Tag Archives: kung fu

Fit Is Not Healthy: A Shaolin Monk’s Guide To Exceptional Wellness

May 10, 2016Shaolin Monk Wellness, Uncategorizedgong fu, ki gong, kung fu, kung fu download, martial arts, qigong, qigong book, qigongworkout, shaolin kung fu, shaolin temple, shaolinworkoutShifu Yan Lei Team

In the age of social media, many people train for a body they perceive looks attractive to other people. When I was training at the Shaolin Temple, we didn’t even have a camera. Nothing was documented. We trained to conquer our mind and body and become the best we could in our chosen art form.

Since coming to the West, I’ve noticed that many fit people aren’t healthy. And many people whose body looks good on the outside, aren’t well on the inside. When a student first comes to train with me, I ask them to throw away the scales, the smartphone, the mirror and train for the pure motivation of inner and outer wellness. What matters most? Health or looking good?

Gym Training has its merits but it doesn’t address the whole body. One of the keys to successful training is balancing the Yin and Yang. This means training internally as well as externally. From a Shaolin Monk’s perspective, a well and healthy body is flexible, has good stamina, a strength and leanness to the muscles, and a mind and body that works in harmony.

A weight trainer’s body is muscular but tends to be stiff. A weight lifter will usually be unable to do the splits. Their range of movement will be limited and slow. A yoga student will be flexible but ask them to do the Five Fundamental Kicks and there will be no stamina or explosive power to their kick.

Why are splits important or being able to kick? Even if you can’t do the splits, it’s good to attempt them because it opens up the hips and the legs. The Five Fundamental Kicks are a dynamic stretch. Combining dynamic stretching with static stretching is the best way to increase stamina. Combining explosive movement with slower movement and anerobic training with aerobic training gives an alertness to the body. It’s highly tuned.

The Yin Training a Shaolin Monk does is Qigong. (I’ve written many articles about Qigong so I won’t go into details in this article.) A cook always sharpens their knife. Qigong is the sharpening of the knife.

A Shaolin Monk trains all the time. When we punch, we do punch meditation, when we kick, we do kick meditation, when we eat we do eating meditation. Eating mindfully has been found to help with digestion and even weight loss. Mindfulness has become very popular recently because it’s been shown to prevent anxiety and depression. There’s nothing complicated about it. We simply connect our mind, body and heart into a whole and then we feel whole. We are no longer distracted and looking for something to complete us. We are already complete.

But how can you implement a Shaolin Monk’s wellness into your life? As you continue in your week, stay connected – not to what’s happening on your smart phone – but to what’s happening in your heart, mind and body. Be aware of any distraction. This is all energy going outward. When our mind and body are stable, energy naturally returns.

If you’re not a martial artist then incorporate some kung fu movements and Qigong movements from the Kung Fu Workout For Beginners and Qigong Workout For Beginners into your workout.

If you like this article please share it and let me know how you get on in the comments below. #shaolinmonkwellness

Photos by Sasha Gusov

The Shaolin Teachings Offer A Ladder Straight To Heaven

April 21, 2016Uncategorizedde-stress, health and wellness, kung fu, qigong, shaolintempletraining, urban warrior, zen teachings, zen zoneShifu Yan Lei Team

Human beings have an inner light that cannot be seen but is manifested as the techniques of Shaolin Kung Fu and Qigong. Daily life is a battlefield where are patience and wisdom are constantly tested. For any realisation we have in our Shaolin practice to be authentic, we must be able to apply it to the outside world. True understanding is reflected in our daily life.

When our heart is full of thinking, our body feels constrained. Through our Shaolin Practice we go beyond the chatter of the mind and access our true mind which is as clear as a mountain stream, pure, fresh and unpolluted.

Our body is not easily obtained. It is the most important job of a human being to take care of our body. This is done by returning our mind and body to its true natural home through the practice of Shaolin Kung Fu and Qigong. The purpose of our practice is to harmonise our mind and body. The purpose of Shaolin Martial Arts is the harmonisation of human beings. There is nothing in the world that can not be harmonised.

