Shaolin Culture
Exercising in the morning or in the evening by practising Wushu, Qigong, Taiji Quan or personal exercises has always been a way tostrengthen and preserve one’s health and fight against many diseases in China.
A cautious and intelligent practice of these disciplines may lead to creating a new person at the highest levels.
City life hinders people’s developmental process of those qualities underpinning support. On the other hand, this development can be attained in a natural environment, as is the case with pets.
Fortunately, such qualities have not disappeared, they have just been forgotten or altered by pathologies originating from our lifestyle. However, as soon as movements leading to the basic needs of our existence are accomplished, then all those qualities resurface.
People rediscover the best way to use their skeleton and their joints, their balance and body positioning, how to breath in harmony with one’s movements, become aware of their muscles, tendons and nerves; similarly, people are able to acknowledge the close relationship between their equilibrium and a good sensory perception, between a calm state of mind and physical relaxation.
Nature acts according to undulatory and spiralling movements; since we all belong to Nature, why should its laws be different for us?
Exploiting the entire potential of Wushu in its widest sense, considerable beneficial effects shall be obtained through a holistic practice, which is not affected by any inconvenience due to competitiveness, linked to the use of weights, originating from movements aimed at aesthetics or from the result of a match.
What shall be used are only the really valuable assets that have been made available to us, as they have been consolidated throughout millennia and in accordance with modern knowledge.
Nessun misticismo, superstizione, stereotipo o disinformazione deve limitarci. No mysticism, superstition, stereotype or misinformation should limit us. Rather, intelligence, information, sensitivity, our own and other people’s direct experience can foster our growth.
Thus, everything becomes clear, establishing a sense and a shape according to objective and scientific criteria. Greater awareness of one’s body structure is obtained, improving ground contact and balance; coordination is acquired, thus offsetting the two cerebral hemispheres. The body becomes lighter but stable at the same time, with a sage use of yin yang, i.e. the contrary and complementary forces governing our existence. Quality and quantity of synapses are increased, so that no body part appears to be far away.
Qigong, massaging and introspection increase blood circulation together with the “vital breath”, breathing becomes ample and refined, allowing for quietness to ensue. The cerebral cortex is stimulated and the nervous system gets stabilized, thus adjusting the endocrine system and strengthening the immune system.
Needless to say, all this enables individuals to be what they should really be, eliminating the support used by an infinite number of treacherous diseases, which standard medicine cannot treat but by administering drugs that may cause undesirable side effects.
However, living in the middle of nature may also entail hardships and early accidental death. Against this background, we should rejoice in the comfort offered by the civilization we have been building with so much effort throughout the centuries; yet, only by preserving our original characteristics will we be able to make the best of civilization.
This way, the best of two worlds is in our hands.
Finally, the most important obligation we should all possibly fulfil, for ourselves and for the people we love, concerns postponing and limiting senility to a minimum. Human beings have always sought immortality or long-lasting life, though we know that it is utopian and nothing can assure a long life. However, it has been confirmed that all this knowledge developed until now by so many people can help us live a wonderful life until the very end, while fully enjoying the pleasures of the Earth.
Wushu Festival 2004
What incredible changes are taking place in CHINA!