I was teaching a workshop at the California WorldFest in Grass Valley recently, and heard an amazing mix of rap and Native American music by two talented artists (Lyla June and Desirae Harp). One song related the history of abuse and rape against women, and how women are by nature survivors. Their songs stressed that rape in no way diminishes who they are, and the inherent power of women. There was also a song asking men and all people to become aware, and do what they could to end abuse against women. The song was beautiful and powerful, and made me reflect on many of the issues they brought up. In the martial art classes I taught at Fullerton College, we would touch on the differences between martial arts as a way to health and self-understanding, and martial arts for self-defense. Since many students did not take the classes more than one or two semesters, I would touch on practical aspects for immediate application in a self-defense situation (including escape techniques, and how to diffuse a situation).
But self-defense is more than just preventing or dealing with an attack. Sometimes, no matter how well prepared, it is impossible to prevent an assault. Here “Self” defense becomes important – the defense of the self from trauma, despair, fear, depression and a host of other issues. This is where traditional martial arts as a Mindfulness Based Practice, including Tai Chi, can be the most valuable. Mindfulness Based Practices have been used for centuries to help people deal with trauma, including rape and abuse. In “Journey to the East: An Experiential Book,” I mention a Buddhist nun, who as a young girl watched her entire family and village tortured and killed by the Khmer Rouge. She wandered the jungle, lost and traumatized, until she was taken in by a group of nuns. From them she learned to separate what was done to her and her people, from who and what she was, to achieve a high level of peace. In one of our classes at Fullerton College (my wife and I co-taught many of these classes), there was a young student who had suffered abuse at the hands of a family member. She said that she had seen a dozen counsellors and psychologists over three years of therapy, but none helped her as much as what she learned in our class – about mindfulness in the moment, and transcending the past. And the empowerment which comes from traditional martial arts. The practice of Zen (Meditation/Mindfulness) is a perfect tool for learning to live powerfully in the moment, free from the trauma of the past. In Mindfulness Based Practices, the mind is focused on a single point (such as the breath, using a 10 count in sitting meditation, or on the leading hand in Tai Chi).
Thoughts, distractions, worry, depression, anxiety, flashbacks – a range of emotions and thoughts – will try to intrude. Initially destructive or random thoughts will succeed in getting through, more often than we might like. But with continued practice, intruding thoughts and emotions cease to appear, until the mind is totally at peace, empty of everything except the moment (but can still be visited by flashes of insight and inspiration).
One way to gage your progress, other than the calming of the mind, is the cessation of the perception of the passage of time. With practice, a person can engage in 30 minutes, an hour, or even more of meditative practice, with no feeling of time passing. It is a wonderful feeling, of timeless bliss. You start your meditation, come to an end at what seems like a moment later, and see by the clock, that despite feeling that you had just started, that time has passed. This timeless sense, free of fear, worry, and anxiety, can be carried back into daily life. If you begin to have a panic attack, flashbacks, or depression, by focusing on the breath (slowing it, feeling it), the mind becomes free once more. It would be nice to think that this is a totally effortless and easy state to achieve. But meditation, whether sitting or as Tai Chi, is a discipline. As such, it takes focus and dedication. But having had the experience, knowing that you can be free from destructive emotions and thoughts, gives a sense of peace in itself. And the knowledge that one has a practice, which with time, will provide the ability to return to what I would call almost a divine grace. Knowing that the key is to do it, regardless of how one feels. Do is a Japanese suffix to many martial arts – Karate-do, Aikido, Judo, etc. As disciplines, they cannot affect your life unless you do them, so it is a very appropriate suffix from the English perspective. From the Japanese perspective, Do is the Japanese format of Tao, which means the “Way.” A path to a powerful Way of living.
At its heart, it is as simple as that, being and doing in the moment, free from the past. But as with any practice, there is also so much more. I recommend David Brazier’s book “Zen Therapy,” for a more detailed approach to applying Zen to your life, particularly for dealing with trauma. For a more fun and innovative approach to the philosophies of Zen and Tao, which incorporates story, philosophy, and instruction, I will be releasing an early edition of “Journey to the East: An Experiential Book” in late August or early September.
Returning back to the powerful performance at WorldFest, one song also brought to mind that we tend to focus on the victims of rape. But rarely, if at all, on the people who commit rape. It may be time to really examine who are the people committing rape, why they do so, and are we really doing anything about this. Becoming more aware of all the issues and big picture is also a part of mindfulness. Statistics from the CDC indicate that approximately one out of five women have been raped in their lifetime (with as many as one out of three in some populations). What does that mean in regards to how many people are committing rape? We look at how women can prevent rape, but what about preventing men from becoming rapists? How many men become rapists? And why? – what can be done about this side of rape? Creating awareness at all levels is an important part of mindfulness for greater understanding, and how to achieve change at many levels, including societal. As a rape survivor, this can mean focusing on the moment, in a life well and powerfully lived. From society’s perspective, this can mean taking a close and honest look at all of the factors involved, and how this can be addressed. This may include educating men in other areas of mindfulness, including how to control impulses and anger, the consequences for themselves and women, and where and how the thought could arise that rape could ever be OK.
I was not able to find any studies on the use of mindfulness for dealing specifically with rape, but there are several on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which I will go over in my next post. Following that, I will return to the physiological benefits of Metarobic exercises such as Tai Chi, including exciting new research on the effects of mindfulness based practices on telomeres and longevity.
Below is a short clip of the performance at WorldFest (used with permission). It was taken with my phone, which had difficulty focusing, so I apologize for the poor image. I missed the beginning, but even so, it is a powerful performance and mix of traditional and contemporary music. it begins with a traditional chant and transitions into an amazing mix of the modern and ancient.
www.facebook.com/metarobics/videos/1246261092053216/
- Dr. Gryffin
July 29, 2016
References:
Gryffin, PA. Journey to the East: An Experiential Book. Createspace, 2016 (A pre-release copy, available end of August/Early September).