If you have faith in your inner light and entrust everything to it, all be taken care of harmoniously. Can anyone sleep for you? Can anyone eat for you? Believe in your inner light.

This is my translation of some writing from a well respected Shaolin master from the last century. I find these verses inspirational and hope you do too!

Learn authentic Shaolin Kung Fu and Qigong with my books, DVDs and downloads.

You Already Are What You Want To Become

February 26, 2016Uncategorized, zen calmchan, dharmaseals, kung fu, qigong, shaolin temple, you already are what you want to become, zen buddhism. chanShifu Yan Lei Team

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Top athletes use sport’s psychologists to train their minds to perform at their best in competition. Shaolin Monks use the psychology of Zen. This doesn’t mean that if you practice Shaolin you need to be a Buddhist but Zen philosophy can help you perform at the peak of your ability while staying focused and peaceful.

Aimlessness is an important Zen teaching which helps us to stop drifting into the future of “if” and “when”, and focus on the single point of now.

Aimlessness means: You already are what you want to become. Does a tree have to do something? The purpose of a tree is to be itself, and your purpose is to be yourself.

You have everything. There is no need to put anything in front of you and run after it. So, whatever it is that you believe you want – good health, more energy or to be an exceptional martial artist – you already have.

Bringing this energy into your Qigong and Kung Fu Workout will help you enter the raw experience of Zen. For this month, check yourself and rather than constantly trying to improve yourself, train from the perspective that you already are what you want to become. Relax. There is nothing to strive for.

Shaolin Kung Fu and Qigong helps you to reach the potential in yourself that you only dreamt of before. Using the powerful energy inside your mind and body you can make yourself healthy and balanced. If you approach the Shaolin Arts with intelligence and determination, I guarantee you can bring to your life the wholeness, health and inner satisfaction that you seek.

To find out more about my on-line training click here for Kung Fu and here for Qigong.

Fighting Weight: Your 6 Step Plan To Staying At Your Optimal Weight For Peak Performance

January 26, 2016a shaolin warrior's diet, best diet for health and fitness, Uncategorizedfighting weight, gong fu, kung fu, lose weight, qigong, qigong workout, shaolin monk diet, shaolin temple, shaolin temple diet, stay healthyShifu Yan Lei Team

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One of the questions I get asked the most is about diet. I’ll go into the specifics of food in a later article, but here’s a 6 Step Plan to get you started!

1) Eat Early

I’m not suggesting you get up at 5 am like we do at the temple but make sure that you eat a good breakfast within an hour of waking. A study from the University of Texas showed that the fewer calories people ate early in the day, the more total calories they ate during the day as a whole. Try to eat at least 25% of your calories for breakfast.

2) Eat Before Exercise

Eating before you exercise with enhance your martial arts training and increase fat burning. Research has shown that the body burns more calories during exercise after a meal. If it’s a big meal then allow four hours, if it’s a small meal allow two hours, if you’re training early in the morning then make sure you eat a smoothie like the one I make in Urban Warrior. Ensure it contains nuts and seeds and more vegetables than fruit.

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3) Eat After Exercise

There is a two hour window after exercise when it’s best to eat food. During this time the body burns calories faster as the metabolism is still working faster. Eating a meal that contains protein, carbohydrate and water helps the body to recover, replenishes the martial artist’s glycogen stores and maximizes muscle to fat ratio.

4) Eat Mindfully

At the Shaolin Temple we eat in silence so we can meditate on our food. Try doing this in McDonalds and I think you will be put off your food. Eating mindfully helps us to really tune into our body therefore aiding our desire to eat healthy foods. It helps us to eat slowly which means there’s more time for us to feel full. Research has shown that mindful eating leads to eating less.

