your internal body and the Kung Fu changes your external body. In the Shaolin Workout you learn kicks, traditional punches, and forms to give your body strength, flexibility and co-ordination.

The training is flexible depending on how much time you have. You can do the Qigong and Workout on alternate days or you can do the Workout in the morning and the Qigong in the evening or even do them both together. If you have time, it's a good idea to go for a run before you begin your Shaolin Workout. If you want to build your health and fitness then I recommend that you train at least 4 times a week to get the full benefit. For martial artists and fighters, you need to train 6 times a week.

You can happily practice The Eight Treasures for the whole of your life. But if you want to go deeper into your Qigong practice then once your heart is stable and you know the form without thinking you are ready to go to the next level.

The Way of Qigong Volume 2 & Shaolin Workout Volume 2

This is a sitting Qigong. It seems easy but if you let someone sit for half an hour and not move, unless they're an experienced meditator, they will find it impossible. Not many people can do simple movements because they lose their focus. We go to the toilet everyday to get rid of our waste but we tend to carry a lot of rubbish around in our mind. This sitting Qigong is about focusing and de-toxing the mind of its rubbish.

In Shaolin Workout 2 I teach traditional punches and kicks, the first part of Xiao Hong Quan, and a little bit of fighting. A lot of Chinese Kung Fu is for performance, many people don't realise that Shaolin can be used for fighting. With Shaolin we start in a traditional way to build our strength then we move into fighting. This makes our background, belief and foundation different. So when you learn Shaolin Kung Fu, you are not just learning about fighting, you are learning to train intelligently.

The Way of Qigong volume 3 and Shaolin Workout Volume 3

You will know when to move to Qigong 3 & workout 3 because you will have built up your experience. You can then alternate between the workouts, finding the best movements and making them become special. You can practice them over and over again.

Martial arts is not about levels, its about how to get fit and how to know your body. You need to know how far to push yourself; no one can tell you when you need to go to another level. I always feel that I'm a beginner. Don't think that simple things are easy; making simple things not easy is martial arts.

When you learn all of the three Qigong forms, you don’t have rules; you can do anything you want.

Rou Quan

With Qigong we don't move a lot. Rou Quan is similar to a moving Qigong. It's the only DVD where you need more than the space of a yoga mat. It's called soft fist because it combines internal and external. Some people call it a Shaolin Tai Qi but just like Qigong, it's much older than Tai Qi. As well as improving mental and physical health, this thirty-six-movement form can also be used in self-defence.

In the beginning you really need to focus on your inhale and exhale. You know when you can do this form because you are no longer thinking of breathing. This means you just practice. The form is now inside you. It's become a habit like driving a car. You forget inhale and exhale.

Shaolin Bootcamp 1 & 2

In Shaolin Bootcamp I teach different body movements to strengthen your upper and lower body. In the beginning, don't focus on whether the movements are correct or not, just do it. The students who'd been training with me many years and were in both DVDs took one week to recover after the filming. It's a very tough workout. Don't underestimate it.

This is the best way to get fit, lose weight, and give your body real strength so it's ready to go into the ring. The Bootcamp is designed to keep us moving; push up, stretching, punch, shadow and speed training. It's designed this way for a reason: this kind of training is guaranteed to get us fighting fit. Melting the fat and toning the body. It's giving our body new challenges while increasing its speed, coordination and power.

Qigong For Upper Body and Qigong For Lower Body

Some older people believe that all they have to practice is some gentle Qigong or Tai Qi exercise. But this isn't true because once we get to about the age of thirty, not only do our organs shrink but also our tendons, muscles and bones. In Qigong For Upper Body and Qigong For Lower Body I address these concerns by teaching a Qigong form that links hard Qigong with soft Qigong. This is the first time I've taught hard and soft Qigong on a DVD. For fighters or young people who find it difficult to concentrate, these forms are more challenging so easier to focus on, they will increase the power of your punch while increasing your peace. Strengthen your Mabu and your meditation. They strengthen the internal organs while strengthening the external muscles. This is a tough Qigong, you can see from the sweat that is dripping off me. It uses your muscles in a new static way that is different from a push up. It gives your muscle Qi, energy, power. This is the Zen way to train intelligently. In the Qigong For Lower Body we do a form which involves stamping and lots of lower stances to make the legs and bones strong.

Kung Fu Journey

This is the first DVD I made. It's not a teaching DVD but gives an insiders account of a day in the life of my training. This is still my favourite DVD.

The following DVDs are only for fighters and martial artists. They show you how to use your body properly and how to mix speed and power and strength, all linked together to help you later on in the ring.

Kung Fu Ch'an

When you martial arts reach a higher level, you need to forget everything and give everything you have. If you are in a bad situation, you can't do anything but take your opponent's punches or kicks. Kung Fu is not just about how heavy you can kick or punch, it's about how much you can take. Practicing Kung Fu Ch'an will make your confidence grow and also show that in order to take someone's kick or punch, you need to have a good Qigong background. Kung Fu Ch'an is about how to make your mind become a fighter's mind.

Fighting Punches And Kicks Volume 1 & 2

In Volume 1, I teach creative ways to increase the power and speed of your kick and punch. In Volume 2 I teach Chinese Sanshou takedowns. These takedowns can be used in mixed martial arts, cage fighting or UFC. They are a very important skill to have so you can have more chance of surprising your opponent and winning a fight.

Our bodies tend to look for an easy way out so don't let your body get lazy. Alternate the training from my DVDs. Do Shaolin Workout 1 on one day and Bootcamp the next, keep changing and developing and moving forward. John Wooden, a successful basketball coach said, " When you improve a little each day, eventually big things occur.... Seek the small improvement one day at a time."

Ask The Shifu - Part 2

2011-02-23T01:44:00.000-08:00

How to train with ill-health or injury

Q: A doctor told me that my shoulder injury is fully healed but I still have pain and stiffness, what would you recommend I do?

A: Injuries usually take about 100 days to recover but this doesn't mean you don't do anything for 100 days. Stretching and practicing the Qigong from my "The Way Of Qigong Volume 1, 2 or 3" will help your body to recover properly. The only Qigong that wouldn't be suitable is Qigong for Lower or Upper Body as this would be too hard for your injuries. As the stiffness starts to ease, you can start to slowly factor in doing some push-ups and squats. But you need to be careful and listen to your body. Don't be too impatient to start training again. If your joints feel pain then this means you are doing something incorrectly and you should stop.

Q: Is it okay to go straight into Qigong without a warm up?

A: Maybe you don't need to do a body warm up but you need to do a mind warm up because you need to make sure your mind is there so that you have quality in your practice.

Q: You train so hard, how do you remain injury free?

A: The first thing is, Shaolin Temple training means I know my body very well. The training is my meditation so I don't zone out, I am always awake and aware when I'm training. But most importantly, I do Qigong and I use the massage brush after I've finished. This brush doesn't just make my body strong, it also helps to make my blood and Qi flow and move and work properly. I know many Western people are sceptical about self-massage but I would say, try it and make up your mind. You can't look from the outside and make a judgement. Massage is an important part of my training. Self-massage has a long history in the Shaolin Temple. If you do self-massage, this means it's difficult to get an injury.

Q: I want to lose weight, how often should I train and which DVD can I use?

A: It depends on how much desire you have to lose. The first thing is, write down your plan: I will train for one hour three times a week. Do Qigong on one day and Kung Fu on another day. I would recommend training six times a week for the first eight weeks to really lose. Use your willpower to make you take action. Then after, make your action become a habit so that you no longer need willpower. Will power runs out but habit can't.

Q: I am 51 years old, female and have palindromic rheumatism and fibromyalgia. This has made me overweight and completely unfit. What can I do?

A: Firstly I can only give you very general advice as I can’t see you, and I trust you are taking advice from your doctor too. Many patients find exercise an essential part of arthritis treatment. Physical therapy can help patients cope with pain and disability caused by arthritis. Because there is no cure for arthritis, the focus of treatment is on disease management. If you are completely unfit then a good way to start is doing a regular Qi Gong workout – my DVDs show you how to stretch, do a form, and also a self-massage. Combine this with walking and over time your body you’ll be able to do more aerobic exercise. Age is no obstacle to fitness, and Qigong will help you to balance your mind and body and work your way towards your goal of health and happiness. This will be the key for you to get healthy in mind, body and spirit. Don't make too high a target, don't think about losing weight, just do exercise and focus on making your body happy. You need to control your diet and give yourself no choice. You have to eat breakfast, this is very important, try to eat frequently but less, eat six times a day rather than three times a day.

Q: I have bought your Qi Gong Level 1 DVD and have been trying to practice it but I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia and Sciatica in my back so it is very difficult to perform the exercises. I was wondering if you could recommend any form of Qigong that someone who is unwell would be able to do, or some gentle exercises.

A: My suggestion would be to do some stretching then do one or two of the sequences from The Eight Treasures but not the whole form. Mix some of these movements with the sitting Qigong and always finish by doing the Instant Health Massage. I teach how to do this massage in Qi Gong Volume 2. You may find it easier to do the Qigong from this DVD, as it is a sitting Qigong that can be done from a cushion or a chair. Once again, I would suggest starting with some gentle stretching, do a few sequences from the form then finish off with The Shaolin Energy Massage. I think that despite your health issues, it’s important to keep moving and Qigong done on a daily basis may help to alleviate some of your pain. As you start to gain energy you can do a little more of the form and keep increasing it day-by-day, step-by-step.

What's Your Goal?

2011-02-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

Do you want to improve your health and wellness ? Maximize your martial arts? Control your weight? Turn back the clock? Identify the areas you want to improve and let me guide you on the right path. Using the correct combination of my DVDs and resources will deliver your desired results. Shaolin Martial Arts challenges us and helps us to reach the full potential in ourselves that we only dreamt of before. Using the powerful life energy that exists inside our body, we can make ourselves healthy and balanced.

Health and Wellness

The Western focus on exercise has mainly been on making the body look beautiful through weight and cardio training. But this is starting to change. On the Oprah Winfrey show, Dr. Oz said, "If you want to be healthy and live to 100, do Qigong." How can Shaolin Monks train all their lives, while remaining free of injury and looking younger than their years? How can they be beaten with bricks or sticks and not feel any pain?

The answer is a magical combination of Qigong and Kung Fu. Qigong strengthens the immune system, rejuvenates the internal organs and protects and prevents premature effects of ageing. The Qigong Massage enhances the power of Qigong, helping the Qi and blood to flow properly, while strengthening the bones and keeping the skin soft and supple.

The wearing of Jade helps to banish the harmful effects of the environment. Just as a tree can purify the air, jade has healing powers; helping to purify the body and protect us against the harmful effects of computers, mobile phones or negative energy. It acts as a gentle reminder to us that we are Urban Shaolin Warriors. This means we take time to step back, relax and rejuvenate. Living in the moment is a powerful skill that helps us to be successful in everything we do.

Shifu Yan Lei recommends:

Instant Health: The Shaolin Qigong Workout For Longevity

The Way Of Qigong Volume 1 to begin with followed by 2 and 3

The Instant Health Massage Brush

Jade

Lose Weight

There are many workout plans that claim to be able to help you lose weight in two weeks, eight weeks or twelve weeks but what about after that time? How many exercise bikes have been bought then discarded? How many gym memberships not used?

The Shaolin Approach is to quit relying on willpower. Willpower is like petrol. It quickly runs out. But when willpower transforms into habit, you can slim down effortlessly and get your body into great shape.

Any workout programme will help you lose weight. The trick is to find something you enjoy. If you enjoy it, you will stick with it, and it will become a habit. Keep it simple. Don't think too much. I love Kung Fu so I do Kung Fu but if I loved ballet I'd do ballet.

Once you've found the workout you enjoy, do Qigong at least three times a week. Qigong is an important factor in weight loss because it helps to balance the hormones. An increase in cortisol for example, can mean that no matter how hard you work out, you will always have belly fat. But liposuction isn't necessary. Just do Qigong. If you find the slow movements boring then do Qigong For Upper Body and alternate this with Lower Body. This will give your internal organs a workout while toning your muscles at the same time.

Shifu Yan Lei recommends:

Instant Health: The Shaolin Qigong Workout For Longevity

Shaolin Qigong For Upper Body.

Shaolin Qigong For Lower Body.

Shaolin Workout Volume 1

The Instant Health Massage Brush

Turn back The Clock

I don't think it's true that you are as old as you feel, I think you are as old as your body feels! So make it feel good. People who do Qigong have higher levels of an enzyme that protects cells against the build-up of a highly toxic free radical, which can cause ageing.

