Tag: burnout

Fight Chaos, live in Harmony.

Posted on by joeharman8 | 12 min read | 49 views

Those who attempt to delve into the chaos of violence without having developed a defence against it, run the risk of being totally overwhelmed. If you identify with the aggressor, or the hostility of others, then it may be more than one can bear. This point is rarely talked about, but nothing is more important. Identify with a great goal instead of conditioning yourself to disorder and chaos. If you do this, you need not talk about your accomplishments. Even if you are a champion of this or that, there is always the danger that others will be drawn to you simply to take your scalp, symbolically speaking. Either that or they will think you an arrogant egomaniac.

Another reason for not displaying your achievements for all and sundry is that people will simply expect you to solve all their problems, and teach them to become strong. whilst an instructor is necessary, what will become of you in the midst of such dependency? You will feel less and less inspired. “That’s life” they say. Unfortunately, far too many champions end up losing all their time and energy to those around them who sap them of their inspiration and energy for all sorts of mundane reasons. Better to tread the path of silence so that your progress remains better protected. Contrary to what people think, it doesn’t always take a great and powerful individual to bring down a giant. This is a form of self defence, and who’s to say it’s any less demanding then the usual kind.

A lot of champions, supposing they can take on the world, reckon themselves able to take on anything life throws at them as they crush those in their path. They begin to identify with chaos and disorder. And when they fall, they suppose it was down to bad luck. No, it was often because they had absorbed themselves in endless outer struggles without developing the polar opposite: Harmony and balance within. Because the greater your achievements within the chaotic arena of competition, the greater the demand for harmony.

I have personally known some champions who, however great they were, only remained this way for a time, eventually succumbing to disillusionment and burnout. After that it was as if they never amounted to anything beyond ordinary achievement. They reign for a certain time, and then pass on the mantle of their legacy to someone else, a prodigy. Either that or someone bigger, younger and stronger simply usurps them having waited in the wings. You must take great care to not let this happen to you, and if it does to remedy the situation. But that’s just how it is in relentless competition with others, unless of course you move beyond the pathological idea of dominating others and seek instead to master yourself. This is the true goal of martial arts. Instead over the years, too many fighters let their instinctive urges grow out of all proportion which later becomes self destructive.

The man in the street does not understand why so many champions come to a bad end. They suppose that a champion is immortal an immune to the turbulence of everyday life. Equally, they assume that the martial arts master who spends his days dreaming in the mountains is delusional. Whilst many teachers may simply hide from reality, afraid to relate to ordinary people, some of them are very much grounded and wise. But a true master does not hide from those around him, who may even be antagonistic towards him. What is the point in developing certain needed talents if nobody is around to be inspired by them? Whilst others may not be receptive to their teachings, Masters are able to walk among even criminals and depraved men. Because he sees them as an example of why he is needed1.

Many champions hope to simply last long enough to live a lazy life of luxury. This is normal, but far from inspiring. Rather than crushing opposition and escaping to a mansion with all the riches he has acquired, a true champion or master can live amongst all kinds of people without disturbing his inner balance. He is thereby capable of giving good advice and transforming those in need, particularly if he becomes an instructor, rather than being afraid of being soiled by their influence. Hiding away from the public is no different from a hermit like existence. Instead he should come out and face the world with his radiant presence, and then retreat to solitude to recharge his batteries.

If you want to face the violence of others without being absorbed into their chaos, then I strongly suggest cultivating harmonious imagery in your mind. This acts as a counterweight to the polar opposite which is chaos. Not aimless dreaming about winning some match, or having an easy slovenly life, but imagery and sensations inspired by a high ideal, such as perfection. For example, you can imagine yourself climbing to a mountain summit, and bathing in a lake with the sun reflecting off the calm waters.