5) Eat Healthy

Not all calories are the same. Eat lean protein, fresh fruit and vegetables, healthy oils and snack on nuts. Pizza is high calories with very little nutritional benefit. Nuts are high in calories and high in nutritional benefit. Try to eat food that is as close to nature as possible and stay away from processed foods. I’m not a fan of energy drinks or protein shakes. I never heard of these things till I came to the UK. While I know some of my students like to use them I don’t believe they are necessary. Best to get all your nutrients from natural food.

6) Eat Less

If you’ve got into very bad eating habits, my advice is don’t change them. Just start training in both Kung Fu and Qigong. These martial arts change your body holistically from the inside out and you’ll be surprised to find that your body craves healthy food without you having to push yourself, you’ll also find that you naturally eat just as much as you need. Remember, if you don’t eat well then you can’t train well.

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Shaolin Monk Stamina:Your 20 Day Training Plan

January 9, 2016Uncategorized., gong fu, kung fu, kung fu download, kungfuworkout, martial arts, qigong, qigong workout, shaolin kung fu, shaolin temple, shaolinkungfu, shaolinstamina, shaolinworkoutShifu Yan Lei Team

Shaolin Martial Art’s is about training your mind as much as your body. Whatever you’re end goal is, stick to your plan, use your heart to make your training a routine, and find a way to love your training.

There are 5 rules that Shaolin Monks follow to gain exceptional stamina:

20 Days None Stop Training – Usually it’s better for the body to take 1 day off a week. But if you want to dramatically improve your skill then train for 20 days non-stop. This applies for Qigong as well as Kung Fu. This method is a fast track to Shaolin Stamina.
Kill Your Muscles – you need to ache a lot! Ache is different from pain. You need to know the difference. Pain is bad. Ache is good. If you’re not aching, you’re not progressing.
Kill Your Lung – you are training anaerobically. This word literally means “living without air”, you need to push yourself so hard that you at your limit. It’s hard to do by yourself and you need to be careful and stay safe! This is why this is not suitable for beginners. This type of training is for martial artists who already know their bodies and want to take their martial art to the next level.
Do More Than You Think You Can – Just when you get to the point where you feel you can’t do anymore, do more. When you do 20 push ups, do 21. When you get to the end of your run, sprint.
Take Small Steps – Start off by setting yourself small targets and build from there. If you haven’t ran for along time then don’t expect to be able to run 10k straight away. Run 3k. It’s the same with my DVDs, do half the DVD or work at a slower pace and do half the exercises and build from there.

A martial artist trains intelligently. While building our stamina we’re also making our punch and kick quicker and stronger. This is why in my Circuit Training DVDs, I mix punches with push ups and kicks with squats. This makes your muscle lean, powerful and have quality. This isn’t about body building. We’re training to create intelligent useful muscle. A person may be able to squat with 100kg weights but they can’t raise their knee 100 times. Always remember that martial arts is different because you’re not just training for stamina, you’re training for your martial arts.

Your 20 Day Training Program

Before you begin your training, warm up with a run either outside, on a machine or on the spot or skip for ten minutes. Increase the length of your run/ skip each week then at the beginning of the week go back to a short run and increase your run again throughout the week.

Day 1 – Bootcamp Volume 1

Day 2 Bootcamp Volume 2

Day 3 – Circuit Training 1 – first 3 sets. Followed by 15 minutes of Qigong For Upper Body

Day 4 Circuit Training 2 – first 3 sets. followed by 15 minutes of Qigong For Lower Body

Day 5 Bootcamp Volume 1

Day 6 Bootcamp Volume 2

Day 7 Circuit Training 1

Day 8 Circuit Training 2

Day 9 Circuit Training 1 – Followed by 15 minutes of Qigong For Upper Body

Day 10 Circuit Training 2 followed by 15 minutes of Qigong For Lower Body

Day 11 Bootcamp Volume 1

Day 12 Bootcamp Volume 2

Day 13 Circuit Training 1 – 30 minutes Qigong For Upper Body

Day 14 Circuit Training 2 – 30 minutes Qigong For Lower Body

Day 15 Circuit Training 1 – 30 minutes Qigong For Upper Body

Day 16 Circuit Training 2 – 30 minutes Qigong For Lower Body

Day 17 Bootcamp Volume 1

Day 18 Bootcamp Volume 2

Day 19 Circuit Training 1 + Qigong For Upper Body

Day 20 Circuit Training 2 + Qigong For Lower Body

Click here for more details on the Shaolin Fitness bundle.

