“The path to enlightenment and wisdom is seldom trod upon because if it was all a matter of following your bliss and doing what made you happy then everyone in the world would be a paragon of wisdom. But it’s not that at all. It’s a matter of facing what you least want to face.”
In the video below, Dr. Jordan B. Peterson discusses the Jungian concept of confronting the shadow — facing the scary facts about ourselves — and relates it to the martial arts.
FYI, Dr. Peterson is a popular but controversial clinical psychologist whose programs and treatments have helped thousands of people. But his opposition to certain modern ideas, like alternative personal pronouns and trigger warnings, is attracting a fair amount of vitriol.
The most compelling part of his argument against trigger warnings relates to the martial arts, which is that the way to treat a person with a phobia, PTSD or some other mental condition is through exposure therapy, not through avoidance. How Jungian, eh?
And now for the workout of the week.
Cabal Fang Workout of the Week #41
- Striking and Evasion Endurance Heavy Bag Drill. Set a timer for 2 rounds of 5:00/1:00. Lace up. Start the timer and throw combos. Every combo must be followed by a bob, slip, weave or pop. Count the number of times you aren’t happy with the quality of your evasion. Do better on your second round or complete 1 Bodybuilder per unsatisfactory maneuver.
- Meditation on the Luminaries. Find an image of the Luminaries — the sun and moon in one disc — or draw a simple version yourself (see below). Set it up so that it’s at eye level when you’re in your chosen meditative posture. Regulate your breathing and stare at the image. Allow yourself to fully experience the symbolism of the Luminaries. What does it say to you?
[Note: If you struggle with this, and you receive no insights, comment below and I’ll try to give you a nudge in the right direction without spoiling your realization.]
Robert Mitchell Jr. 