But developing harmonious imagery is just the first step. Once you have arrived at a state of inner peace, you are free to simply feel the sensations of peace and tranquillity wash over your being, in a way the minds eye is not capable of doing. If you lose this sensation simply start by contemplating a lovely tranquil scene again. Whilst you can do this for at least a few minutes during the day when stressed, why not extended this exercise to hours if you can? Thoughts that are meaningless and do not inspire positive sensations will either not make much of an impression or simply increase anxiety. Think only the most inspiring thoughts of harmony.

So I do not recommend thinking of all the plotting and scheming of those potential rivals around you, and all the betrayal that might lie ahead. In as much as this is likely to happen if you achieve something important, it is through meditating on positive inspiring things that the energy to face problems is generated and renewed. Once you have perceived these ideas as symbols in the mind, you can move on to simply feeling these things. Or if you like seeing them in the spiritual sense, feeling the presence of something beautiful and harmonious. This is a form of meditating on a high ideal with which you can unite yourself. This is the higher self at work, and from there you can take the perspective of an observer and identify with this nature which is above and beyond physical form.

Many people scoff at the idea of contemplating harmony, claiming that it’s for weaklings who can’t face reality. When actually, it is based on a a cause and effect understanding of how to maximise energy to take on demanding work. In other words, if we perceive inspiring thoughts that are physical eyes don’t have access to we imprint the harmonious effects onto our organism. This is so that it is more receptive to energy development and therefore work, rather than being bogged down by mundane concerns. This of course requires will power, a tireless perseverance, which although consciousness is energy demanding, it increases our capacity for energy generation2. And in any case the thought of powerlessness and dependence on material circumstances is far more draining, believe me! It is this process that will empower us to face problems.

I repeat, to maximise your potential it is important to think of harmonious conceptions, and sensations. In this way you turn your relaxation time into work. Many people fail to relax properly because, having so much to do, they are always on the go. Whereas if you can work towards your ideal even whilst relaxing and regenerating you will not feel like you are falling back each time you recuperate and rest3.

Humans have a need to outdo themselves and continue their development ceaselessly. It is not this idea that should be changed but the way we go about it. I advise trying to become aware of your everyday behaviours and how they enhance or deplete your reserves. Living an honest, upright, and noble life will make you more open to positive thinking and inspiring thoughts. In order to protect your development work hard and commit to whatever enhances your progress. I have nothing against people winning belts, certificates, or whatever else, but my goal, my ideal if you like, is to instruct others to see success in the highest sense of the word.

Just as it is possible to be badly effected by say, a bad nights sleep and the dreams you might have had, it is also possible to effect yourself by means of your waking thoughts. This is what I advise doing: making your waking dreams a lived reality. Think of yourself as a person in the future who has already moved beyond the problem in hand. As this is a necessary precondition of making a problem a thing the past. So don’t go round fighting the outward appearance of some evil by supposing that is your only option. This is a sure way of becoming entrenched in a problem and enslaving yourself to outward appearance. Instead relate yourself to a future successful being, and feel what it feels. In this way you make the present the future.

When something bad happens, ask yourself “am I going to let this moment define me, or should I identify with the person of the future, or a symbol of that?” Then tell yourself “The person of the future has grown and developed from trials and tribulations, and by imagining myself as that person today I have contributed to my development in the future”. Because the present moment is an inseparable aspect of the future, starting now. Equally, by extending present misfortunes into the future, you create that future misery. That is the point of detachment, not to ignore what’s going on but to view it from the perspective of someone who has already overcome the present, transcended it even. It is detachment only from the physical present constraints, not a void of all being. This is why the Hindu Spiritualists refer to the present reality as an illusion, or Mayer.

Reality is not really an illusion, but what appears before our eyes often is. Don’t think, feel” as Bruce Lee once said. After all, the real reality is what we feel. Just try telling a genuine master that he’s already surpassed everyone else and there is no more work to do. In fact, many champions do just this and lose all drive to develop themselves. By resting on their laurels and taking external conditions as reality, they fell for an illusion. Whereas, with a genuine Master his convictions to ceaselessly enhance his capabilities are not an illusion, even if right now he has not realised this goal, materially speaking. Yes, the goal for improvement should be so lofty that it can’t ever be reached, because this is what drives the man. You kill the drive and what he lives and stands for and you kill the man. How can you convince someone who experiences the strong conviction to master himself that this is an illusion? His present conditions might be terrible, but he can never doubt his convictions, for he lives them.