If you're new to Qigong then start with The Eight Treasures. Once you've learnt this, do some movements from The Qigong For Upper Body and Qigong For Lower Body. Yes, it's tough but it will strengthen your bones and help prevent osteoporosis. It's especially important to do these Qigong's if you're not doing any weight bearing exercise.

Wear jade. Chinese Jade Jewelry has been used by the Chinese for many thousands of years. We believe that Chinese Jade has the power to bring longevity, good health and peace of mind into our life.

Shifu Yan Lei recommends:

Instant Health: The Shaolin Qigong Workout For Longevity

All of the Qigong DVDS but if you don't have much time then:

Shaolin Qigong For Upper Body.

Shaolin Qigong For Lower Body.

The Instant Health Massage Brush

Jade

Maximize Your Martial Arts

Thousands of years ago, Warrior monks spent their time in the mountains studying nature and seeing how they could maximize their martial arts. Usually when something becomes old it is put in the bin, but the Shaolin training has grown in value because it contains something of great value. It is a valuable jewel that has been passed down to us by our great Chinese masters. The jewel is right here; we just need to start the training so that we can discover the jewel for ourselves.

My Shaolin DVDs will transform your mind and body into the mind and body of a Shaolin Warrior, and I teach you how to do this step by step

Shifu Yan Lei recommends

Instant Health: The Shaolin Qigong Workout For Longevity.

All of the DVDs starting with The Way Of Qigong Volume 1 and The Shaolin Workout Volume1. Kung Fu Journey.

The Instant Health Massage Brush

How To Nip A Problem In The Bud

2011-02-01T05:14:00.000-08:00

I have many bad character traits but one thing I'm grateful to my masters for teaching me is simplicity. Maybe I'm a little stupid but I don't think over and over again in the way I've noticed many of my Western students do. They run their problems round and round their mind like marbles.

Shantideva said:

“If you can solve your problem, Then what is the need for worrying? If you cannot solve it, Then what is the use of worrying?”
This quote is very powerful because it moves us away from worry and inaction and gets us to the root of what we need to do.

What is it that is making you anxious or worried?

Can you do something to change it?

If the answer is yes then do it.

If the answer is no then you need to find a way to accept it.

This is the end of the story.

You don't need to think about this problem anymore.

Move on.

If you find it hard to move on then this Chinese proverb is for you:

塞翁失馬焉知非福 (Saiweng Shima, Yanzhi Feifu). The Old Man Who Lost His Horse

During the Han Dynasty—in the third century B.C.—an old man living on China’s border one day lost his horse. His neighbors all said what terrible luck that was, and sympathized with the old man. But Sai Weng said: “Maybe losing my horse is not a bad thing after all.”

The next day the old man’s horse returned, together with a beautiful female horse alongside him. All the neighbors said: “What great luck!” But the old man responded: “Maybe this is not such good luck after all.”

The old man had a strong young son. The boy fell in love with the new horse and rode her every day. One day the new horse got spooked by a wild animal and threw the boy from her back. He broke his leg very badly and was permanently crippled.

All Sai Weng’s neighbors said: “What a tragedy, your strong son will never walk without pain again.” But the old man again said: “Maybe this is not such a bad thing after all.”

And so it went that when the New Year came, the emperor’s army passed through the border region and recruited all able young men to fight in the frontier war. Because the old man’s son was crippled he could not fight and was left in the village to farm with his father. Sai Weng said to his neighbors: “You see, it all turned out okay in the end. Being thrown from the horse and breaking his leg saved my son from fighting in the war and almost certain death. So it was in the end a lucky thing after all.”

Whenever a bad thing happens in China, someone will say “Sai Weng Shi Ma” (Remember “The Old Man Who Lost His Horse”) to remind themselves and others that bad things have a silver lining.

Five Simple Tips To Lose Belly Fat

2011-01-25T00:05:00.000-08:00

Whenever I go back to China, I'm so happy to see my friends and family that I eat too much delicious food, and I'm always much heavier coming back to the UK than I was leaving. I used to be able to lose weight quickly but now I'm in my late thirties, I find it harder to shift and I notice that all the fat goes to one place: my belly. Belly fat slows a fighter down and for middle-aged people it can lead to health problems later on. The belly is a very stubborn keeper of fat. To successfully shift weight from this place, we need to tackle it from not only a fat burning angle but also hormonal and diet. These are my top tips.

1) Eat breakfast

Studies show that people who eat a quality breakfast, consume less calories during the day as whole. If you're like me, and you like to workout after waking, then eat a banana or a healthy milkshake. I use a food processor to blend a banana with some cashews, walnuts and milk. Food eaten before a workout boosts performance and enhances your workout.

2) Reduce Cortisol Levels

Too much stress leads to an increase in cortisol which leads to fat gathering around the belly. Holistic workouts like Qigong balance the hormones so it's important to factor these in as part of your workout. If you're rundown, stressed or busy then take a holiday from your workout and focus only on doing Qigong. Once you're feeling better then do a regular workout and include strength training, cardio and interval training. Shaolin Kung Fu has all of these elements in one fully integrated unit.

3) Eat Mindfully

At the temple we say a prayer to our food before eating it and use the eating of our food as a meditation. Mindful eating not only makes us eat more slowly, and enjoy our food, it also helps us to eat less.

4) Eat less fat and sugar

Eat lots of fruit and vegetables, grains and healthy proteins. Try to cook your own food. Avoid processed food, ready-meals, cakes and sugary drinks. I never saw cereals before I came to the West. They are full of sugar and salt. Try not to eat these types of cereals and also don't drink sugary drinks more than once a week.

5) Listen to your body

Our life is complicated enough so don't over complicate your healthy living and workout. Listen to your body, tune in to it on a daily basis and listen to your own intelligence. Your body has the intelligence of the universe, it knows what it's doing. Let it talk to you and take action on its guidance.

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Ask The Shifu - Part 1

2011-01-11T03:10:00.000-08:00

These are some of the questions I regularly get asked via email from my students. You can ask me questions by email: info@shifuyanlei.co.uk.

Q: What are the proper times to do Qigong?

A: The only times that are not optimal for practicing Qigong is between 11- 12 in the morning and 11 - 12 in the night. If there is heavy rain or thunder then you should refrain from doing Qigong.

Q: How many times should I practice Qigong if I'm a beginner?

A: This depends on what you want to get out of Qigong. The first thing is you need to remember the movement and secondly you need to make the movement correct. If you don't spend enough time mastering the movement then you can't reap the benefit of the practice. Qigong is for your health so you should do it at least four times a week. Quality is better than quantity so a 20 minute fully focused session is better than one hour. It's best if you can make Qigong into a daily routine the same as if you eat your lunch or dinner and then it will be automatic and you don't need to think about it.

Q: Should I wait a number of days after sexual activity before doing Qigong?

A: Qigong builds up your Yang energy and sexual activity uses Yang energy so many people believe that there needs to be a number of days between practicing Qigong and having sex but this isn't necessarily true. For the Qigong that I teach in my DVDs and book , having sexual activity and doing Qigong is not a problem unless you are very weak. If you do practice Qigong then it is necessary that you don't have sex for 100 days. If you are not very strong and you want to build your Yang energy then it's good to stop having sex for at least 30 days when you are building up your practice. People's bodies are different. Focus on what your body is feeling. There are no rules.

Q: How many times should I be practicing the Qi Gong from the beginner DVD before I can move onto the next DVD?

A: Once the movement feels natural and your body feels as if it is getting the benefit and you will never forget this movement so you can swap the movements around and you know exactly when to inhale and exhale then you are ready to move onto the second DVD. Once you know the forms from all of the Qigong's you can then practice different forms at different times.

Q: Is it safe to practice Qigong without the supervision of a Shifu?

A: It depends on what Qigong you practice. The qigong I teach on my DVDs and books is safe but there are some Qigongs that you can't learn from a DVD or book such as Shaolin Steel Jacket and other hard Qigongs.

Q: Most Shaolin masters seem to be vegetarian, is this true?

A: The Shaolin masters who I know that do martial arts are not vegetarian but they are very in tune with their body and know what food they need to eat to get a proper balanced diet optimal for their training. In the temple we are vegetarian but if we go out of the temple grounds then we do sometimes eat meat.

Q: Do you do weight lifting? Is weight lifting good for martial arts?

A: I don't do weight lifting. I use my body weight to do exercise. Lifting can be good but it depends on how you use it. You need to be clever. If you are a martial artist you need to be flexible, your punch and kick need to quick and strong so you need to make your body lean. When you use weights you have to know what you want. If you want to build up power then you need to use light weights & do more reps. If you want to build up strength then you have to use very heavy weights for a short time.

Q: What kind of diet do you have?

A: Your diet depends on what your are doing, are you training or not? All my life I have trained so my diet is very simple. If I train very early in the morning this means I can't cook breakfast and wait an hour before training so I make an energy drink with four or five different nuts, milk or soya milk or coconut milk, four of five fruits and vegetables like banana, carrots, or apple. I put this all in a food processor and drink it. Then I train for two hours. This gives me enough energy to do my training. Throughout the day I eat nuts and fruit to keep my energy up. For lunch I eat a very big meal which usually consists of meat, rice and vegetables . I eat less for dinner, sometimes just five different fruits. If I train later in the morning then I will eat my dinner for breakfast. I think it's best to eat heavy food earlier rather than in the evening.

Shaolin Skype - Making Authentic Shaolin Accessible To All

2010-12-16T06:57:00.000-08:00

I am passionate about Shaolin not only as a martial art but also as a powerful tool to help people live longer, be happier, fitter, healthier. I am always looking for ways to help people master the Shaolin Arts and get closer so they can experience the real Shaolin. My aim is to take away any obstacles that may get in the way. This is why I make books and DVDs. I hope that wherever you are in the world, you feel as if you are training in the temple alongside me.

When I first came to study at the Shaolin Temple I was confused by the different forms and training. I studied a myriad of different forms before I found the true jewels of the training. My training and experience means your time is not wasted. When you train with me you are being handed my twenty-five years of experience. I only teach what is relevant. Time is precious. I don't want to waste your time in learning something that isn't. This would be a waste of my time too.

In accordance with the Temple of Zen, I aim to teach as clearly and simply as possible but I recognize that as a student's training deepens there may be aspects of the training that can't be answered through my DVDs and books. This is why I am now offering Shaolin Skype sessions.

Who are the Shaolin Skype sessions for?

Do you have a niggling doubt that you may be doing the breathing or some of the movements incorrectly?

Are you struggling to stay motivated and committed to your health and fitness program?

Do you want a personalized program tailored to your health concerns?

Do you want more detailed specific advice?

Is there a martial application that you want to learn that I don't teach in my DVDs?

Suffering from injury and want help in recovering?

If you've answered yes to any of these questions then these sessions may be for you.

How does it work?

A Shaolin Skype class is the same as if you were coming to see me for a one2one. The Shaolin Skype Session last 45 minutes and is available exclusively to subscribers of my newsletter.

What do I need?

A Skype account. If you don't have one already then you can sign up for free.

A web cam.

A Wi-Fi connection.

What do I need to do?

Wear loose comfortable clothing

Be in a quiet private space with phones switched to silence

Log on a few minutes before the designated time

How do I book?

If you haven't already then subscribe to my mailing list

Follow the link to buy a voucher and receive a Shaolin Skype session for £60.00

Once you have made the payment you will receive a pdf gift voucher together with instructions as to how to book.

The vouchers are non refundable and valid for twelve months.

What happens after I've bought a voucher?

You can make an appointment to have a session with me at any time within the next twelve months.

Bookings are made up to three months in advance.

Simply email my team and let them know when you're available.

They will then book you in, and send you a series of questions via email.

Your answers will be strictly confidential and help me to tailor my session for you.

Only subscribers to my mailing list can receive a Shaolin Skype Session. Subscribe today and receive 20% off.

The Seven Laws Of Success - How Your Daily Workout Can Help You Achieve Your Dreams

2010-12-13T07:59:00.000-08:00

Working Out The Mind & Body

Before I came to the West I only knew what was taught in the four walls of the Shaolin Temple. I knew there were other martial arts outside of Kung Fu and Qigong but I had never seen them before. When I came to the London I was curious and went to many classes to study. I wasn't so much interested in the different techniques. I was interested in how the mind worked. Would the mind of a Muay Thai fighter work differently to a Sanda fighter?