Click here or more details on Qigong For Upper and Lower Body

Click here for free e-book: Instant Zen: Your 7 Day Mind & Body Workout

Please share in the comments below how you got on or on the Facebook page created for all the Shaolin Warrior brothers and sisters. Happy Training!

Create The Life You Want: 4 Easy Steps From The Shaolin Temple Of Zen

September 10, 2015chinese martial arts, createthelifeyouwant, kung fu, kungfuworkout, martial arts, qigong, reachyourpotential, shaolintemple, shaolinworkout, zenkung fu, kungfuworkout, martial arts, qigong, qigong workout, shaolin temple, shaolintempleofzen, shaolinworkout, shaolinzenShifu Yan Lei Team

I’ve just come back from teaching the Shaolin Summer Camp in China. My sisters were there to help with the cooking, my three year old daughter and my wife were there, and my students – for that time – were also part of my family.By creating a safe family environment, it took away all feeling of competition. This is really important. Especially if you want to win. The great basketball coach, John Wooden, never talked about winning. he talked about his players being the best they could be, both off and on the pitch.

Once my students were there, they had no choice. Too much choice makes us unhappy. It’s been proven by scientists. This is why Buddhist disciples and monks take precepts. Having too much choice makes the mind busy and then it doesn’t focus on the things that are important.

We started every day with a run up the mountain. Some students said they couldn’t do it but I told them they could. By the end of 4 weeks, no one questioned running up the mountain. They ran and their stamina had increased dramatically.

We trained in traditional Shaolin forms, Qigong, fighting, and stamina. No one can be good at all of these exercises but when the body is training three times a day, it’s good to vary the workouts. But the real training was the training of the mind. I hope that what everyone brought home with them was the greatest Shaolin teaching of all.

If you really want to do something you can. You can create the life you want.

It just takes 4 easy steps:

1) Give yourself the right environment – that doesn’t mean you have to move your body but move your mind so it’s in the right place.

2) Give yourself no choice – you’ve made your choice, stick to it.

3) Compete Only Against Yourself – Don’t compare yourself to others. Focus on challenging yourself.

4) Don’t think about winning – think about being the best you can be.

With this focus, whatever the outcome, you’ve already won!

Shifu Yan Lei teaches a graded Shaolin path ro kung fu and Qigong. Click here to find out more about his books, DVD and downloads.

Don’t Be Afraid To Be The Best You Can Be

April 21, 2015bootcamp training, shaolinkungfu, shaolinmartialarts, shaolinqigong, shaolinsummercampbuddhist way to increase happiness, chi gong, gong fu, kung fu, kungfubook, kungfudvd, kunguworkout, monktraining, qigong book, qigong workout, qigongdvd, shaoin templesummerschool, shaolin templetraining, shaolinkungfuShifu Yan Lei Team

Without moving a muscle, imagine you’re training with me in China. You wake at 6am, hurry into your training clothes and begin your run up the mountain. You still feel sleepy, your muscles are tight from yesterday’s training, and the first bit of the run feels difficult. But soon your body warms up and as you breath in the fresh mountain air; you discover an energy you never had before.

Back at the school, your Five Fundamental Kicks that felt tight yesterday feel flexible, your stances feel grounded, and there’s a flow to your forms. We are what we repeatedly do and this everyday experience of Shaolin enables you to finally tune your body so it’s working at it’s optimum. Just like the strings on a guitar, your body is learning to be neither too tight nor too slack. It takes practice to be this natural.

