Meditating Through Martial Arts

Meditation has been around for centuries but over recent years has once again gained popularity. The reason being is that meditation has amazing benefits not only for mental and physical health, but also for manifesting desires and self awareness. Meditation reduces stress, helps with anxiety, improves attention span, can prevent dementia, improves sleep, reduces pain, and overall makes people healthier and happier.

Meditation is great and all, but did you know that Martial Arts training can be a form of mediation in itself? By definition, meditation is to think deeply or focus one’s mind for a period of time in silence or with the aid of chanting. It is to think deeply or carefully about something, or to clear one’s mind and look deep within oneself. 

During sparring and forms practice, students are essentially meditating. When drilling techniques or practicing forms, students have to clear their minds and focus solely on their forms. They can’t think of anything else or they become distracted, losing focus and messing up their forms. Their mind has to be completely invested in each move every step of the way. When they become good enough at doing a form, their mind can actually go blank and they can do the moves without thinking about them. By clearing their thoughts and letting their bodies do the work, they are practicing a form of meditation.

Sparring is very similar. When sparring an opponent, Martial Artists can’t be thinking about the homework they have to do or something their boss said to them at work that day. If they lose focus, they will get kicked in the head! They have to stay completely invested in fighting their opponent. When they get good enough at it, they are able to clear their minds and once again let their bodies take control. They are able to spar not because they are thinking about every move, but out of complete instinct. Both ways of sparring are forms of meditation.

If taekwondo training is also a form of mediation, then it begs the question, does it have the same benefits of meditation? The answer of course is yes! Martial Arts training, just like meditation, has many benefits including lowering anxiety, greater physical health, improves memory and focus, and overall makes people that do it happier and healthier. Rather than sitting alone in the darkness and trying to clear your mind, you can get the same benefits from coming to class and kicking people in the head. Pretty cool huh?

To learn more about our program at Mueller’s Martial Arts, click here.