But the most important mind that we need to get to know is our own. It saddens me to think of the many people who workout without using their mind. At the temple, our training is always seen as a meditation. The mind and body work in a unique way and by using our workout as a meditation we infuse our self with a deep sense of spaciousness and peace. So next time you are running, swimming, weight lifting, practicing Qigong or doing a kung fu class either through a DVD or in a class, use my seven laws to help you achieve success not just in your workout but in your life.

Now Is All We Have

Our mind is a muddy glass of water. It's only when we allow our mind to be still that the mud can settle to the bottom and we can have clarity. The present moment is changing fast and our mind is constantly darting between the past, present and future. To calm it down, we give our mind an object to settle on. The object is our breath and our movement. Once our mind is calm it can then gain the powerful focus of a laser.

Star In Your Own Movie

There are some places in this world that give us great peace. For some people, it may be a Buddhist Temple, others a church, others may find peace in nature. Before you begin your martial arts session, take a few moments to close your eyes. Approach your workout as if you are about to enter that place that gives you peace. Then, begin to imagine yourself at your best, in peak health, flexible, and relaxed. If you're doing bag training, picture your self kicking the bag with power and speed. If you're going through my Qigong DVD then you're staying completely focused on the movement. Runners imagine yourself running effortlessly, your body as light as a feather.

Believe You Can

" Believing in something beyond the self can have a hugely psychological impact, even if the belief is fallacious." Bounce by Matthew Syed.

Faith is vitally important. Give me a fighter with faith and a fighter with good skill and the fighter with faith will win. We need to believe in our self and in a bigger wisdom than our self. Belief is the first step of our training. A belief that we can do this.

Shaolin Kung Fu Training is hard. It challenges us. This is why we gain in confidence. We are now doing something we never thought possible. We look back and see how far we've come. Our workout has taken us out of comfort zone. It didn't just challenge our body, it challenged our mind. We are taking part in a tradition that is thousands of years old. We are keeping it alive and applying it in our life so that we can become an urban warrior.

Let Go

Shaolin Training is an effective tool to deal with worries and problems. But how do we apply this? Using our workout as a meditation gives us a mini holiday from the circle of our thoughts. It allows us to let go of our worries and problems. This crucial mini holiday helps us to get a bigger perspective so we can deal with our problems more effectively because we no longer feel swamped by them.

Focus

It takes many hours to become a master of something. Once the sport is mastered, a different part of the brain is being used and this is when the workout begins to feel like an instinct. But this only happens with very purposeful practice. Doing the thing that you're bad at makes you into a champion. Failing over and over again makes you into a champion. If there's a certain kung fu kick you struggle with then keep practicing it. Spar against people who are better than you, this is the only way you will learn. Struggling with stamina? Do interval training and hill running.

Challenge

When you can easily get through your workout, it means it's time to move on. Never stop believing in yourself and never stop challenging yourself. If you are lazy in your workout, are you being lazy in your life? If you're limiting yourself in your workout, in what ways are you limiting yourself in your life?

Blueprint

Your Shaolin Kung Fu Workout is a blueprint for your life. From success in your workout, you can go and achieve success in your life. And remember it's not about winning or losing. It's about doing everything with passion and mindfulness so it has meaning for you. You can't control the outcome but what you can control is having fun in the process.

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The Zen Koan Workout

2010-12-07T05:33:00.000-08:00

The world of Western traditional physical exercise is beginning to catch up with what martial artists have known for thousands of years. Fitness is not just about burning calories and sweating. It’s about being healthy from the inside out and using breath and movement as a way to gain a deeper understanding of ourselves. Research is revealing that this mind-body fitness not only keeps us healthy but also greatly helps to banish stress and is aids longevity.

Planting the seed

As martial artists, we trust that our final goal of conquering ourselves will be reached effortlessly. The goal is the seed. Through being in the moment and turning up for our martial art’s training sessions we carefully nurture that seed. When we are ready this seed becomes the goal we planted all of those years ago without us having to tinker with it or turn our thoughts to it. It’s almost like something we put away in a drawer and forgot about.

But training is not possible without some basic level of health. Most of us take health for granted and it’s only when we get a cold or an injury that we are reminded how lucky we are to have the good health to train.

Mind- Body Fitness

Sometimes a person can look strong but this doesn’t mean they’re healthy. Body builders may be inflexible and internally weak. Yoga practioners may be flexible but ask him or her to perform a martial art’s kick and they have no power or speed. This is one of the reasons why there are so many different Shaolin exercises and forms. We work with our whole body and our bodywork has an affect on our mind.

We mix different kinds of training together to make our mind and body connect and work together. We want our stamina and flexibility to work together and our power and speed to work together. At the Shaolin Temple we build up our fitness level from our health not the other way round. Fitness is much more than good stamina.

Peaceful Monks

Sometimes a person may not look strong but they look healthy because of their skin and eyes and when they talk their mind is calm. I have witnessed many Buddhist monks like that. There is something about them, which makes a person feel calm when they are in their presence. Health means that they have a peaceful mind and their internal organs work well.

Fitness from the inside out

The world of Western traditional physical exercise emphasizes the need for cardiovascular and strength training but they are increasingly beginning to realise that for true fitness we also need to practise stretching and Qigong. Health and fitness usually mean two different things but for optimum fitness and true health we need to bring the two together and join them in a union.

Once you have a healthy body this means you have the foundation to be able to get fit. Fitness doesn’t mean you can run ten kilometers or you can lift very heavy weights, fitness means you have good stamina, you are flexible and your reaction time is very swift.

Suggested Training Plan – How To Start

It is not necessary to be a Shaolin martial artist to run through this training plan below but it is suitable for any martial artist.

1) Run for twenty minutes to make your body hot.
2) Raise each knee a hundred times to loosen your muscles.
3) Stretch your legs and hips.
4) Practise the five fundamental Shaolin kicks.
5) Do some push ups to train your upper body.
6) Traditional punches to stretch out the muscles.
Repeat 2) – 6) three times.

Once you have finished this training we can do some traditional forms or if you are a Thai boxer or kick boxer then you can shadow box and kick different combinations to make your mind and body work together. Do a workout from one of my workout or bootcamp DVDs.

If you don’t like training outside and you train in the gym or in your home then at the beginning of your training session you can skip or ride a bicycle instead of going for a run. The important thing is to make your body hot.

Qigong

After we have gone through this training plan, we finish our training with Qigong. At the Shaolin Temple we never do fitness training alone but always balance it out with the practice Qigong to enhance the power of our external training and balance our Yin and Yang. Qigong helps us to feel peaceful, concentrated, positive and focused.

The Power Of Qi

Many athletes especially long distance runners and cyclists know that it is their mind as much as their body that gets them through the race. Once their mind has given up then they too will give up and they won’t be able to continue and complete or win the race.

But even though they understand the power of their mind, they don’t understand the power of Qi. This is why they end up retiring when they are in their thirties. They don’t look after their internal organs. Shaolin Monks do which is why their training deepens as they get older.

Effortless effort

When I look at someone who is truly fit, everything they do looks easy. They are very flexible because when they run they tell their body to keep light and positive. When they punch or kick, they tell themselves to relax and use their body more. When they lift weights, they know exactly which muscle they need to use and which muscle they don’t need to use. When they practise Qigong they know when they need to inhale and when they need to exhale. They focus on what they need to focus on and this gives them confidence and power. They understand that if their mind is strong then their body is strong and if their body is strong then their mind is strong. It’s not possible to separate the two out.

A Zen Koan

Martial artists have always used both; they have always used the breath because it is the link between the mind and body. They have always focused on the present moment because it is the only moment when we can be truly alive. This is why – in the past –Masters sometimes used shock tactics or said Koans in an attempt to awaken their student to what life really is.

What is the sound of one hand clapping?

If we try to understand with our intellect then we’ll never understand and if we try to do martial arts with our intellect we shall also never understand.

Only when we have cultivated strong willpower and let go of our mind can we move to hard training to build up our stamina level and create from out of ourselves a warrior’s mind and body.

Shaolin Body Conditioning Tincture

2010-10-06T04:07:00.000-07:00

At the Shaolin Temple, once a disciple begins to study one of the seventy-two styles, they are given a specific Qigong and a specific recipe to make a body conditioning tincture. In the past, the monks used to lie in baths of these tinctures but today we apply this tincture to our body. After making up this tincture, the disciples then adapt it slightly and each disciple has his own recipe. Mine is made from twenty-five natural herbs, roots and barks. Some of the herbs help the blood to flow, some help to strengthen the bones, others help the muscles to relax.

This medicine can also be used for injuries, bruising, and some people say that it can be effective for repetitive strain injury though I have no experience of this so I don’t know if this is true. My own experience is in body conditioning. I used it when I was learning Shaolin Steel Jacket and I could never have endured this hard training without the aid of this special medicine.

The first thing we do when we do body conditioning is warm up our body then we rub the medicine into the part of our body that we want to condition. You need to rub the medicine in hard so it really gets inside the skin. The medicine works in three ways: protects the skin, reduces the risk of injury, and strengthens the bone.

I get asked many times about the difference between my Body Conditioning Tincture and the oil that some fighters use especially Muay Thai fighters. This is oil and not a tincture and the main ingredient is camphor, which has a warming effect on the muscles, but doesn’t penetrate the bones or help to prevent injury.

Another misconception is that Shaolin tincture is the same as “Dit Da Jow”. Dit Da Jow uses alcohol as the base for their medicine where as we use a very high quality vinegar. Why do we use vinegar and not alcohol? Vinegar can take the varnish off a table; it strips the medicine of all of its good things and preserves it.

We also use a secret blend of herbs, roots and bark which is individual and unique to each master. Just as there are varying qualities of olive oil or wine, so it’s the same with this medicine. I take great care in finding the best quality herbs and then I brew my medicine for four years before filtering it. This makes it very potent.

If you don’t do body conditioning but you do martial arts or fighting then I would recommend you use this oil before you train to strengthen your bones and reduce injury. But remember to warm the body up first so that the tincture can penetrate through your skin and into your bone.

The Future Of Exercise

2010-05-17T05:27:00.000-07:00

Powerful strategies for optimzing your body and mind

I believe that practicing martial arts or going through your life without practicing Qigong is like driving a car and never topping up the air in the tyres. The air is our Qi, it gets us places. Take the air out of the tyre and the car will go nowhere, take the air out of our bodies and we die. It is as simple as that. On a basic level Qi is breath, it flows where the blood flows, but on a deeper level it is the energy matrix of the body and when we do Shaolin Training we optimize it on daily basis to get the most out of ourselves.

This is what the Shaolin Temple mean when they emphasise the importance of internal and external. The external is the kung fu, the things we can see, the internal is what is going on inside of us, and to optimize our energy we mix internal and external together.

Shaolin Steel Jacket

A good example of this is Shaolin Steel Jacket. In order for me to be able to do this, I have to have good stamina but I also I need to practice Qigong. It is the Qi that protects my body. I direct my Qi to my ribs or my back and I deflect the pain away so it acts like a mirror, when a person kicks me, their power is deflected and turned back on themselves so it hurts them instead of me. That is the amazing power of Qi.

The Competitive Edge

The majority of people use Qi to unblock the channels and optimize the efficiency of the body. In China, top-level businessmen and women practice Qigong so that they can focus and have full energy for the day ahead. They believe it gives them a competitive edge. Martial artists use it to make their bodies into weapons or simply to give them a stronger and longer martial art's life.

The balance of yin and yang

When I first went to the Shaolin Temple to begin my training, I was fourteen years old and 90% of my training was kung fu – external - training and only 10% was Qigong – internal - training. To be honest, I used to find internal training boring and I wasn’t convinced that there was such a thing as Qi. But I wanted to learn Shaolin Steel Jacket and in order to do this I had no choice. It was only when I saw the effectiveness of the Qigong movements that I became interested in Qi.

As I get older I don't need to practice 90% kung fu, and if I did I would quickly burn myself out. The reason boxers and footballers usually retire in their thirties is not only because their stamina is not as strong but also because their body feels weaker, and this is one of the ways in which martial arts differs from sport. As martial artists, our thirties are the time when we have the maturity and experience to go deeper into the internal techniques. We change the yin and yang of our training so that we may do 60% kung fu and 40% Qi Gong but as I get older this may become as much as 90% Qi Gong and 10% kung fu.

The key to staying young isn't to work out until our endorphins make us happy but to be clever and learn how to balance our external training with our internal training.

