The Warrior's Journey
The onset of a neurological condition is always an unwanted intrusion into a person’s life, which can make one powerless, either immediately or slowly over time. A stroke for example, literally means to be struck down or attacked. So this is a martial language.
The training of a martial artist is an ancient story or archetype – we have always had warriors in our society, people who have dedicated their lives to the development of both mind and body beyond the norm to support personal and social justice. In many cultures, warriors have also always been skilled people of learning and healing.
For internal martial arts such as Tai Chi, or the advanced levels of many more styles, the warrior’s journey is primarily a psychological one. It is one thing to learn basic blocks, strikes and kicks; it is another to achieve wisdom, balance and calmness in oneself to avoid the need to engage another person in violence. The internal martial artist would view self-defence as ‘defence against the self’: finding an internal emotional balance, relaxing the mind and body (internal martial arts only work with relaxed muscles and coordinated whole-body movements) and perhaps using the practice to experience oneself as part of something bigger.
So the warrior’s journey is relevant and perhaps a useful resource for life with a neurological condition. The survivor seeks to optimise both their physical and mental abilities, while finding a new point of balance in response to the disruption that a neurological condition inflicts on all levels of a person’s experience. Initial steps to put oneself back together again and physiotherapy in neuro-rehabilitation can resemble a Rocky training montage in the early phase, while the longer process of finding and maintaining internal balance can resemble the path of an Eastern sage or spiritual master.
The hardships and challenges that many people with neurological conditions have to manage are unknown to most people who have good health, and so can be compared to the trials undertaken by a mythical a warrior. Tai Chi, framed in this way, can be a meaningful part of neuro-rehabilitation and the management of a neurological condition beyond the standard provision of rehabilitation services.
Listen to me discuss this on this podcast: https://lnkd.in/euwPwJya
The training of a martial artist is an ancient story or archetype – we have always had warriors in our society, people who have dedicated their lives to the development of both mind and body beyond the norm to support personal and social justice. In many cultures, warriors have also always been skilled people of learning and healing.
For internal martial arts such as Tai Chi, or the advanced levels of many more styles, the warrior’s journey is primarily a psychological one. It is one thing to learn basic blocks, strikes and kicks; it is another to achieve wisdom, balance and calmness in oneself to avoid the need to engage another person in violence. The internal martial artist would view self-defence as ‘defence against the self’: finding an internal emotional balance, relaxing the mind and body (internal martial arts only work with relaxed muscles and coordinated whole-body movements) and perhaps using the practice to experience oneself as part of something bigger.
So the warrior’s journey is relevant and perhaps a useful resource for life with a neurological condition. The survivor seeks to optimise both their physical and mental abilities, while finding a new point of balance in response to the disruption that a neurological condition inflicts on all levels of a person’s experience. Initial steps to put oneself back together again and physiotherapy in neuro-rehabilitation can resemble a Rocky training montage in the early phase, while the longer process of finding and maintaining internal balance can resemble the path of an Eastern sage or spiritual master.
The hardships and challenges that many people with neurological conditions have to manage are unknown to most people who have good health, and so can be compared to the trials undertaken by a mythical a warrior. Tai Chi, framed in this way, can be a meaningful part of neuro-rehabilitation and the management of a neurological condition beyond the standard provision of rehabilitation services.
Listen to me discuss this on this podcast: https://lnkd.in/euwPwJya
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