Now bring yourself back to your computer screen or your smart phone or whatever you’re reading this article on. Just as I had never tasted coffee until I came to the West – and was surprised by its bitter taste – Shaolin cannot be expressed in words. The experience has to come from you.

If you can’t come to my Summer Camp, you can create your own Shaolin environment through training at your local school or in your home with my DVDs and downloads. Shaolin is about training your heart and your heart can only be found where you are.

Sometimes I get emails from people who say it’s always been their dream to learn Shaolin. They come for a session with me and after the session, I know I will never see them again. For some people, they prefer to hold onto a dream. Reality is too different from their dream. Please don’t be this person. It means you can never reach your true potential. If Shaolin isn’t for you, that’s fine, but if you feel drawn to it then see it through.

It’s similar to the Buddhist parable of the man who loved dragons. Everything in his home had a picture of a dragon on, his bedspread, his toothbrush, his cups, his plates etc but when a real dragon popped his head through the window to say good morning, the man ran away terrified.

Don’t be afraid to be the best you can be. Don’t be afraid to be healthy and strong and fit. Don’t hide behind illness and injury and excuses such as lack of time. Martial Arts creates time because it makes you more focused in your life.

The beauty of any martial arts is there is no victory or defeat. We all train at our own level. One stance is as challenging for an advanced student as it is for a beginner. Success is making 100 percent effort to perform at the highest level of your ability. Success is being your own champion.

Find out more about Shifu Yan Le’s Shaolin Summer Camp

Find out more about Shifu’s DVDs, books and downloads

Rules Of The Shaolin Warrior – Part 1. Health and Fitness

March 17, 2015Uncategorizedchinese martial arts, gong fu, healthandfitness, kung fu, kungfuworkout, martial arts, rulesoftheshaolinwarrior, shaolinkungfu, shaolinwarrior dvd, shaolinwarriorlife, shaolinworkout, shifuyanlei. martial arts, train at the shaolin templeShifu Yan Lei Team

The world of Western traditional physical exercise is beginning to catch up with what Shaolin Warriors have known for thousands of years. Fitness is not just about burning calories and sweating. It’s about being healthy from the inside out. Research is revealing that this mind-body fitness not only keeps us healthy but also greatly helps to banish stress, increase happiness, and aid longevity.

Train Your Mind As Hard As Your Body – A person can look strong but this doesn’t mean they’re healthy. Body builders may be inflexible and internally weak. Yoga practioners may be flexible but ask him or her to perform a martial art’s kick and they have no power or speed. Shaolin Forms – both Qigong and Kung Fu – are the only exercise I’ve come across where every muscle is engaged and we’re simultaneously building flexibility, strength, endurance, balance, and power. They then teach us how to move in our modern life, whether that’s carrying our groceries home or climbing the stairs to the subway. Everything becomes part of our training: total mind-body wellness
Switch Your Workouts – One day Shaolin Warrior’s train in the Five Fundamental kicks and stances from Shaolin Kung Fu Workout 1, on another day they train Circuit, on another bag work, and on another day Qigong. Keep surprising your body so it never reaches a plateau.
Inside Out Fitness – For true health and fitness we need to practise stretching and Qigong. The Shaolin Warrior always finishes their training with Qigong. This enhances the power of their external training, extends and deepens their martial arts, and balances their Yin and Yang.
Effortless Effort – A Shaolin Warrior’s movements look easy. When they run they tell their body to keep light and positive. When they punch they tell their body to relax. When they kick, they know exactly which muscle they need to use and which muscle they don’t. When they practise Qigong they know when they need to inhale and when they need to exhale. They focus on what they need to focus on and this gives them confidence and power. They understand that if their mind is strong then their body is strong and if their body is strong then their mind is strong. It’s not possible to separate the two out.
Train Hard – A smith puts gold through the fire so she can mould it into the shape of jewelry she wants. Our martial art’s is the fire we put our mind and body through so we can mould ourselves into the martial artist we want to be. If it’s not difficult, if it’s not challenging, there can be no transformation.
A Zen Koan – Shaolin Warriors use the breath to link the mind and body. They focus on the present moment because it is the only moment when we can be truly alive. This is why – in the past – Masters sometimes used shock tactics or said Koans in an attempt to awaken their student to what life really is.
What is the sound of one hand clapping? – If we try to understand with our intellect then we’ll never understand and if we try to do martial arts with our intellect we shall never understand. Only when we have cultivated strong willpower and let go of our mind can we move to hard training to build up our stamina level and create a Shaolin Warrior’s mind and body.

