As Buddha said, life is suffering. This does not mean that suffering cannot be avoided or overcome, but rather that to suffer is our default experience of life. It comes very naturally for us. We must work to overcome it, and this is one of the opportunities our practice of martial arts and meditation gives us. In order to overcome it, we must first understand the nature of suffering. Essentially, suffering

Simone Biles and her mental strength made news with her recent withdrawal from competition at the Olympics. Many were disappointed, not only because as fans they wouldn’t get to see her perform but also because of what it meant for team USA’s gold medal prospects. Many others lauded her decision to heed her mental health and step back, refusing to force herself to compete in what seemed to be a

A kiai used in martial arts is a loud vocal expression. This week’s question is, “Do kiais embarrass or liberate you?” Kiai is a Japanese term that means “spirit yell” and is comprised of the symbols for ki which means spirit or life force energy (similar to chi in Chinese) and ai which means to harmonize. A kiai is an explosive shout meant to energize a strike and startle an attacker. Your

This week’s internal challenge is to recognize when you wish something were going faster, then pause and be patient. Patience is something we all struggle with from time to time. This simple exercise will help us keep it at the front of our minds and cultivate patience. Traffic as a teacher Years ago I recognized I was often driving impatiently. I would drive at least a little faster than all the cars