Instead, so many people chose to see something and feel nothing. Let us take a straightforward example. Many martial artists look at themselves training and read instructions about how to punch properly. But what is the point in all that if you don’t get a body ‘feel’ of what you’re doing? Instead they feel all sorts of rage and over excitement and hope that the technique will be powered by this.

Whilst this cocktail of emotions will supercharge an attack, I don’t advise training like this for long. First of all it will disrupt your mental balance, and secondly the instinct to destroy whats in front of you is highly primitive and can only be cultivated at the expense of being dragged down. Whilst you may destroy the opponet, you will likely sap yourself rather than nourish your energy.

Instead instincts such as aggression should be put to work to fuel high intensity work. This high intensity work should be aimed at perfecting yourself and your craft, so that you become a symbol of perfection, rather than becoming a killing machine. This is to ensure that you keep your inspiration and give meaning to your life. Also, instead of looking at the superficial aspects of a technique, get a sense of what it feels like to perform the work and relate to that feeling rather than the form. By getting an inner feel for a move at high intensity, this will make a greater impression than routine exercises devoid of low intensity. Intensity is key, if even for a moment4. Quality over quantity.

It is time people understood what the point of martial arts is. Far too many think that it is a school for developing physical strength, perfect form, and to satisfy their instinct to dominate others. But as far as I’m concerned, this isn’t what it’s about at all. Yes we have to overcome obstacles, and even fight for our existence. You need not have any special powers, certificates, or title belts to commit yourself to this work. All you need is the conviction to strive to improve yourself, no matter the material results. This is the path to greater self mastery.

References

1 Self defence without Violence https://harmanater.com/2020/06/14/self-defence-without-violence/

2 Will power https://harmanater.com/2020/05/10/will-power/

3 Active Relaxation https://harmanater.com/2020/04/27/active-relaxation/

4 High Intensity Work and Balance https://harmanater.com/2020/07/05/high-intensity-work-and-balance/

High Intensity Work and Balance

Posted on by joeharman8 | 9 min read | 26 views

One of the reasons for training is to develop strength and power through high intensity work. However it is often the case that those engaged in high intensity work completely over do it. High intensity work, by which I mean 100% effort, is actually a kind of stress on the body. But it does you good if it is performed in short bursts over a small time period. For example, a one hundred metre sprint takes an athlete just over, say ten seconds. However they would not do this over and over again or for much longer than ten seconds. And for good reason – it is hugely taxing on the body.

Now the most important aspect of fitness is health, or harmony within the body. In other words your strength, endurance, energy levels, and all other aspects of health should all be in accord. This is all achieved by living sensibly and actively. High intensity work improves your capacity to do this. Unfortunately, many people are completely out of tune with health, and have instead bolstered some aspects of fitness at the expense of overall health. This lack of balance eventually leads to wear and tear and a decline in capabilities. And therefore health. It is therefore wise to take care of all this before injury occurs and health declines.

What I do is, whenever I train I try to reach my highest intensity of work by doing no more than a few minutes on the heavy bag. I go for intensity over duration, and in short bursts. For example, I might do a minute or so and then rest, and then go for it again. Of course I warm up a bit and practice a few concepts and skills before getting to work. I then do all sorts of things like walking, everyday activities like gardening, and breathing exercises, sport, etc., to fill the day. Once again, high intensity work, or a short duration, improves my capacity to do everything else. You might say “Only a minute? That’s nothing, professionals do twelve 3 minute rounds!”.