Learn Shaolin Qigong and Kung Fu with Shifu Yan Lei. Downloads, DVDs, books and training equipment available from shifuyanlei.com. Instant Health: The Shaolin Qigong Workout For Longevity is also available as an e-book on amazon and apple in the US

Why The Modern World Is Bad For Your Brain And What Shaolin Monks Do About It

February 3, 2015kung fu, martial arts, modernworldbadforbrain, peace, qigong, shaolintempleofzen, theorganizedmind, zentechniquesdaniellevitin, kung fu, qigong, smartphones, theorganizedmind, zen techniques, zenworkoutShifu Yan Lei Team

Most of us love our smart phones. I use mine all the time to keep in touch with my family in China. But the constant multi-tasking of texting, emailing, social media and apps is over stimulating our brain and increasing the production of the stress hormone cortisol according to Neuroscientist, Daniel J Levitin, who has written a new book about his findings. So does this mean we have to throw away our smart phones? At The Shaolin Temple we tread the middle way, using Zen techniques to keep us tranquil and focused while still being a part of the modern world. Here I share with you seven Shaolin tips to help you stay calm in a crazy world

Take Small Regular Vacations Turn your mobile phone to aeroplane mode or switch it off completely two hours before you go to sleep. The same goes for when you workout, meditate, and eat your breakfast, lunch, and dinner. These small, regular vacations from your smart phone will restore your inner peace.

Drink A Cup Of Tea Instead of drinking your plans, thoughts, and worries, drink a cup of tea. You will find it far more refreshing. Concentrating completely on this one action helps you come back to yourself. Being Here Now is a great way to banish stress and anxiety

Workout Zen Style Everybody needs to workout. Not only does it make us feel better but it’s good for our brain. If you’re not a martial artist then find a workout you love and make it your meditation. How do you turn your workout into a meditation? By simply concentrating on your breath and movement together and letting go of everything else. Modern research is showing that meditation leads to a more focused, tranquil and happier way of being. And who doesn’t want that?

Make Everything You Do Your Last In martial art’s there is only the present. Live now. Take care of now and you take care of your future. Give yourself completely to everything you do. Leave no energy left in reserve. Only then can you take in fresh energy

Balance Yin & Yang Health and fitness are like two wings of a bird, you need both Kung Fu (or anaerobic/ aerobic exercise) and Qigong (or an internal practice such as yoga). Exercise can prevent many illnesses from developing but we also need a restorative mindful practice to ground us and give us inner peace. I use my Qi to defend myself from kicks or bricks, you can use your Qi to defend yourself against ageing and ill health

Ring The Bell Of Now Thich Nhat Hanh, the great Buddhist Zen Master advises that every time we hear a bell – whether that’s a ringing phone or a church bell – we stop and breathe for three breaths. Try it and track your impatience.

Little Reminders A peaceful brain is a happy brain. Practice small steps of nourishment each day: one cup f tea, ten minutes of switch off, a fully engaged workout, 5 minutes of Qigong. These small moments will re-centre you and lead you to the health and happiness that is your natural birthright.

Shifu Yan Lei is a 34th generation fighting disciple from The Shaolin Temple of Zen. He teaches a graded path of Shaolin Qigong and Kung Fu. He is teaching a Shaolin Summer Camp close to the Shaolin Temple in China.