How far can you go?

If we have a car, every now and again we check the air pressure, especially if we are about to go on a long journey. We need to do the same thing with our body. What is it telling you? How much can you do today? How much can you push yourself?

This is something, which is difficult for a martial artist to judge because we know we have to push ourselves to improve. Martial arts are about taking us beyond our limits. The training challenges us and this is one of the reasons why we love martial arts so much. It takes us away from the smallness of our self and connects us with a tradition that is thousands of years old and it also gives us unity with our fellow martial artists. There is something exhilarating about our body being able to do something that we never thought possible.

But no matter what martial arts you do, or even if you don’t do martial arts, if you want to sustain your martial art's life then you need to do internal training. If it's not part of your tradition then take it from another tradition.

Right Now

The history of the Shaolin Temple was built on monks going out to different provinces and taking the good things then bringing them back and finely tuning them. It's important that we don't stay stuck but we keep evolving. Remember the lesson of impermanence. Nothing is fixed and solid. Just as our bodies are impermanent and constantly changing so should our training change and adapt to where our bodies are right now in the present moment.

Less is more

My advice is at the end of your martial art's or workout session, finish with some Qigong. In the beginning, you may – like I did – feel bored. But if this happens remind yourself that Qigong has been around for thousands of years. If it were rubbish then it wouldn't be practiced anymore. It is a time-tested technique of putting energy back into your body but it yields nothing to an impatient bored mind. The practice needs to have quality so it's best to start off with doing less, just five minutes a day.

The Eight Treasures Qigong

The Eight Treasures Qigong is possibly the most popular Qi Gong form in China. I teach it in my book Instant Health and also my DVD The Way Of Qigong. It consists of eight sections so it's easy to break them down. Take one section from The Eight Treasures Qi Gong and practice this movement, and then build up a little bit more each day until you are working through a whole form. Try to get into a daily routine. We don't think about brushing our teeth because it's a habit. Try to make a habit of doing Qigong.

It's important to have patience. Our minds are like puppies, we know when we bring a puppy into the house it's naughty and we have to train it. This is the same with our mind. We have to give it direction and leadership and soon our body will start to enjoy the increase in energy and we will want to do Qigong.

Beginner's mind

Shaolin Qigong comes from a Ch'an or Zen tradition so we don't think about where the energy is going. The important aspect of this is to have a no thinking beginner's type mind. Practice with a heart and mind placed firmly on the practice and from this your own experience will grow. You will become aware of energy naturally; your body will direct you. Don't complicate things. The secret to a successful Qigong practice is to make sure your breathing is one with your movement. Don’t add anything more. Keep it simple.

The Shaolin Energy Massage

Just as top-level Olympic athletes have regular massages, we also finish our Qigong practice with a self-massage. And we use The Instant Health Massage Brush to do this. I use a metal one because I practice Shaolin Steel Jacket but The Instant Health Massage Brush that my students use is made from bamboo and consists of 108 bamboo rods. It is designed for a person seeking health, and for martial artists it is also the first step to body conditioning.

Not only does it relieve tight muscles but it also assists in unblocking the acupuncture channels, and helps the body to detox through the stimulation of the lymphatic system. This is a natural battery charger for the body. We do this massage when we have finished our Qi Gong training and it takes about five or ten minutes.

The future of exercise

The future of exercise is changing, just as yoga has become more mainstream, I believe Qigong will follow. New research is proving its effectiveness and I hope to see not only martial artists use it but boxers and athletes and runners and footballers.

Life is about energy. When we love something or feel passionate about something then we have a lot of energy. Our love for martial arts gives us the mental energy to keep training. The Qi in our bodies gives us the physical energy to keep training.

I like to think that even when I'm in my sixties I'll still be kicking and punching bags and running up mountains. I'll still be discovering more and more about martial arts because martial arts is like the ocean, it's never ending and I am a beginner who is always learning. It is only through the Qi that I can continue to do this.

Go for it!

If I explain to you the taste of an apple, it's not the same as you actually taking a bite from an apple. It's the same with Qigong. I believe it will help you to run faster or punch quicker and it will give you more energy not only for your martial art's training but your day-to-day life. But I ask you not to take my word for it but go and try it out for yourself.

Shaolin Xi Sui Gong

2010-05-06T04:22:00.000-07:00

“Bodhidharma travelled to the East to teach these two Yi Jin and Xi Sui classics. A bird like the crane is able to live long, an animal like the fox can be immortal, a human who cannot learn from these classics is worse than the birds and animals.”

The Mind and Body of a Buddha

Ee Jin Jing makes your muscles and tendons strong, flexible, fast and powerful while building up the health of your internal organs. Xi means wash and Sui means bone marrow. Xi Sui means clean your bone marrow. The aim of Xi Sui Gong is to detoxify the body and cleanse the unhealthy aspects of the mind. The highest aim is to help us reach enlightenment and give us the mind and body of a Buddha. But even if we can’t gain enlightenment in this lifetime, the least this Qi Gong can do is give us a long, healthy, and peaceful life.

Connecting With Our True Nature

It is vitally important that we use our heart to train, not just our body. We can train as regularly and as hard as we like but if our heart isn’t present then we will never improve our skill or get the benefit from Qi Gong or Kung Fu. Whether it’s Shaolin, Karate or Taekwondo, the aim of any martial arts is to awaken us to our true nature. Our true nature can only be found in the here and now. Our martial art helps to plant us in the present moment. This can sometimes be uncomfortable because it confronts us with who we truly are. But once we’ve broken through our smaller self, Qigong helps us to go beyond our small individual selves and find a connection with the very fabric of the Universe. It does not give us anything new; it simply connects us with the body’s internal power and automatic wisdom that already exists within us.

If we train mindlessly then we may as will join a gym and watch TV while listening to music and running on the treadmill. There’s nothing wrong with that kind of training if all you want from your workout is to get fit but it’s certainly not the type of training which will increase our martial arts skill and power.

The Power of Concentration

The more we can concentrate, the more benefit we can gain from Qi Gong. Every movement of Xi Sui Jing is done from a sitting position, this sitting position helps us to develop patience.

When you begin to run through the movements, your mind will be busy at first. This is natural. But as you focus on the breath and the movement together this will calm the mind and you will begin to feel peaceful. This calming of the mind cleanses the mind. With a clean mind, the mind and body can then begin to work in harmony. Once the mind and body are working in harmony, the body can start to self-regulate

itself, unblocking the channels and preventing disease from building up in the body.

Our Body Is Our Own Doctor

This is why we say that our body is our own doctor, the Qi Gong gives us access to the medicine. But this all happens unconsciously. Our body will start to feel better of its own accord without us having to intervene in any way.

This has led many people to shun conventional medicine in favor of Qi Gong or other alternative medicines but I believe we should use the best of both worlds. If a person is suffering from an illness I recommend that they combine Western medicine with Qi Gong so that it’s not an alternative approach but more of a complimentary approach.

The Challenge

There is a famous story in China about a Ch’an master who was famous for his meditation and a Shaolin martial artist who was famous for his martial arts. One day the Shaolin master challenged the Ch’an master as he belived his skill was much better than that of the Ch’an master. The Ch’an master chose a narrow ledge at the edge of a high mountain, one wrong step and the person would fall to their death. Because they were both unskilled in archery they decided it would be fair if they challenged themselves in this way. The Shaolin master went first, he stood at the edge of the mountain but when he placed the arrow into the bow he couldn’t stop himself from looking down and he became scared at the thought of plunging to his death. This fear meant that he failed to hit the target. The Ch’an master took the bow and arrow, stood at the edge of the mountain, and hit the target perfectly. The Shaolin master was amazed and asked him what his secret was so that he could improve his skill. The Ch’an master said, “No thinking. No reason. Just do.”

No thinking. No reason. Just do.

This is exactly what we must apply to our practice. EE Jin Jing makes our body like stone. Xi Sui Jing turns our body into a Buddha. But we need to practice and find this out for ourselves.

Qi Lifting

Higher level students learn Qi lifting which mixes internal and external together. They practice Qi and at the same time they use Qi. This kind of Qi Gong can only be transmitted master to master. This takes karma and the student needs to be ready. In China powerful businessmen and politicians learn this Qi Gong because they know that the health of their mind and body is the most important thing. But this higher level can never be reached without first learning the authentic Shaolin forms that I teach on my Qigong DVDs. Without learning these forms we can never reach the higher levels.

Shaolin Xi Sui Jing Qi Gong is taught on The Way Of Qi Gong Volume Two.

Shaolin Xi Sui Jing and Ee Jin Gong Qigong

2010-05-06T04:10:00.000-07:00

The most famous Qigong forms that come from the Shaolin Temple in China are called Xi Sui Jing and Ee Jin Gong. Ee Jin purifies the muscles and tendons and Xi Sui purifies the bone marrow. Shaolin monks have trained in these two forms for thousands of years and they continue to train in these forms because they know that this Qigong enables them to be their best at kung fu.

Two wings of a bird

I am always emphasising how important it is to train in both Qigong and kung fu. Or internal and external. Even if you are not a martial artist, for good health and longevity you should train in Qigong. It is like the two wings of a bird. Qigong helps you to stretch better, kick better and punch better. Not only does it increase your speed, power, and stamina but it also increases your concentration and balances your mind and body. It gives you the strength and foundation to practice intense physical training without the fear of burn out. Qigong insures our internal organs work properly, only when our internal organs work properly can we be at our most efficient. The Shaolin monks used Qigong to help them gain enlightenment, the Taoists to live the longest life possible. We can use Qigong to stay healthy and maximise the power of our martial art. You don’t need to do Shaolin kung fu to practice Qigong, you can do Karate, Muay Thai, Taekwondo, what ever martial art’s you do, Qigong will take you to the peak of your power.

Shaolin Energy Massage

One important aspect of Xi Sui Jing and EE Jin Gong is the self-massage that we do when we’ve finished the form. At first we use a bamboo brush which has a hundred and eight bamboo rods. Massaging with the Shaolin energy brush create vibrations which relieve stress and tension in the muscles, assist in unblocking the channels, and help the body to detox through the stimulation of the lymphatic system. It cleans the skin and helps the Qi and blood to flow properly. It acts as a natural battery charger for the body. If we are only interested in health then we continue to use this bamboo brush but if we are a martial artist then - when we move to Volume 3 of The Way of Qi Gong - we begin to use the metal brush.

Massage for fighters

When you get to this stage, it means you can use power to hit yourself and the power of vibration goes inside your bone marrow. This is one of the reasons why it cleans your body. If you want to be a fighter then you must use the iron brush to hit yourself. The stronger you are, the harder you can hit yourself and your body will feel happy. If your body can’t take the pain then it means there’s something wrong. You have to be very careful with this training as you don’t want to risk damaging your internal organs. There should never be any feelings of pain. If there are this means that your internal organs are not strong enough and you need to slow down, check your training programme and see where you are going wrong. You should never hit use the metal brush unless you are under the supervision of a qualified master.

Body of stone

The combination of Qigong and self-massage is enough to make our body strong like stone but a stone isn’t a weapon. So how do we go on to use our body of stone and turn it into a weapon? I come back again to the two wings of a bird. We need both internal and external. In this modern world, I feel that some people have lost the true meaning of Shaolin. They believe that all they need to do is focus on their fighting skills to be a good fighter, or they believe that all they need to do is focus on their Qigong and forget all about external. Or they think of Shaolin as something that looks nice but is useless. Shaolin does have performance in it but it should never be reduced to that or it becomes little more than a dance. A dance is not a martial art. A dance can not help us in the ring, it can not help us to defend ourselves, and neither can it help us to live a long and healthy life. But authentic Shaolin can. All we need to do is step onto the path and follow the steps that your master shows you or I demonstrate on my Shaolin Warrior series of DVDs.

House of health

Qigong is not a secret. It just takes practice. Focus on the breathing with the movement together. This is the key to unlocking the door. The Qigong forms are the blueprint for you to build your house with. Day by day, moment by moment your practice is the bricks that build your house of health.

It takes time and patience. When you master Qigong, your Qi begins to circle around your body from your head to your feet and back again. You can then use your internal organs and your Qi to lift weight that wouldn’t be possible with muscle alone. This increases the feeling and power of the Qi just like we need water pressure for water to run through our taps, we practice with weights to increase the power of our Qi.

