Page 54 - Issue 3

MARSHALL’S

MEDITATIONS

FOCUSED ON
BREATHING

Focusing on your breath 20 minutes a day will help
you learn techniques, avoid unnecessary injuries and aid in
creating your own jiu-jitsu style.

Before we begin, let’s get one thing straight: meditation
is a vague word. It is more a category of activities, like
exercise, so saying it will improve your jiu-jitsu is as basic as
saying exercise will improve your jiu-jitsu. That is obvious.

There are many different kinds of meditation. Some are
very complicated; some require you to listen to a dude in a
robe, and some cost money before they tell you their secret.
I am not talking about these styles. I am talking about sitting
down and focusing on your breath for 10 – 20 minutes (10
to start, work your way up to 20) every day. Optimally, you
would do this in the morning before work, cell phones or
human interaction (but after bathroom and water, maybe
stretching).

“So...what do I do? Just sit there and clear my mind? I
can’t do that!”

Yeah, nobody can. That is part of being human. You know
those images of monks meditating looking calm and serene,
like nothing is going on in their minds? Stuff is definitely
going on in their minds. They have just practiced enough
to where the mental activities are not dominating their
moment. They are “in the moment,” which just means not
being distracted by thoughts while in a situation. You can do
that to.

Written By:
MARSHALL STAMPER

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