Yes, I admit I’m nowhere near the fitness levels of some athletes, and I tell myself the same thing daily, as I am just as concerned as anyone of still not attaining my goals This forces me to work twice, or three times as hard within a small time frame, because I have other things to do. To do huge quantities of low level work is easy, to condense this down is another matter. All those people who want to be champions of this or that are obliged to push themselves towards performing huge amounts of intense work that can’t be maintained. They may get away with it for a while, but not for long. Of course they limit themselves and stagnate eventually, by getting worn out. And yet these are the people who everyone looks to for advice!

Many people talk of having survived life threatening situations, but I wonder how many of them have any idea of how to train for the urgency required. Having been in these situations myself, I can tell you that the experience is so intense and only lasts a few seconds before things get life threatening and you are killed. So I train to condense everything down to this time frame. Yes, you must condense it all down to a smaller time frame to increase the demand for quick decisive action. However nobody does this, or thinks its beneficial. Instead they go about doing whatever every other Tom, Dick, or Harry are doing.

It is situations of extreme urgency which give you the intense desire to change and improve the mundane training practices adopted by the many. Perhaps quite a few experience this, perhaps without analysing it much, but they often abandon their new found motivation after a day or two.

If you cannot devote as much time to training as a professional athlete, or you think you’re not any good, you must try to achieve the same intensity of work. And then you will be able to achieve the same output as someone else who has more time to devote to one thing at the expense of everything else. Yes, you might not have the same capacity for repetitive work in one narrow discipline, but you will be able to work at the same intensity. Intensity is what counts. This is important because you will gain the same benefits of strength, and power.

The health benefits that come from high intensity work are numerous. Increased defence against disease, more vitality, higher energy levels, etc., but don’t over do it, because it will wear you down. It’s not enough to “leave it all in the gym” and then flop in front of the sofa. No, that just means you have stripped yourself of energy and probably lowered your immune systems defences. Instead go for quality over quantity. That way the high intensity work will increase the body’s demand for energy, which sets the ground for increased health. There will therefore be an increased supply of beneficial forces acting on the body’s capabilities, preparing it for greater work. It’s an inescapable cause and effect process.

As soon as you go beyond your limits in an attempt to go do what you’re not capable of doing, things fall apart. You pay the price, in injury or burnout. What else can be expected? Many people try to “push through” when they “hit a wall”, and at this point they’re not even interested really. Sapped of energy they lose motivation, which carries on to the next session, and the one after that. They then come to associate hard work with depletion of reserves and boredom. In that case walk away and come back to it another time revitalised. The only reason Martial arts becomes boring is because people lose motivation in this way. They practice for hours on end when they should have looked after their health and developed themselves before even attempting high intensity work. Instead they jump straight in!

And things often go from bad to worse. Training is increasingly moving away from a more balanced approach, and people are become more driven to overdo everything, whilst achieving nothing. Wherever you look people are mimicking some guru who insists they go beyond their limits. What usually happens of course is that people work at a very low intensity, because they have run out of energy. And then no amount of work can replace the energy which is not given time to replenish. They are forced to work at a slovenly pace because they haven’t put in the real work of maintaining health and balance. They are then congratulated for at least giving it a good go.

Don’t bother focusing on some magic exercise programme to do the work for you. There is no secret technique or wise sage to do this work for you. Focus on intensity, and then in one stroke you will have achieved health benefits as well as power and fitness. Sure you won’t be as big as some people in the gym, who, in any case are usually fatter than they are muscular, but you will be on the right track. And don’t bother learning loads of combinations in the hope that you can then perform them quickly with no effort. It can’t be done, and takes much too long, a whole lifetime would not be enough time to learn everything bit bit bit. You would have to pick one discipline, learn all the moves, and the other indispensable techniques would be neglected.