But this level of training can never be practiced alone but only with a qualified master where as Xi Sui Jing and EE Jin Gong and the Shaolin Energy Massage can all be learnt and mastered directly from my books or DVDs. These Qigong’s are not only safe but powerful. Even if done wrong, they can’t harm the body, it just means they are little more than a stretching exercise.

I believe that the practice of Qigong is as vital as eating and now that I’m thirty-six it’s only through my Qigong practice that I can continue to train in kung fu and keep my power, stamina and fitness level at a high level. If you are skeptical, then don’t take my word for it but discover for yourself and see what Shaolin Qigong can do for you.

Unlock the Secret of Shaolin Iron Leg

2010-04-27T22:46:00.000-07:00

The Shaolin Temple have thirty-six internal techniques and thirty-six external techniques making a total of seventy-two different styles. When we talk about internal we don’t mean 100% internal, but a combination of internal and external with the focus more on the internal. It’s the same with

the external techniques, the focus is more on external but internal still has its part to play.

In this article I focus on Iron Leg.

This article is for information only and must not be used as a substitute for being taught by a qualified master. All of the Shaolin body conditioning techniques can damage a person’s body, they can not be learnt from a book or a DVD, and they must be approached with wisdom and caution.

The Paradoxical Qualities of Iron Leg

Iron Leg is one of the thirty-six external styles. Iron Leg needs to have flexibility, speed, power, and it also needs to be hard as well as soft. But how can a leg be soft and hard at the same time? This paradox is at the heart of every single one of the Shaolin techniques.

Bio Dynamics and Muscle Quality

I practise Iron Shirt and I recently had my muscles tested as part of an investigation by the Dana Centre in the London Science Museum. The scientists wanted to find out what was it about my muscles that made them able to withstand such heavy blows. Using a bio dynamics machine and comparing my performance with a rower, they found my muscles had more or less the same strength as the rower so it wasn’t the strength of the muscles that was helping me withstand blows.

They found my reaction time to be incredibly quick, which isn’t surprising as a martial artist’s reaction time must be far quicker than a rower.

They then used a different type of machinery that prodded into my stomach, they found when I contracted my muscles, they became not just hard but “bouncy”, deflecting the power of the machine and sending it back

This is the aim of these techniques and one of the keys as to why Shaolin masters can take such heavy blows. Our body acts as a mirror reflecting our opponent’s power back to them. Iron Shirt or Iron Leg is not just about muscle strength but the quality of the muscle and the use of Qi.

Attack and Defence

Iron Leg means when you kick, your kick is incredibly powerful, it also means that when someone kicks your leg, your leg is like a tree. Not only can you take the kick but also the kick hurts your opponent and doesn’t hurt you.

Stamina

If you want to develop Iron Leg, the first thing you need to develop is excellent stamina. This means you need to run a lot and you also need to do a lot of lower stances and lower kicks to build up your legs. We call this static stamina.

You also need to make not only your leg flexible but also your entire body because when you kick although you are using your leg, you kick with your whole body.

People believe that in order to make their leg strong they always needs to kick a bag or bamboo but this is only the external part of the technique. The most important aspect to developing Iron Leg is that we make our bone strong, not just our skin, sinew, and muscle. And in order to do this we need to be flexible.

Flexibility

As well as going through your regular stretching exercises you need to do the five fundamental kicks and then move on to fighting kicks.( I teach these in my Shaolin Workout DVDs) Kicking at different levels high, middle, and low. Practise shadow kicks over and over again to make your body and leg work together.

If your leg is hard but inflexible this will mean that you can’t kick properly which means your leg is strong but this isn’t a good weapon because you don’t know how to use it. If your leg is very fast but it isn’t strong, this means if you kick someone and there body is stronger than your leg then you will be injured. Iron leg protects this from happening.

The Qualities Of Iron

Iron has different qualities; some iron is easier to break than others. If it’s easy to break this means it’s on only strong on the outside but its not strong on the outside.

This is why you must practise Qigong alongside body conditioning. First, you practice the Qigong prescribed to you by your master then you apply the body conditioning tincture and you rub it deep into your skin so you feel as if it is penetrating your bones. Then we use an iron brush, we also use bags with beans inside or metal ball bearings, and we do a lot of stamps. I demonstrate the simple Shaolin form Si Be Quan in Shaolin Workout One. The more power you can use with this stamp the more the power of the vibration will go inside the bone which makes the bone strong and conditions the internal organs.

Body Conditioning

When we practise body conditioning, our leg gets blue and swollen. Qi Gong is vital because this helps the internal organs work together. Afterwards, using the Shaolin Energy Massage Brush, we beat our body helping the blood to flow and the Qi to circulate.

Ten Years Time

Iron leg is very hard training; it takes a lot of will power. Some people believe that all you have to do is kick hard things for about ten years time and then they will have an iron leg. I guarantee this will not happen.

Iron Leg takes skill and a proper master to lead and teach the student. A strong training plan is needed with faith and belief that this is possible.

Only when you can kick someone with power and speed, and you can stand and take the kicks of others without using any self-defence but your own Qi have you come close to mastering this technique.

Unlock the secret of Shaolin Stamina

2010-04-19T03:54:00.000-07:00

Extraordinary techniques for unleashing the power of the body and mind

When we practice martial arts it’s vitally important that we train our minds as much as we train our bodies. We believe we are the boss of our minds but when our mind says it wants chocolate, even though we know we shouldn’t, the next thing we know we are eating a bar of chocolate. So who is in charge? We can’t blame it on the bar of chocolate can we?

More than two thousand five hundred years ago, The Lord Buddha said, “It is our mind which makes the world.”

A positive mind has a positive impact on ourselves and in turn our family and friends and this trickles out to the world at large. I don’t know if there was chocolate in the Buddha’s time but I can guarantee that our mind was the same then as it is now.

At the Shaolin Temple we use powerful techniques that have been passed to us directly from the Buddha to aid us in our martial art’s training. This doesn’t mean that in order to practice Shaolin we need to be Buddhists but using some of these mind techniques can help us to approach our training with fresh eyes.

Mind and Body Stamina

When I studied at the Shaolin Temple, we started every morning with a grueling run up the Songshan Mountain to the Bodhidharma cave then back down the hill, where we would begin our martial art’s training. There were many mornings when I felt lazy and the last thing I wanted to do was run up the mountain but our master would be chasing behind us with a stick and we would be beaten if we were too slow. Over the years, one of the things I began to realise was that sometimes it wasn’t my body that was feeling tired but my mind. Our master was there with the stick not just to give our bodies stamina but more importantly our minds.

In our martial arts training it is vitally important that we build two types of stamina – mind and body. A martial artist’s mind is very important for every aspect of their performance. We need to be as flexible in our mind as we are in our bodies.

Super Human

Looking back over my training, I realise it was my mind which held me back rather than my body. Shaolin Steel Jacket is a good example of that. When I began this training, I doubted whether it was really possible to hit myself with a brick and feel no pain. Of course, it is impossible without special instruction and techniques. It would be like trying to find a street in a strange town without a map or someone to guide us. But with the correct training, our body can surpass what our mind thinks is possible. People call Shaolin monks “super human” but we are human, it’s just we know how to train our flesh and blood and the most important thing: our mind.

A fusion of body and mind

I feel this is what all martial arts are, an extraordinary fusion of mind and body. And the first thing Shaolin monks do with their body is take it for a run. I don’t believe that any martial artist can have good stamina if they don’t run.

Body Stamina

Running

When we run and we get tired, sometimes it is our muscle and other times it is our breathing. We need to build the power of our muscle and breathing together. We don’t need to count how many steps we take but we need to get into a rhythm so our steps are in tune with our inhale and exhale. The other important aspect is to vary our speeds so that sometimes we are doing aerobic exercise and other times anaerobic. For example we can do five minutes to warm up then two minutes sprint then one minutes slow then another five minutes normal jogging speed.

Long Distance

We also need to do at least one long distance run a week. But if we can run eight or ten miles, this doesn’t mean we have good stamina for martial arts. The only way to build this is to continue our training after we have run. This is the reason why all Shaolin Temple trainees start their day with a run up the mountain and then don’t stop but continue.

Temple Training

The running is just a warm up, a preliminary. Our body is warm and now we begin our real martial art’s training. It’s vitally important that we stretch thoroughly. Running, especially hill running makes our leg muscles tight so we need to do a lot of kicks to loosen the tightness of our muscles. We start off by doing relaxed kicks and punches building up to using power and practicing our forms. We also can do some jumping to strengthen our legs.

At the Shaolin Temple we have no choice. We are never allowed to lie in bed. But here in the West, we have many choices. We may start off with a lot of enthusiasm but maybe one day it’s raining or we feel tired or there’s an interesting film on at the cinema or we don’t have enough time. This is when it’s time to employ Mind Stamina.

Mind Stamina

Meditation

When we are in the temple, we practice meditation. Many people think that meditation is sitting on the floor in a cross-legged position and trying to empty our minds of all thoughts but this is not meditation; this is like being a dead person! There are many types of meditation, I think people give themselves a hard time, they say ok, now I will be peaceful but when they shut their eyes the thoughts seem louder and they don’t feel peaceful at all so they stop meditating all together.

Thoughts are thoughts. It’s what we do with the thought that is the important thing. It’s how we react. There are many different ways to meditate but one way is to meditate with positive thoughts. This will give energy to our mind.

Running Meditation

We don’t have to sit to do this but we can do it when we run. When we feel tired, we can dedicate our run. For example, we can say; I want to run ten minutes for peace or ten minutes for my grandfather who is ill, or ten minutes for my friend who was feeling depressed today. We can dedicate whatever we do for the betterment of others, and this takes the focus off the smallness of us and makes our running a part of the whole world.

Horse Stance

The other thing we can do to help with the stamina of our mind is practice different stances. For example we can practice horse stance. We stay as low as we can and we quickly get tired so then our mind fights with our body. Our mind says, “Keep going!” but our legs say, “You are killing me!” It’s the same as the chocolate bar. Which one will we choose?

This is one of the reasons in the old kung fu films we see the kung fu master’s practice horse stance. It is great for building mind and body at the same time.

You already are what you want to become

Another mind technique we can apply to our martial arts training is

aimlessness. This is one of four Dharma seals in Ch’an (Zen) Buddhism. This means: You already are what you want to become. Does a tree have to do something? The purpose of a tree is to be itself, and your purpose is to be yourself.

We have everything. There is no need to put anything in front of us and run

after it. So, whatever it is that you believe you want – good health, more

energy or to be an exceptional martial artist – you already have.

Bringing this energy into our practice, enriches everything we do - running, kung fu, qigong, meditation, and also our work and family life. It helps us to stop putting our life on hold or wait for the future when we think we will have more time or be less stressed.

There is only now

There is no future time there is only now. And now is the most important

time we have. Now is the building block for the future. Instead of drifting

into the future of “if” and “when”, we focus on the single point of now.

Kung Fu Ch’an

In my DVD Kung fu Ch’an, through Shaolin Kung fu, I demonstrate how the mind and body work together to become one so that Shaolin training becomes a direct gateway into the teachings of Ch’an Buddhism.

Shaolin Martial Arts helps us to reach the potential in ourselves that we only dreamt of before. I believe with the correct approach and the right motivation, we can use our martial arts to bring to our life the wholeness, health and inner satisfaction that we seek.

The Five Fundamental Shaolin Stances

2010-04-19T03:16:00.000-07:00

The Five Fundamental Stances are the key to unlocking the Shaolin forms. If you can master these five stances then it will make it much easier for you to master any Shaolin Qigong and Kung Fu form. This month I focus on Mabu or Horse Stance as it is known in the West.

Ma Bu - Horse Stance
It could be argued that Mabu is the most important Shaolin stance. This stance is used in nearly every single Shaolin form. The only DVD of mine that it doesn't appear in is The Way of Qigong Volume 2, and that's because the form is a sitting one.

Benefits

Acts as a gateway between internal and external forms.

Invigorates the body.

Strengthens the legs.

Strengthens the spine.

Is the key to unlocking the Shaolin forms.

Increases willpower.

Centers and grounds the mind and body.

Step by Step

1) Step your left leg out to the side so your feet are wider than your shoulders and slowly squat into Ma Bu.

2) Grab the floor with your feet and place your hands in front of your chest in prayer position.

3) Remain here for six breaths.

Check list

It's a good idea to check your stance in the mirror.

Is your behind tucked in?

Is your neck tucked in and are your shoulders relaxed?

Are you knees slightly pushed out so they are over your knees?

Are your eyes strong?

