How to Incorporate Meditation Into Your Martial Arts Training

Meditation has always played an important role in martial arts training. For those who have never tried to incorporate meditation into their training, consider incorporating this ancient technique as you learn martial arts. Many practitioners of different styles suggest a specific way to meditate, but you can use any technique that you are comfortable with. Meditation, when used during training, is an ideal way to help attain the focused, calm mental state that is so important to mastering your fighting skills.Meditation is often used even by people who don’t practice martial arts as a way of coping with the stresses of their everyday life. When an individual practices meditation on a regular basis, they find that their concentration and awareness of self and others is greatly improved. While the goal of meditation is to relax the body and create a healthier body and soul, the practice has many applications to those who want to learn martial arts. For thousands of years, practitioners have used meditation to help prepare for battle. In fact, in many cases the practice of physical exercise is considered a form of meditation in itself. Meditation is also considered a form of training that helps the mind become as strong and quick as the body.One of the best examples of how meditation is used in martial arts training is the study of Tai Chi, which combines mental concentration, focused breathing, and slow body movements in order to improve health, reduce stress, and make the body stronger. Tai Chi is considered a meditative martial art that is used to promote health, provide for self defense, and allow those who learn martial arts to become more spiritually centered. This is one of several styles that are designed to link the body with the mind to improve focus and coordination.Just as there are a number of martial arts styles, there are also a variety of meditation techniques that can be used as you learn martial arts. You may want to spend a little time researching the specific style you practice, and finding out if there is a form of meditation that is often used alongside it. If you are ready to incorporate meditation into your training, it is something that you can easily do at home. After you have spent time training, move to a meditative phase. Focus your mind, and spend fifteen minutes practicing the individual moves or forms of your discipline at a slow pace, focusing intently on the feeling of your body and the grace inherent to the movement. Slow your breathing, and let your mind focus only on performing each movement perfectly. While it may seem counterintuitive, mastering these techniques at a very slow pace will allow you to perform them flawlessly at full speed when necessary.After you have spent a few minutes practicing your movements, find a quiet place to sit. Arrange your body comfortably, close your eyes, and regulate your breathing. Think about how your body feels, and pay attention to each breath as it enters and leaves your body. Meditation does not require you to perform any complicated maneuvers, rather, you can simply give your body permission to relax.