Category Archives for BMA Talk Highlights
It’s Easy to Quit, But At What Cost?
Get a glimpse into real world of martial arts and the challenges that face anyone who strives to acquire a special skill. Learn how to get past excuses about money, time and lack of progress by delving into the deeper aspects of training the body and mind. Shifu Ahles talks about how the tools can be applied in the real world to to create a better life for ourselves and those we care about. He makes us pause to consider what we’d be giving up by quitting and speaks of the regret of letting life pass by without doing the things we really want.
Continue readingQ&A: Safety & Growth, Practice Time, Defense & Law
While some may find this talk a little controversial, none will find it boring. Shifu Ahles is asked to comment on the safety laws and the impact on our personal growth. Do all these laws impede our ability to think for ourselves? Is it ok to practice kung fu in the summer? Athletes should listen carefully as the answer provided can be applied to other types of vigorous exercise and gain an understanding how a practice like chi kung or yoga can help balance the energy out. When asked about defending yourself in a litigious society, it leads to a wonderful discussion on how we can learn to choose better responses to situations by learning to control the breath and learning to calm the mind.
Continue readingBalancing Workload with Discipline to Practice plus Q & A
Though this talk speaks about the practice of martial arts, one can look past the specific references and find that the points made in this talk can be applied to other aspects of life. Mastering one’s mind and learning to control the breath are practical skills for whether dealing with a physical or emotional battle. Shifu Ahles reminds us that discipline and mindfulness are qualities that we can strive to cultivate in ourselves for a happier and better quality existence in this talk.
Continue readingMartial Artist Case in the Media plus Q & A
This Q&A session kicks off with an interesting article about a martial artist who was jumped and ends up killing a “Good Samaritan”. There’s an important message for us all in this example so be sure to tune in. Attracting jealous attention to ourselves, how bad choices and behavior can come back to us are also addressed in this talk. Shifu Ahles explains the concept of ego and oneness. Learn a little something about Eastern Philosophy and the how we write the script for our own experiences and you may start to look at some things in a new way by the end of this talk.
Continue reading24/7 Practice & Commitment
The concept of practicing or doing anything 24 hours a day is a foreign concept to most. Yet in this talk Shifu Ahles discusses how it is possible to do just that when we truly dedicate ourselves to the task. He walks us through meditation and the frustrations the practitioner can face. Fully committing to something or even someone is a focal point in this inspiring talk that offers some practical words of wisdom, likely causing the listener to further examine where to put his or her time and energy.
Continue readingQ & A: Meditation Experience, Psychology & Mindfulness, Remaining Sharp with Repetitive Practice
This Q&A delves into what it is really like to be in a state of deep meditation and the various experiences one can have. Shifu Ahles speaks to the approach of cognitive behavioral therapy used as a mindfulness practice as well as getting past one’s fears through education and research. He touches on how BodyMind Training can help you to remain mentally sharp and how to prevent it from becoming mundane. He ends the talk with an intriguing story about kittens in a striped room that illustrates an important point about the power of environment on perception
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