Is your centre of gravity in the middle?

Are you gently grabbing the floor with your feet.

Don't tip the body but keep it straight.

Cautions

If you have knee or back problems then you need to keep your stance high. If you find the stance is aggravating the problem then you need to stop. There should be no pain when you do this stance.

How to deepen your horse stance

Make your stance lower and increase the time you stay in the stance a little more every day. Don't allow yourself to rise higher. Even though you are not moving you will start to sweat. We call this static stamina.

Overview

It's a good idea for Qigong and Kung Fu students to spend some time working on this stance in the same way that yoga students spend time working on their poses. Our body's tend to be lazy and want to find an easy way out but regular check ups will keep us on the right path. It's also easier to feel the Qi in the Dantian when we do Ma Bu which is why even a few minutes of doing this stance will help us to feel grounded and energised.

Want to learn more?

I teach all of the Five Fundamental Shaolin Stances in my book Instant Health: The Shaolin Qigong Workout For Longevity and in my DVDs: Shaolin Workout 1 and Rou Quan.

Five Ways To Tune Up Your Metabolism

2010-04-19T03:02:00.000-07:00

Metabolism tends to slow down as we get older but there are many health and wellness factors we can control to keep it well tuned so that we can continue to maintain a healthy weight and have optimal energy through every stage of our life. These are my five top tips from the Shaolin Temple as to how to keep your metabolism running smoothly.

1) Do Qigong

Qigong regulates the bodies energy. If a person's metabolism is too fast, it will slow down, if it's too slow, the body will shift accordingly. If you're not sure whether you believe in Qi, then take a look at the research some scientists did on my Qigong.

If you're still not convinced then think that you're oxygenating your inner organs. Getting fresh oxygen into the body can't be a bad thing. After going through The Eight Treasures form you'll feel relaxed and have more energy. Relaxation alone helps balance the metabolism. A happy mind makes a happy body.

2) Do Shaolin Kung Fu

Studies show that interval training can increase metabolism if done at least three times a week. It not only builds endurance but interval training means muscles use more oxygen and burn more calories. Shaolin Kung Fu is the ultimate interval training workout not only for martial artists but for anyone who wants to get fighting fit and feel confident. It's cheap, effective and it means we don't need to do a separate cardio from our weight training because we use our own body as the weight. (If you are new to exercise, elderly or haven't exercised in a while then interval training may not be for you and you need to read my beginner's guide to the Shaolin Workout first, which you can find in my newsletters. )

3) Include protein at every meal

Protein takes longer for the body to break down than carbohydrates or fruit and vegetables so you burn more calories when digesting it. Protein is an important factor for Chinese medicine and can include pulses and beans, tofu, fish, poultry as well as meat.

4) Drink green tea

The village where I made my Qigong Volume 2 and 3 and Rou Quan DVDs all drink a very special tea which is known as kung fu tea. This is not because it has anything to do with kicking or punching but because there is a traditional ceremony involved in the making and serving of the tea which takes time - gung in Chinese -. This tea is the explanation the people in this village give for being slim and healthy. A recent study backs up their explanation. It has found that the antioxidants in the green tea may stimulate the body to burn calories and decrease fat. Try to drink a few cups of good quality tea a day.

5) Meditate

Cortisol is the hormone that's produced by the body when it's stressed, this hormone slows metabolism, stimulates appetite, and can increase fat. If you don't have time to meditate then use your Qigong practice as a meditation. Do the standing Qigong ( Qigong 1 or 3) in the day then the sitting Qigong ( Way of Qigong 2) for five or ten minutes in the evening to help unwind before you go to sleep.

The Power of Desire: How To Find A Way To Love The Things You Hate

2010-04-12T01:12:00.000-07:00

In order to shoot my book: Instant Health: The Shaolin Qigong Workout For Longevity, I had to train harder than I usually train because I knew that I had to climb mountains with heavy camera equipment and lights and when I got to the top I had to perform Shaolin movements and jumps and kicks over and over again so it would look perfect for the book.

Before I left for China, as well as my regular Shaolin training I stepped up my stamina training. At six am in the morning there I would be on the treadmill running for one and a half hours. I began to dread the treadmill and half-way through my training I really felt sick at the sight of that treadmill!

In order to continue my training, I had to find a way to replace hate with love. I did this is by setting daily challenges for myself to run faster or further and when I achieved them I felt happy. If I had kept up the "I hate the treadmill" attitude then I would have lost my physical strength and energy. From this experience I realised an important lesson. My desire to make a good book over-ruled any objections that I had to training hard and that is the reason I found ways to keep going.

We are ruled by desire. Desire is a powerful energy which we can use in our training. Whether you are a serious martial artist or you have just picked up my martial art's DVDs with a vague interest in Qigong or getting fit, the desire is the same. We all want to live long, healthy and happy life. Shaolin training helps us to achieve this.

You may have other goals: self-defence, lose weight, get fit or be a great martial artist. Shaolin can help you do this too. But these are long term goals and we need to use the energy of desire that is right here now.

Utilise this energy into small goals and achievements. Replace negative self-talk with positive attitudes. Try swapping " I hate" to "I love" and let your mind find a way to love what you hate. Let your mind be as flexible as your body. Challenge yourself. Even if you only practice a little Qigong every now and again, begin to see yourself as a true Shaolin warrior and keep in touch with the real warrior not only when you train but when you are at work or with your family or at play.

Shaolin Qigong and Kung Fu is not just for martial artists but for anyone who wants to live a long and healthy life. e>

Unlock The Secret Of Longevity

2010-04-01T03:49:00.000-07:00

Tips To Creating Your Personal Longevity Program

Breathing Is Boring

Good health is the foundation of our life. But what is the foundation of good health? The right food? Water? Living conditions? All of these are important but we can survive without food and water for a few days. But how long can we survive without the breath? There’s a famous Ch’an story about a young monk who complained to his master that "meditating on the breath was boring". His master grabbed the student, held him under water and then asked the student, "And now do you think that breathing is boring? "

Qigong Breathing Is The Key To Longevity

At the Shaolin Temple, the monks know how important the breath is. Every movement they do, every kick, every punch is done with the breath of Qi. They are famous throughout the world for increasing their martial power and the rate of their health and longevity through a series of breathing exercise called Qigong. If you are new to Qigong then you can find out more here.

Reverse Qigong Breathing

Qigong breathing is a different type of breathing to our regular breathing. When we practice Shaolin we reverse the way we breathe (Full details on how we do this can be found in my book: Instant Health: The Shaolin Qigong Workout For Longevity) Just as the heart pumps the blood, the lungs pumps the breath or Qi, which is why we don’t use our regular breath when we practice Qigong but a special breathing technique which gives us the ability to channel our breath where the body needs it most.

Martial Qigong

When I practice Shaolin Steel Jacket I channel my breath into my ribs so that I don’t get hurt when beat with bricks or metal bars. But Shaolin Qigong isn’t just about shaven headed monks and fancy kung fu moves, it’s one of the most effective ways I know to increase our health, fitness, happiness and longevity.

The Elixir Of Youth

It’s not just the Shaolin Temple that is famous for its longevity practices but also the Taoist hermits. Thousand of years ago, high up in the mountains of China, the Taoists studied Qigong and called it the elixir of youth. They wanted to see how long they could live so they could taste the secret of life. The Buddhist monks practiced Qigong so they could stay alive for as long as possible and gain enlightenment. Today, we practice Qigong to not only help us with our martial arts but also for many of the same reasons. Although many of us don’t like to think this way, we will all get old. But we can grow old gracefully. Doing regular exercise and Qigong helps to prevent illness, and keep us young.

Without my regular practice of Qigong I could not continue with the hard training that I do. I am thirty-six years old, if you look at most of the Shaolin masters, they look much younger than their years. And this is because we practice Qigong.

Instant Health

One of the motivations for writing my book: Instant Health: The Shaolin Qigong Workout For Longevity was to give people an accessible step by step guide to Shaolin Qigong, free from the secrets and myths that have accumulated in the West. It’s understandable that so much misinformation has amassed because Qigong was only allowed to be practiced in China from 1989, before that time it had to be passed secretly from generation to generation. I am very grateful to my master at the Shaolin Temple for transmitting such precious teachings to me.

The Longevity Workout

The Longevity Workout consists of warm up, stretching, Qigong and self-massage. It works on the same principles as acupuncture. Just as we have veins that run through our body, we also have an energy matrix that runs through our body. In China, we call this matrix, channels. And we liken them to a river. Throughout the day as we get tired or stressed, these channels get blocked, if the channels continue to be blocked, overtime the blockage becomes more serious and this is when we get ill.

Qigong For Liver

An example of this is when we are stressed our liver channel becomes blocked; we do Qigong for liver to unblock the channel. The Eight Treasures Qigong that I teach in my DVD and book works on opening up all the major channels including the liver channel. If we deal with these blockages on a daily basis then we are constantly unblocking the channels so that the Qi can flow smoothly. This is why a Qigong practioner experiences a much greater degree of energy, their skin glows, their immune system is strong because they are preventing illness before it occurs. This is the best form of medicine. To optimize our Qigong Workout we finish off with a self-massage.

Self-Massage

If you are seeking health, then you use a bamboo brush, and if you are a martial artist and you want to progress to body conditioning such as Shaolin Steel Jacket then you use a metal brush. But the massage technique is the same.

The self-massage takes less than ten minutes and is done after Qigong. It acts as a natural battery charger for the body. As your practice deepens, you can then massage yourself with more force, and the vibrations begin to clean the very marrow of the bone. This is where the term Bone Marrow Cleansing comes from. I demonstrate this massage in The Way of Qigong Volume 2 & 3 and also my Qigong book.

Jade Stone And Green Tea

Alongside Qigong and self-massage, Chinese people have always used Jade as a longevity tool. We often have a Jade Buddha around our wrist or neck or a Jade energy stone in our car or home. We believe that everything contains energy or Qi. And because Jade is from the earth, it contains a life force of its own. But you don’t need to have a blind belief. If you stand by a waterfall or on top of a mountain, you will feel very different than if you sit at your computer. I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that a computer does not give us any longevity energy! Chinese people use Jade to cleanse and balance the body. In China, many women use Jade to prevent ageing of the face.

The other thing that we do is drink green tea. This has very high levels of antioxidant, which help to prevent ageing of the body.

Go for it!

If I explain to you the taste of an apple, it's not the same as you actually taking a bite from an apple. It's the same with the longevity program. I believe it will increase your success at work and help you to feel more at ease with life, it will help you to run faster or punch quicker. It will give you more energy not only for your martial art's training but your day-to-day life. But don’t take my word for it, go and try it out for yourself today.

Start Your Personal Shaolin Longevity Program Today

Alongside my book and/ or DVD, make a personal longevity training program with a weekly plan as to how many times you will train together with the times and dates and a note of how you’re feeling right now then check your progress as the weeks go by.

Protect Yourself From Negativity

Wearing the jade reminds you that you are taking positive steps towards health. It reminds you not to stop or give up. It's easy for us to forget or slip and go back to old ways. Wearing the Jade can protect us from our own negative thoughts. I wear a Jade Guan Yin amulet that my sister bought for me when I came to the UK. It reminds me to stay connected to my heart and to honour the teachings that I have been given as a great gift from the temple. More information about Jade can be found here.

I think you’ll be surprised at the increase in your focus, confidence, peace and energy levels. You’ll also find that your sleep is deep and restful, so that when you wake in the morning, you feel ready for the day. I get many emails from students all over the world, sharing their experiences and I read them with great interest. I hope that one day, you will share your own personal story with me.

Seven Tips To Maximize Your Flexibility

2010-03-30T07:22:00.000-07:00

1) Stretch am and pm

In the morning you will find that your muscles are stiff so it's important not to push too much but take the time to tune into your body. Breathe into your stretch. Stretching in the morning is harder than in the evening but its one of the best ways to increase flexibility.

2) Know the difference between a warm up and stretching

My early morning sessions at the Shaolin Temple always began with a quick warm up before we went for our mountain run. Although some stretching was involved it was not the intensive stretching that we did later on but more of a quick check to make sure our joints were working properly.

3) Always stretch after your workout

For martial artists this is the optimum time to increase your flexibility. Your joints and muscles are warm, which means you can go further with your stretch and it also helps to decrease the build up of lactic acid in your muscles. Not stretching out after a workout can lead to a feeling of stiffness the next day.