This is what I do: I don’t bother increasing my fitness by doing boxing combinations, and then Muay Thai drills, etc., it would be a waste of time. I’m interested only in intensity. I perform the basic skills, and sometimes I go over them more slowly and deliberately, but if my only goal is to work at one hundred percent effort, this forces me to put together any number of combinations within a very small time frame seamlessly. It happens naturally if the desire is there. This forces me to pick out the most important skills because every second counts. Just try being fast and powerful if you are exhausted and fatigued, you won’t succeed. And for no other reason than because you tried to push beyond your limits for too long.

I would leave all skills practice more or less alone. Don’t bother with the drills anymore, at least when doing high intensity work. “How can you give such bad advice”. Whilst no martial arts expert would advise this, I am a generalist, and therefore we aren’t singing from the same hymn sheet. Take a few moves here and there by all means, but son’t suppose you will perform them well without intent to work at one hundred percent effort. I cannot stress this enough, you must be intent on supply maximum effort. The technique will then take care of itself. Obviously there are people who don’t do this and still do well, but they could do better.

People often say to me “I used to do boxing”, or “I used to be good at such and such a martial art, but today I’m injured and don’t have the time”. The reason is that you devoted too much time to the wrong thing. I remember reading that Steve Morris, who is in a league of his own when it comes to martial arts, said that he thinks “intensity intensity intensity”. And that he trains for a few minutes at a time at maximum intensity. There you have it. Instead people get addicted to drudge work, which eventually erodes away their abilities, because it’s not intelligent work.

Instead you should accept that intensity boosts your bodies defences and increases its durability. This is self defence against the greater enemies of overwork, burnout and stagnation. So what I recommend is to do all the exercises you want but focus on intensity within a short time frame. High intensity effort and work is the force that will boost all your capabilities to do all the other exercises. It is as if your body collective system says “We need to up our game!”. And then the adaptation to greater challenge takes places as time goes on. That is provided it is given proper rest afterwards and isn’t pushed beyond its capabilities too far or for too long.

Methods for Sleep

Posted on Last updated on by joeharman8 | 7 min read | 29 views

Most people know about the importance of sleep yet many of us fail to get enough of it, or more importantly enough quality sleep. Everybody says we should be getting our eight hours of sleep, but we know that already and don’t need to be told this over and over again. Precisely how to get all this sleep often remains a mystery. So all the advice about “getting to bed on time” and “sleeping for at least 7.5 hours” is worse than useless because in the absence of any sound methods it just create needless anxiety. No wonder people often look at their phones all night, sleep with the T.V. on, or drink themselves into a coma. They think effective sleep is impossible!

To be honest, modern ways of living are often not at all conducive to good sleep. Late nights, irregular shift patterns, alcohol, excessive warmth, etc., can all be counterproductive. For example, being too hot in bed can cause you to sweat in the night. This can accelerate all the unconscious processes which should be relaxed. Because it is this subconscious part of us that is active during sleep, whereas the conscious is active during the day. So to limit it’s influence over us, it is often better to be slightly cool, so that metabolism and body temperature fall. This will slow everything down, including the mind. The last thing you want are thoughts and worries rushing around wildly. This is all common sense really.

To begin with, it is important to go to sleep with positive thoughts on your mind. If you haven’t got anything positive to think about from the days events, think about the things you would like to improve and then how that might be done. This will prepare you for the following day and set you on the right course. Because every day is a new day, and in a sense we are born anew each day. Ideally, you should think about the goal you want to achieve before going to sleep, the more positive and ideal the better.

Positive thinking does not need to be at all in relation to your immediate physical reality. In fact, our everyday surrounding are often uninspiring and dull so we shouldn’t limit ourselves to this. Get creative. It can be helpful to think about the beauty of nature instead. For example, the sound of water, the chords of a harp or guitar, and vibrant flowers1. with baby lambs running through them. If this sounds at all strange coming from somebody who engages in intense martial arts training in preparation for battle, let me assure you it isn’t. If you are going to face harsh realities and develop the mindset of a soldier, it is important to also develop the polar opposite qualities to compliment this. This is an aspect of self mastery, and it’s something I’ve put to the test personally.

