SOULSHINE
As I wrote in “Go to HEAVEN. Punch like HELL”:
“S%&! happens. Deal with it”.
But the most important thing is HOW we deal with it, NOT focusing on the how, the why or what S%&! has happened.
But what if it happens LARGE and you’re up to eyes in it? It’s stinking up your life, your mind and most importantly your spirit and your SOUL?
“LARGE S%&! happens too. Deal with it.”
Again HOW you cope with “it”, and WHAT you do about “it” IS what matters the most. Because this crap leads to “stinking thinking” and dark places. You need to find a way to clear your mind, shine up your soul and let your spirit take control.
HBT - Heavy Bag Therapy.
Now that is all fine and dandy – and likey not a surprise to most reading this, but often just getting to the gym is the biggest battle or all. Thus the eternal battle between the two wolves, hence this Native Cherokee tale:
An old Grandfather said to his grandson, who came to him with anger at a friend who had done him an injustice, "Let me tell you a story.
"I too, at times, have felt a great hate for those that have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do.
"But hate wears you down, and does not hurt your enemy. It is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings many times." He continued, "It is as if there are two wolves inside me. One is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him, and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way.
"But the other wolf, ah! He is full of anger. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is helpless anger,for his anger will change nothing.
"Sometimes, it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit."
The boy looked intently into his Grandfather's eyes and asked,
"Which one wins, Grandfather?"The Grandfather smiled and quietly said, "The one I feed."
So how do we make sure we are feeding the GOOD wolf? That is GettingYATC?
In “Get Your ASS to Class” I pointed out that we have two choices:
Choice 1 :
Try to fix your mindset, change your channel, think about or remember how GREAT YOU WILL FEEL after your class…
Choice 2:
Suck it up. Grab your gym bag and GET YOUR ASS TO CLASS regardless of how unmotivated or uninspired you feel. Just doing it will give you the satisfaction of honoring your 8 week commitment to YOURSELF and Phoenix Boxing. In addition you will cultivate discipline and determination.
Another way to understand this Native story is to accept we literally DO have two minds or wolves inside us.
We have a conscious mind and the subconscious mind.
Due to the technical, rhythmical, repitative and INTENSE elements of Phoenix Boxing, I believe it progressively silences and blocks out our conscious or thinking mind, (just as other meditative modalities do, i.e. yoga or sitting mediation).
This allows our body and mind to unite and become ONE and we experience that sensational feeling of the ZONE; when the movements and training seem to be FLOWING and almost effortless. When we enter this ZONE I believe it opens the gateway to a deeper spiritual part of ourselves, our subconcious mind or SOUL.
Our subconsious mind or SOUL is where our sense of peace and tranquility reside, ultimately it is our stress free or S%&! free ZONE . I commonly refer to it at as our “Happy Place”.
It is due to these technical, rhythmical, repitative and INTENSE elements of Phoenix Boxing I compare our training sessions and gym to elements of Native and Aboriginal spiritual traditions. That is, their sweat lodges and ceremonies; dances, trances, drumming and shamanic practices to access our deeper subconsious SOUL level - a "different world" or dimension.
I watch Phoenix Boxers leave the gym in somewhat of a trance state, (in their “Happy Places”) and this spiritual comparison makes sense to me. They are soaked in sweat which makes it obvious to see that they have had a great physical workout, but I also know that have tapped into that special part of themselves. They have dealt with their S%&! and can now let their SOULSHINE!