4) Do the Five Fundamental Shaolin Kicks

After stretching move on and do the Five Fundamental Kicks that are taught in Shaolin Workout Volume 1. These kicks increase flexibility to the legs and the hips. Start off in a relaxed and loose way, kicking from the hip rather than from the leg. Stretch in between the kicks to loosen the leg and kick again. When you move into the splits you'll be surprised at how much further you can go.

5) Do a little stretching everyday

Even five minutes a day counts. If you like to watch TV then find a way to stretch while you watch TV. On the escalator, place your left heel a little off the step and stretch out your calf muscle. Alternate with your right heel. Find creative ways to include stretching in your day-to-day life.

6) Alternate your stretching

Our bodies are lazy and they quickly adapt so it’s a good idea to keep it on its toes by alternating the stretching that you do and challenging your body. Yoga stretches can be mixed with kung fu stretches and vice versa. Whatever helps your body open

7) Focus on Optimal Flexibility for you

We all need to have a certain amount of flexibility but remember we are all different. It's crucial that you never push yourself too hard and you work with your own body. If you want to get your head on your knees, don't strain to get there or bend your legs in the process. Remember there never should be any pain when you stretch only patience. More details can be found on stretching in my book: Instant Health: The Shaolin Workout For Longevity.

Powerful Tools For Peace And Longevity

2010-03-29T03:32:00.000-07:00

“Jade’s brightness represents heaven; its substance, born of mountain and water, represents the earth”

Chinese Jade Jewellery And Amulets

Jade is an important part of Chinese culture. The Jade that appears on my website is from my province, Xin Jiang, and is famous throughout China for its beautiful natural colour and high quality. My province borders on Mongolia, Russia and Pakistan. Because of the remoteness of the region, Xin Jiang Jade is difficult to find in the West. Some of the jade is called Gobi Desert Jade because it comes from the Gobi sand stone, Wood Jade because the jade was originally wood before it became stone, there are also varying shades of light and dark green jades. The origins of the jade is what gives jade its life.

Carved Chinese Jade is so highly prized by the Chinese that they value it above gold and silver. The Chinese have a famous saying, "Gold has a value; jade is invaluable." The Chinese word for jade is “Yu”.

The English word jade comes from the Spanish term piedra de ijada or "loin stone", from its reputed efficacy in curing ailments of the loins or kidneys. This may be the reason why Chinese Jade is believed to aid in lowering raised blood pressure and alleviating kidney and bladder problems.

Just as a tree can purify the air, we believe that jade has healing powers; helping to purify the body and protect us against the harmful effects of computers, mobile phones or negative energy. Chinese Jade Jewelry has been used by the Chinese for many thousands of years. We believe that Chinese Jade has the power to bring longevity, good health and peace of mind into our life.

Jade alongside Qigong is another tool for peace and longevity. Most of the Chinese Jade pendants and healing bracelets that are on my website are carved from a mountain which lies behind a Buddhist Temple close to my home. Because the pendants, amulets and beads are formed from the natural rock, each piece of jade jewelery is unique and there is no one piece which is the same. Some are hand carved and some are carved from machine.

The Power Of Jade Jewelry Images

My master used to joke that it was only advertising companies and Buddhists who studied the mind. The advertising companies study our minds to find out what slogans and images will increase our desire to buy the products they are selling, while Buddhists study the mind to help them become closer to the Buddha. Both know the power of the image. Images work unconsciously on our mind and we are bombared with thousand of them every day. I have chosen the jade amulets, pendants and bracelets for their healing powers. Carved Chinese Jade has a harmonizing effect on the wearer.

Amulets – Amulet Jewelry

Amulet ( also called talisman) means “an object that protects a person from trouble”. In China many non-Buddhists wear Buddha and Guan Yin jade talisman because they recognize the healing properties of this image and believe these are powerful amulets. When the amulets are not being worn they should be kept in an amulet bag.

Amulets For Safe Travel

Guan Yin ( sometimes called Kuan Yin or Avalokita) is the Buddha of Compassion but before the birth of Buddhism in China, Guan Yin was a Goddess, and Chinese fishermen used to pray to her before they set out to sea. This tradition is still carried out today by modern travellers. When I was asked by his master to leave China and come to the West to teach, my sister gave me a carved Guan Yin pendant so that I would travel well. Many Chinese drivers have a statue of Guan Yin on their dashboard and travellers wear a Guan Yin amulet tied with a red or green chord.

Amulets For Protection

It is believed that Guan Yin can protect us from dangers whether real or imagined. This might be why she is the most popular Buddhist Bodhisattva. A Buddhist Sutra advises us to rely on Guan Yin in situations of pain, distress, calamity or death. Her name means “she who hears the cries of the world”.

Amulets For Good Luck

All Chinese Jade pendants are believed to bring good luck. But there is one in particular which is called the prosperity amulet and that is the laughing Buddha pendant. Chinese people wear this Jade Buddha amulet to increase health, happiness and prosperity.

Amulets For Happiness

As well as being an amulet for good luck, the laughing Buddha is also an amulet for happiness. He can help us to let go of negative energy and have a more positive energy. A great Indian Buddhist master said, “If there is a cure when trouble comes. What need is there for being sad? And if no cure can be found, what use is there in sorrow.” Wearing the laughing Buddha pendant can remind us of this saying and help us to let go of our worries and doubts.

Amulets For Power

Jade bead bracelets are used to count prayers and mantras. They are sometimes called power bracelets or charm bracelets because they give us the power to transform ourselves.

Authentic Buddhist Amulets

Chinese Amulet Jewellery are worn by non-Buddhists as well as Buddhists. Carved Jade pendants can act as a reminder for us to be awake to the present moment. This simple act of mindfulness can help us to overcome stress. Mantras have been recited over the amulets to increase the power of the amulet. If you are a Buddhist then you can recite a mantra in the morning and in the evening.

Amulet Meditation

Being present in the moment is a very effective way to combat stress and increase happiness. You can do this by simply follow your breathing or an alternative meditation is to recite the mantra of Guan Yin – Om Mani Padme Hum - as you touch the amulet of Guan Yin or recite the mantra of the Buddha – Amituofo - as you touch the amulet of the Buddha. This should be done a minimum of three times. It can be chanted silently or out loud. Letting go is one of the arts of happiness.

Longevity Medicine

Jade is part of traditional Chinese culture which include alternative Chinese medicine, acupuncture, Kung Fu, and Qigong. It is another tool we can use to increase our health, wellness and longevity.

You can purchase these along with Jade energy stones at: http://www.shifuyanlei.co.uk/merchandise_wrist_mala.html

How To Use Failure As A Pathway To Wisdom

2010-03-29T03:11:00.000-07:00

There was a famous Ch'an teacher called Dogen Zenji who said: "Hitting the mark is the result of ninety-nine failures."

This means it's okay to fail. We need failure to lead us to success. Thinking in this way means we will never be discouraged with our practice but able to use each experience to enrich it. What makes our Qigong or Kung Fu practice go deeper is the day-by-day effort of taking time out and practicing. If we talk about it all the time then it's just a dream. It's the doing that matters.

People sometimes ask me, Why do I still do Shaolin Steel Jacket? I'm thirty-six now. I no longer fight in competitions. I don't need it for my daily survival. But I want to demonstrate to my students that we are far more than we think we are. I want my students to go beyond their limitations, the limitations people set on them or the limitations they set on themselves. Interestingly, it's usually our mind that we have to work on, more than our body. Our mind tends to act like a badly trained puppy and the training is a way to calm it down. Going through the process of training in Shaolin Steel Jacket was one of the hardest things I've done. It strengthened my mind as much as my body.

The Buddha said that enlightenment couldn't happen until the mind and body were in harmony. Ancient statues of the Buddha show his lungs and chest expanded with Qi. Before he began his journey to enlightenment, he was an excellent martial artist and archer, and I believe those arts aided him towards enlightenment.

At the Shaolin Temple we say the highest kung fu is sitting meditation. But we don't need to sit on a cushion to practice meditation. When your mind and body are completely one, that is meditation. Whatever you hear, whatever you think, that is meditation. In your everyday life you always have opportunities for meditation.

Make your Shaolin practice your meditation. And when you do it, just do it without success or failure or expectation.

Simple Steps To Relieve Stress and Uncertainty

2010-03-29T02:58:00.000-07:00

From a young age I was drawn to the image of the Buddha. I wanted to be like him, sitting peacefully with a smile on his face. But I couldn't understand why, when I sat to meditate I had so many thoughts whirling around in my head and I felt anything but peaceful and smiling. So one day I went and asked my teacher, 'How can I be like the Buddha?' He smiled and said, 'You already are. The Buddha is in here.' And he pointed at my heart.

Don't get put off by the term Buddha. If you are not a Buddhist then you can call Buddha "inherent nature" or "God" or "love". We don't have to be a Buddhist to want peace, happiness, security and good health. And we don't have to be a Buddhist to realize that the external world can only give us security and happiness for a short time. True confidence, security, and happiness come directly from our mind. The Buddha said, 'It is our mind which makes the world." If we are feeling down then even blue sky and sunshine won't be able to cheer us up. It's only our mind which has the ability to do this, which is why it's so important to have a regular practice to help us come back to ourselves .

Having some kind of internal practice can help us greatly with this current climate of insecurity and loss of jobs. Being a Buddhist disciple I've never had a job or a steady income but I realise from talking to my students that they are worried about their future and so I offer a little advice from my own personal experience.

There is a famous Buddhist quote which I try to live by:

If you can solve your problem,
Then what is the need for worrying?
If you cannot solve it,
Then what is the use of worrying?

This quote reminds me to do everything I can with my life and let the rest go.

In our quest for peace and security we tend to want to control every aspect of our life but this only takes us further away from happiness. We need to relax and let go of the need to control. Next time you feel anxious, don’t give in to it but go and do some Kung Fu or Qigong or running.

Keep your awareness on both your practice and your anxiety. Try to find the substance of your anxiety. Where is it? Can you point to it? Does it feel like it's in a particular part of your body? Sometimes this search helps the anxiety to automatically disappear like darkness disappears when we turn on the light. We don't want to repress it or push it away because this will make it stronger. We just need to gently acknowledge it. As you move through your Shaolin practice, watch the emotion shift and change shape.

Qi is energy, emotions are energy, beliefs are energy, they change thousands of times a day and we are much more than them. We are also much more than our job or financial solvency.

Remember that Buddha never gives us any more problems than we can handle and every event that happens to us is our inner Buddha challenging us. Don't worry. Every so-called negative experience can be a benefit if we view it positively. Every event a teaching.

What is Shaolin Kung Fu?

2010-03-29T02:06:00.000-07:00

To the uninitiated it’s a martial art. To Shaolin Warriors it’s the Ultimate Training Program

Shaolin Kung Fu History

The Shaolin Temple is the birthplace of Chinese martial arts. Emperors often enlisted Shaolin monks to help them defend their thrones against invaders. As there were no guns or bombs at that time the monks had to use their bodies as weapons. They did this with a combination of Qigong and Kung Fu.

Shaolin Kung Fu Today

These days, we don’t do battle with warlords but low fitness levels or weight gain. Recent research by the British Journal of Sport’s Science shows that people in their forties and fifties who regularly practice martial arts have greater aerobic ability, balance, flexibility, muscle endurance, strength and less body fat than the sedentary controls matched for age and sex. Shaolin Kung Fu is not just for martial artists but anyone who wants to maximize their fitness levels.

Kung Fu Tai Chi Qigong – Yin and Yang Exercises

The Shaolin Temple has always believed in the importance of both Yin (internal) and Yang (external) training. The correct balance of Yin and Yang training is one of the keys to health and longevity. This crucial percentage factor is explained in depth in my book: Instant Health: The Qigong Workout For Longevity.

Aerobic exercise helps to prevent illness. It also stimulates the growth of new brain cells and improves the memory and ability to learn. The traditional kung fu training program tap into the innate harmony and energy of our bodies, transforming the exterior look of our body and the interior of our mind. Shaolin Kung Fu students have reported an increase in energy, concentration and confidence through the practice of Shaolin.

Shaolin Kung Fu Gung Fu Gong Fu Kungfu

Kung Fu is a Western misspelling that is so widely recognized today that it is the word most people use to describe Chinese martial arts. The correct spelling is gong fu (pronounced gong foo). Gong means work. In order to master any skill or achieve our goals we need to put time and effort into them.

