I was sipping green tea with my student after our session last week, and he said that training with me was one of the key ways he was biohacking his body, along with taking supplements and intermittent fasting. His goal was to, "gain more energy and defy ageing."
I'd never thought about it before, but I realised that when Damo, the founder of Zen, came to the Shaolin Temple, he wanted to biohack the Shaolin Monk's body.
Damo had the similar goals as my student:
- How can monks sit in meditation for long periods of time and still have energy? (gain energy).
- How can they live for as long as possible so they can reach enlightenment? (defy ageing).
The biohack the Damo used was Qigong. Shaolin Monks and disciples then took those ancient exercises and found they gave energy and power to their Kung Fu.
Up until recently I didn't know the word biohack but my goal was:
- How can I train hard and not burn out?
I'm about to turn forty-seven, and my goal is increasingly longevity related:
- How can I stop my joints from wearing out?
- How can my body continue to regenerate itself from the inside out?
Up until my thirties, The 8 Treasures Qigong was enough for me, but as I've got older I've found that my body needs the more potent Bone Marrow Cleansing Qigong and Muscle Tendon Changing Qigong. I'm always surprised by how energised I feel after doing one of these Qigongs.
My life at the Shaolin Temple was simple and it has remained simple. My focus is on eating the right foods and using Qigong to make my body its own doctor as well as Kung Fu. One of the things I like about Qigong is that it's easy to learn and once you've learnt it, it's yours for life. It's not a supplement that you have to keep buying.
Of course, we can't prevent every illness. But it's good to take preventative messages so we can give our mind and body the best chance of living a healthy and happy life.
Click HERE to find out more about my Bone Marrow Cleansing Qigong online course.