In the past sleep was regarded as “descending into the abyss” against dark entities, and even a prelude to death. This is why sleep was considered so important. Whether or not you believe this is another matter. But one thing is clear, that many of us experience the modern day equivalent of these dark entities through negative thoughts and ideas that paralyze us and ruin everything the following day. Some religious texts speak of spirits which sap people of their vital energy during sleep2. Whatever your way of viewing sleep it is important to realise that it is arguably the most important part of the day and should be prepared for accordingly. The consequences of not doing this are obvious. To ensure good sleep it’s important to be vigilant even throughout the day.

The importance of preparing properly for sleep cannot be understated, because it prepares us for our work, for life. This is why in the past it was considered important to arm yourself with positivity and virtue, so that this could be embedded into your subconscious mind which is active at night. Your positive thoughts would then protect you from negative influence.

If you have let your subconscious mind run free all day it will be difficult to reel it back in later. and nowadays people just drop of to sleep whenever they feel like it without any preparation whatsoever. And with all the anxiety and fear going around at the moment it is no wonder that people are experiencing such awful sleep.

Avoid any negative thoughts in the moments before bed, preferably hours before. The more you have wasted time in the day by not attempting important goals, or working hard at your development, the more difficult it will be to relax in the evening. There will be too many regrets. So it all starts in the morning.

Many people will freely admit that negative thoughts allowed to accumulate before bed can ruin hours of preparation all through the day. Instead fill yourself with positive thoughts, and lovely inspiring images. You will then wake up feeling regenerated. In this way the whole of the entire day can be seen as preparation for sleep. Personally, this is something I always keep in mind which helps me keep on track with my important work.

Every night before bed make an active effort to think positive thoughts. Set yourself up for this by listening to relaxing music, having a relaxing evening stroll, or reading some pages from an inspiring book. Prepare for sleep as you would prepare for an important exam. Importantly, think about any mistakes you have made so that you will be inspired to correct them the following day. Putting this all into action can be your immediate thought upon waking up. This shows yourself symbolically that you are ready to improve. In this way you will demonstrate to yourself that you are focused and prepared for great work. Having this frame of mind will enhance your sleep greatly so that you wake up energized and motivated, rather than enervated.

If you think sleep is just an unnecessary waste of time it can be helpful to view it differently. Because in fact, sleep prepares us and forges our mind and body into the individual we become the following day. Exercise, study, and work heat us so that we can be put into the blacksmiths mould, figuratively speaking. We then cool overnight and become a strong and stable metal. So make sure you prepare yourself for such an undertaking, so that you can be forged with all sorts of diamonds and precious metals. Looked at differently, sleep is as much an important exercise as physical exercises, and it’s where the learning and development really takes place and are crystallised.

Go to sleep with a great goal in mind so that you feel inspired to relax and calm yourself for the next day. It is this kind of thinking which sets the stage for a good nights sleep. Otherwise you will probably not see the point of sleep. Is there a weakness you are determined to overcome, something you want to achieve? Meditate on this before going to bed every night.

When I competed in Martial arts, I often used to mentally rehearse winning against an opponent. I would imagine myself as a fearless warrior who would take on opponents much better and more intimidating than myself. I did this for years. I wasn’t interested in winning against lesser opponents, I needed a face the hardest challenges. Knowing what I know now I would think about such high intensity scenarios before going to sleep, it’s better to do this kind of thing during the day.

Never go to sleep self satisfied and energised, under the impression that you are tireless and too busy for sleep, that’s my advice. whilst this is sometimes unavoidable for many, you will only burn yourself out in the long run. It is up to your how far you take this principle, but it is true none the less. whilst you want to stick to a routine, it can be more beneficial to prepare yourself properly, even if this involves staying up a bit later than usual.

References

1 See my Active relaxtion for some tips https://harmanater.com/2020/04/27/active-relaxation/

2 See Mans psychic life Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov

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