Brazier, D. Zen Therapy: Transcending the Sorrows of the Human Mind. Wiley Publishing, 1997.
But self-defense is more than just preventing or dealing with an attack. Sometimes, no matter how well prepared, it is impossible to prevent an assault. Here “Self” defense becomes important – the defense of the self from trauma, despair, fear, depression and a host of other issues. This is where traditional martial arts as a Mindfulness Based Practice, including Tai Chi, can be the most valuable. Mindfulness Based Practices have been used for centuries to help people deal with trauma, including rape and abuse. In “Journey to the East: An Experiential Book,” I mention a Buddhist nun, who as a young girl watched her entire family and village tortured and killed by the Khmer Rouge. She wandered the jungle, lost and traumatized, until she was taken in by a group of nuns. From them she learned to separate what was done to her and her people, from who and what she was, to achieve a high level of peace. In one of our classes at Fullerton College (my wife and I co-taught many of these classes), there was a young student who had suffered abuse at the hands of a family member. She said that she had seen a dozen counsellors and psychologists over three years of therapy, but none helped her as much as what she learned in our class – about mindfulness in the moment, and transcending the past. And the empowerment which comes from traditional martial arts. The practice of Zen (Meditation/Mindfulness) is a perfect tool for learning to live powerfully in the moment, free from the trauma of the past. In Mindfulness Based Practices, the mind is focused on a single point (such as the breath, using a 10 count in sitting meditation, or on the leading hand in Tai Chi).
Thoughts, distractions, worry, depression, anxiety, flashbacks – a range of emotions and thoughts – will try to intrude. Initially destructive or random thoughts will succeed in getting through, more often than we might like. But with continued practice, intruding thoughts and emotions cease to appear, until the mind is totally at peace, empty of everything except the moment (but can still be visited by flashes of insight and inspiration).
One way to gage your progress, other than the calming of the mind, is the cessation of the perception of the passage of time. With practice, a person can engage in 30 minutes, an hour, or even more of meditative practice, with no feeling of time passing. It is a wonderful feeling, of timeless bliss. You start your meditation, come to an end at what seems like a moment later, and see by the clock, that despite feeling that you had just started, that time has passed. This timeless sense, free of fear, worry, and anxiety, can be carried back into daily life. If you begin to have a panic attack, flashbacks, or depression, by focusing on the breath (slowing it, feeling it), the mind becomes free once more. It would be nice to think that this is a totally effortless and easy state to achieve. But meditation, whether sitting or as Tai Chi, is a discipline. As such, it takes focus and dedication. But having had the experience, knowing that you can be free from destructive emotions and thoughts, gives a sense of peace in itself. And the knowledge that one has a practice, which with time, will provide the ability to return to what I would call almost a divine grace. Knowing that the key is to do it, regardless of how one feels. Do is a Japanese suffix to many martial arts – Karate-do, Aikido, Judo, etc. As disciplines, they cannot affect your life unless you do them, so it is a very appropriate suffix from the English perspective. From the Japanese perspective, Do is the Japanese format of Tao, which means the “Way.” A path to a powerful Way of living.
At its heart, it is as simple as that, being and doing in the moment, free from the past. But as with any practice, there is also so much more. I recommend David Brazier’s book “Zen Therapy,” for a more detailed approach to applying Zen to your life, particularly for dealing with trauma. For a more fun and innovative approach to the philosophies of Zen and Tao, which incorporates story, philosophy, and instruction, I will be releasing an early edition of “Journey to the East: An Experiential Book” in late August or early September.
Returning back to the powerful performance at WorldFest, one song also brought to mind that we tend to focus on the victims of rape. But rarely, if at all, on the people who commit rape. It may be time to really examine who are the people committing rape, why they do so, and are we really doing anything about this. Becoming more aware of all the issues and big picture is also a part of mindfulness. Statistics from the CDC indicate that approximately one out of five women have been raped in their lifetime (with as many as one out of three in some populations). What does that mean in regards to how many people are committing rape? We look at how women can prevent rape, but what about preventing men from becoming rapists? How many men become rapists? And why? – what can be done about this side of rape? Creating awareness at all levels is an important part of mindfulness for greater understanding, and how to achieve change at many levels, including societal. As a rape survivor, this can mean focusing on the moment, in a life well and powerfully lived. From society’s perspective, this can mean taking a close and honest look at all of the factors involved, and how this can be addressed. This may include educating men in other areas of mindfulness, including how to control impulses and anger, the consequences for themselves and women, and where and how the thought could arise that rape could ever be OK.
I was not able to find any studies on the use of mindfulness for dealing specifically with rape, but there are several on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which I will go over in my next post. Following that, I will return to the physiological benefits of Metarobic exercises such as Tai Chi, including exciting new research on the effects of mindfulness based practices on telomeres and longevity.
Below is a short clip of the performance at WorldFest (used with permission). It was taken with my phone, which had difficulty focusing, so I apologize for the poor image. I missed the beginning, but even so, it is a powerful performance and mix of traditional and contemporary music. it begins with a traditional chant and transitions into an amazing mix of the modern and ancient.
www.facebook.com/metarobics/videos/1246261092053216/
- Dr. Gryffin
July 29, 2016
References:
Gryffin, PA. Journey to the East: An Experiential Book. Createspace, 2016 (A pre-release copy, available end of August/Early September).
Brazier, D. Zen Therapy: Transcending the Sorrows of the Human Mind. Wiley Publishing, 1997.
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