At the Shaolin Temple, our masters told us that it took 40 days for our mind and body to experience lasting change. Buddha sat for 40 days under the Bodhi tree before he gained enlightenment. Jesus and Mohammed fasted for 40 days before returning to the world to share their teachings.
Whether you're just starting out or have been working with my teachings for many years and want to reinvigorate your practice and transform your mind and body into a Shaolin Warrior, the 40-day challenge is for you.
It’s 40 days of putting a stronger emphasis on your practice, of training more than you usually would— which may mean getting out of bed an hour earlier -, training six days a week, and doing some additional mind training throughout the day. After 40 days, you will see a significant change in your mind and body.
These are my 7 Guidelines to your 40-day challenge
- Attitude Of Mind. Train where you are with what you have. All you need is faith you can do it and your bamboo or metal brush. Just follow my online program. You can follow it in a small flat, outside in the park or on top of a mountain.
- Surrender to the teachings. I know that your education is different from mine, but coming from a Zen Temple, we emphasise practice. If I asked my Master too many questions, he would beat me! The more answers I give, the more I detract from your experience. Everything you seek is in the teaching if you can only surrender to it.
- Practice AM & PM. In the midst of your busy life, it’s difficult to train twice a day, but for the next 40 days, this is what you must do in order to progress. Even if you only have 10 minutes in the morning, do a little Qigong and stretching and this will help your day flow better while reminding you that you are training to be a Shaolin Warrior.
- Be A Shaolin Warrior In Your Life. Breath is the link between the mind and the body. It’s the key to a powerful martial arts practice. A Shaolin Warrior is grounded and focused. If you have a digital watch, you can set a few alarms or get it to beep on the hour to remind you to stop and breathe.
- Eat Right. Check out my blog post about food. For these 40 days put an emphasis on eating well. Make sure you eat a big breakfast every day, don’t drink any sugar drinks or eat processed food. Cook your own food.
- Train Intelligently. The beauty of Shaolin is in its many exercises. What do I practice every week? The five basic kicks, the five stances, some traditional kicks and punches, bag work, pad work, exercises from, followed by Qigong. Once you know the exercises, mix them up so your body never gets used to any workout. This means your body will never get lazy, and you will always be working to your optimal.
- Schedule Your Challenge. Write in your diary the day you will start. Throughout the 40 days, note the changes you experience and what happens to your fitness levels. How many press-ups and squats can you do now? How many can you do after 40 days? How flexible are you now? How flexible will you be after 40 days? How about your focus and your peace of mind? Shaolin is as much about the mind as it is about the body.
Click here to start the 40 Day Shaolin Challenge!