Saturday mornings are my time.
I get out of bed at 8:00 am and douse my body with water. First hot, then cold.
I brush my teeth, change into my training uniform, eat some dried fruit and nuts and I am out the door.
From there I am off to Cambridge for three hours of kung fu and tai chi.
Because of a severe performance-related repetitive stress injury I sustained in 2015, I have been dealing with chronic pain, stiffness, and alignment issues for the past few years. I studied kung fu previously to combat the pain, but life got in the way and it was harder to find the balance to rehabilitate myself appropriately as I finished earning my bachelor’s degree.
Now that I am out of school I have committed to training again. My body is getting stronger. I can operate more and more without pain. It took me a while after hurting myself to realize how the sheer monotony of having to deal with my injury on a daily basis had affected my mood. The more I regain control, the better I feel in my body and the more positive I feel in my mind.
So on Saturdays I stretch and I sweat and I kick and I balance and focus and push myself to push my body to achieve greater mobility and strength. Every session is an improvement. No time is wasted.
Studying kung fu is like studying music, like studying any art form or discipline, like tackling any learning process or project. It takes time and effort and an open mind.
The back of my workout shirt says “kung fu is every day.” Which I think is fitting.
Improvement is every day. Learning is every day.
We have to face life every day.
I am trying to use the time I have to improve and create and feel good.
I write as a reminder to myself (and anyone else reading this) that it takes conscious and consistent effort if we want to improve our lives and feel good in our bodies and brains. Remember how the good days feel (and even blog about them!) for inspiration during more difficult moments.