Martial Arts Workout

My kung fu fitness workout DVDs offer a graded path of training. Designed for the martial artist they can also be used as an exciting fitness regime. The beauty of the Shaolin Workout DVDs is that they carry us through each phase of our life and even though we may not be aware of it now, they will help us into our old age by boosting our metabolism, helping our heart and increasing our flexibility and coordination.

Kung Fu Training

There are many different types of Shaolin kung fu training. I specialise in the most effective methods for fitness and fighting. If martial arts cannot be used in combat then it shouldn’t be called martial arts. Today a lot of Shaolin training has been reduced to little more than gymnastics and traditional forms, and the combative expression is becoming increasingly lost and forgotten. It is vitally important that Shaolin doesn’t lose the heart and authentic tradition of Shaolin Kung Fu.

Kung Fu Aerobic

Being in top shape is the first goal of a fighter. Many people have no interest in fighting or any form of contact sport but they use boxing, kick boxing or martial arts training to give them an exhilarating cardiovascular workout. Chinese Martial Arts combines strength training, flexibility and cardiovascular into one fully contained unit and - alongside Qigong - it is all you need to achieve your health and fitness goals.

Kung Fu Fighting

For the fighter, fitness is your first step towards fighting in the ring. Only when you have excellent stamina do you then have the energy to perfect your fighting techniques. I combine traditional Shaolin with modern fighting techniques and my trained fighters compete in international competitions. A day in the life of his training can be seen on my DVD: Kung Fu Journey.

Kung Fu Meditation

Kung Fu is a holistic workout which gives the mind a workout as well as the body. It’s a totally different experience to running on a treadmill and watching the TV for example. The Shaolin Temple is the birthplace of not only Chinese Kung Fu but also Zen (Chan) Buddhism and the monks use their kung fu training as a pathway to Buddhahood.

Kung Fu Qigong Exercise

The practice of Kung Fu and Qigong can help us to reach the potential in ourselves that we only dreamt of before. Using the powerful life energy that exists inside our body we make ourselves healthy and balanced. If you approach the Shaolin teachings with intelligence and determination you can bring to your life the wholeness, health and inner satisfaction that you seek.

Learn Kung Fu

Whether you want to learn Shaolin in the UK, the USA or whatever part of the world you are in, I provides two simple ways for you to learn Kung Fu with me so that you can start right now.

Kung Fu DVDs – Join The Kung Fu Class

My Shaolin Workout series of DVDs are designed exactly like a kung fu class. When you insert the disc into your DVD player you are stepping into the training hall with me and joining a tradition which is thousands of years old.
The Kung Fu Workout is suitable for the martial artist and the non-martial artist. If you are totally new to Shaolin or you haven’t exercised in a long time, then join my mailing list. My article in the archive entitled: The Shaolin Workout: A Physical and Mental Overhaul guides you step by step through the DVD at a much slower pace.
The other Kung Fu DVDs in the Shaolin Warrior Kung Fu series teach more specific kung fu techniques and are more suitable for martial artists.

Kung Fu London Kung Fu Los Angeles

I also teach privately in Los Angeles and London. And I am currently working on a book: Insant Fitness: The Shaolin Kung Fu Workout. This will be released in 2011.

What is Qigong Chi Gong?

2010-03-29T01:05:00.000-07:00

Qi Gong Chi Gong For Health And Longevity
What is Qigong Chi Gong?

Qi Gong (sometimes spelt Chi Gong and pronounced Chee like cheese) is a simple, natural and powerful set of breathing exercises that originate from the Shaolin Temple of Zen in China. Qigong taps into the inner reservoir of energy and restores our body to its original programme of health

In China, Qigong is called the secret of youth and longevity because it slows the ageing process down and promotes health and longevity from the inside out. Time-tested for thousands of years, studies today have found that Qigong exercise can boost levels of one of the most important ‘anti-ageing’ enzymes in the body.

Qigong History

In the past Qigong was passed down secretly from generation to generation at the Shaolin Temple in China. Bodhidharma (the founder of Zen) was the 1st generation and I am one of the 34th generations. In 1985 the Chinese government granted its approval of Qigong and I now have permission to teach what I learnt at the temple.

Qigong Exercise

A set of Qigong exercises is called a form. There are thousands of Qigong exercises (forms) but the Shaolin Temple believe that the most powerful Qigong exercise for health comes from the Yi Yin Jing (Muscle/Tendon Changing Classic) and Xi Sui Jing (Bone Marrow Cleansing Classic).

Muscle Tendon Changing and Bone Marrow Cleansing Classic

When the Bodhidharma came to the Shaolin Temple he found the monks were weak from sitting meditation. Just as the Buddha had realised the health of the body was as important as the health of the mind in order to gain enlightenment, the Bodhidharma developed a unique system of Qigong to energize the monks and help them gain enlightenment.

The Yi Yin Jing Xi Sui Jing taught the monks how to use Qi to clean the bone marrow and strengthen the blood and immune system, as well as how to energize the brain. This helped them to attain Buddhahood.

Eight Simple Qigong Exercises

The Eight Treasures (sometimes called Eight Pieces of Brocade and in Chinese Ba Duan Yin) are the eight most powerful movements from the Yi Yin Jing Xi Sui Jing. This form is possibly the most popular Qigong in the China. There are many different variations of this form but in The Way of Qigong Volume 1 and my Insant Health book, I teach the original Buddhist Qigong exactly as it was taught in the temple.

Eight Great Exercises: Eight Great Reasons To Do Qigong

Regulate blood pressure
Boost the immune system
Ease the stress and strain of working at a computer
Optimize energy
Turn back the clock
Harmonize the mind and body
Help with co-ordination (therefore preventing falls later on in life)
Prevent illness and promote good health

Qigong Training

Qigong training can be done by adults of all ages. The healing exercises can even be done in just a few minutes a day so you can easily fit them into your hectic lifestyle. Please take a minute to raise your arms to the sky, then stretch them out in front of you, and finally stretch them out to the side, this is the only space you need to begin your practice. The only equipment you need is an Insant Health Massage Brush.

Qigong Massage

An important part of the Qigong Workout Program is the self-massage with a bamboo massage brush. The 108 bamboo rods in this massage brush create vibrations which relieve stress and tension in the muscles, assist in unblocking the acupuncture channels, and help the body to detoxify through the stimulation of the lymphatic system. Students have reported that if used directly on the skin (rather than through clothing) it has helped them to reduce and prevent cellulite.

Learn Qigong Now

I provide a very simple introduction to a sitting Qigong which you can start practicing with right now. Whether you want to learn Qigong in the UK, the USA or whatever part of the world you are in, I provide three simple ways for you to learn Qigong so that you can start right now.

Qigong Book

Instant Health: The Shaolin Qigong Workout For Longevity is a step-by-step guide to increasing your health and longevity. As well as teaching The Eight Treasures Qigong, I also guide you through Qigong Breathing, Qigong Stretching, Qigong Meditation and Qigong Massage.

Qigong DVD

In The Way Of Qigong Volume 1 I teach the same form of Qigong that is taught in Instant Health: The Shaolin Qigong Workout For Longevity. In The Way Of Qigong 2 & Volume 3, I teach Yi Yin Jing (Muscle/Tendon changing classic) and Xi Sui Jing.I also goes into more detail about the Qigong massage.
Both the books and the DVDs work as stand alone products on their own. It is not necessary to purchase both but students have found that they do compliment each other.

Qigong Class

You can also do a private classes with me. I teach in London UK and Los Angeles USA. Qigong is a powerful form of self-healing which works directly with the bodies own medicine. The goal is for our body to become its own doctor. The Qigong exercises that I teach in my books and DVDs are safe and highly effective. However, there are some forms of Qigong which cannot be taught correctly or safely in a book or a DVD. These include all of the 72 styles such as Iron Shirt, Iron Leg, and also some of the more potent Healing Qigongs such as the secret Shaolin Temple Bone Marrow Qi Lifting Qigong.
Bone Marrow Qi Lifting has both a Taoist practice and a Buddhist practice. I teache the Buddhist practice which is significantly different from the Taoist practice. This can only be transmitted master to student. The female Bone Marrow Qi Lifting is taught by my female student.

Qigong Questions

Once you begin your Qigong program, you become my student and if you have any questions which aren’t answered in my books or DVDs, you can email me and someone from his team will do their best to help. If they can’t answer, your enquiry will be passed directly to me.

Frequently Asked Questions About Qigong

How many times a week should I practice?

Regular practice is necessary. Like all things, it’s best you do a little every day rather than once hour a week. The minimum is three times a week, if you can practice Qigong once a day then that is ideal. The quality of the practice is more important than the quantity. If you sign up to the newsletter you will receive monthly training tips and regular guidance from Shifu to help you stay motivated to train.

What is the difference between Tai Qi and Qigong?

Qigong is solely about internal training. It focuses on the breath with the movement. Tai Qi also includes self-defence. Tai Chi movements are flowing like water while Qigong movements use a dynamic stretch.

What is the difference between yoga and qigong?

Qigong is sometimes described as Chinese Yoga but this description is not entirely accurate. There are many yoga practioners who find that finishing of their yoga practice with Qigong helps to deepen their practice because the kind of stretching we do in Qigong is a different type to that done in yoga.
Only when sunlight is focused on a small area of glass can it start a fire. Qigong is the same. The only focus is on our Qi. This narrow focus gives Qigong a different kind of power and energy.

Is there a Qigong for women?

All of the Qigong Forms that Shifu teaches in his books and DVDs are suitable for women and men. Latest research shows that practicing Ba Duan Jin can prevent bone loss in middle-aged women.
Bone Marrow Qi Lifting is a secret Qigong from the Shaolin Temple. One of these Qigongs is specifically for women. This Qigong can only be taught privately. It is necessary to learn The Eight Treasures Qigong Form before beginning this secret Qigong practice.

How does Qigong manage stress?

Hormone levels, heart rate and blood pressure increase when a person is under stress. Researchers have found that the nervous system becomes highly active. Research has also found that Qigong reduces activity in the nervous system. The Qigong movements help to harmonize the mind and body, regulate blood pressure and reduce the level of stress hormone. Qigong helps to bring about a state of deep but alert relaxation.

Is Qigong safe to learn from a book or DVD?

There are some types of Qigong which are not safe to learn from a book or a DVD such as hard Qigongs like Iron Shirt, or some of the more potent medical Qigong's such as Qi Lifting. These Qigong Techniques can only be transmitted master to student and I only teach these on a one to one basis. The Qigong Forms that I teach in my book and DVDs are safe and effective. Once you've finished The Eight Treasures Form from Instant Health and The Way Of Qigong or any of the other Qigong Forms on my DVDs, you will feel calmer, more expansive, your face will look relaxed and more alert. As you continue, you will have more energy and your sleep will be deeper. You will feel more at peace with the world because you feel more at peace with yourself. If you listen to your body, it is wise and has its own instincts. Trust it.

Qigong Empowerment – Yin and Yang

Modern science is discovering that the mind and body are not separate from each other but interdependent, and a mind at peace with itself protects the body’s health. In order to maximize our health and longevity we need to do not only Qigong but also a form of weight bearing and cardiovascular exercise such as Kung Fu

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2010-03-29T00:05:00.000-07:00

Instant Health and Fitness is about using what we do as a pathway to wholeness and inner peace. It's about understanding that the inner health of our body is just as important as the outer health. When I was a boy at the Shaolin Temple my master taught me that when I practiced kung fu I did kung fu meditation, when I ran I did running meditation and fighting meditation and eating meditation... This act of meditation helps us to stay calm, free and anchored to the only place of power which is the now.

My name is Shifu Yan Lei, I’m from China and I came to the UK in 2000 to help my brother open an authentic Shaolin school in London. I found that the Shaolin class not only increased my student’s health and fitness levels but also their confidence and sense of happiness. This is why I started to make Qigong and Kung Fu DVDs and books. My mission is to share with as many people as possible authentic Shaolin. Though sometimes I prefer not to call what I do Shaolin or martial arts because people can have preconceptions about what this means. Qigong and Kung Fu is just exercise Chinese style! Nothing special, nothing strange.

Of course, Shaolin is also about art and beauty and demonstration but this is not what I do. I don’t do gymnastics (though I did some when I was a boy), I don’t do weapons, and I can’t stand on my head or do somersaults. I’m a 34th generation Shaolin master who specializes in using what I learnt for fitness, fighting and longevity. Through my facebook, blog, newsletters, books and DVDs, I hope to share my twenty-five years experience with you so you can bring to your life the wholeness, health and inner satisfaction that you seek.