Take The 40-day Shaolin Warrior Challenge

January 19, 201540-day shaolin warrior challenge, bootcamp training, cha'n buddhism, circuit training, neural pathways of brain, shaolin kung fu, shaolin qigong, zen meditation40-day shaolin warrior challenge, bamboo beater, bamboo brush, gong fu, ki gong, kung fu, qi self-massage, qigongbook, qigongdvd, qigongworkout, shaolin temple, shaolinworkoutShifu Yan Lei Team

At the Shaolin Temple, our masters told us that it took 40 days before any lasting change would happen in our mind and body. Buddha sat for 40 days under the Bodhi tree before he gained enlightenment. Jesus and Mohammed fasted for 40 days before they went back into the world to share their teachings. Scientists have found that after 40 days, the neural pathways in our brain make a lasting change.

If you are just starting out, or have been working with my DVDs for many years and want to reinvigorate your practice and transform your mind and body into a Shaolin Warrior then the 40-day challenge is for you.

It’s 40 days of putting a stronger emphasis on your practice, of training more than you usually would – which may mean getting out of bed an hour earlier -, training 6 days a week, and doing some additional mind training throughout the day. After 40 days you will see a significant change in your mind and body.

The DVDs that you use are down to what level you are. You will need at least 1 Kung Fu DVD or download, at least 1 Qigong DVD, download or book as well as the Instant Health bamboo or metal massage brush.

These are my 7 Guidelines to your 40-day challenge

1. Attitude Of Mind. Train where you are with what you have. All you need is faith you can do it and your bamboo or metal brush. Just play my DVD and follow the training. You can follow it in a small flat, outside in the park or on top of a mountain.

2. Surrender to the teachings. One thing that slightly irritates me is the amount of questions I get asked by my Western students. I know that your education is different to mine but coming from a Zen Temple we put the emphasis on practice. If I asked my Master so many questions he would beat me! The more answers I give, the more I take away from your experience. Everything you seek is in the teaching if you can only surrender to it.

3. Practice AM & PM. In the midst of your busy life it’s difficult to train twice a day but for the next 40 days this is what you must do in order to progress. Even if you only have 10 minutes in the morning, do a little Qigong and stretching and this will help your day flow better while reminding you that you are training to be a Shaolin Warrior. I like my main training to be in the morning, this sets me up for the day; I then do Qigong in the evening to revitalize my body and give me a deep and peaceful sleep. Find the way that is right for you.

4.Be A Shaolin Warrior In Your Life. Breath is the link between the mind and the body. It’s the key to a powerful martial art’s practice. A Shaolin Warrior is grounded and focused so keep reminding yourself to breathe throughout the day. If you have a digital watch, you can set a few alarms or get it to beep on the hour as a reminder for you to stop and breathe.

5. Eat Right. Check out my blog post about food. For these 40 days put an emphasis on eating well. Make sure you eat a big breakfast every day, don’t drink any sugar drinks or eat processed food. Try to cook your own food.

6. Train Intelligently. The beauty of Shaolin is in its many exercises. What do I practice every week? The five basic kicks, the five stances, some traditional kicks and punches, bag work, pad work, exercises from my Circuit Training and Bootcamp followed by Qigong. Once you know the exercises from my DVDs, mix it up so that your body never gets used to any workout, this means your body will never get lazy and you will always be working to your optimal.

7. Schedule Your Challenge. Write in your diary the day you will start. Throughout the 40 days make a note of the changes that you experience as well as what happens to your fitness levels. How many press-ups and squats can you do now? How many can you do after 40 days? How flexible are you now? How flexible after 40 days? How about your focus and your peace of mind? Shaolin is as much about the mind as it is about the body.

Join the new Facebook page I’ve made for people training with my DVD so that you can join with your fellow Shaolin Warriors to share your journey and support each other. Or come and train with me at the Shaolin Summer Camp this year in China. Remember. Great mind and bodies are not born that way, they are trained.

Shifu Yan Lei teaches Shaolin Kung Fu & Qigong with DVDs, books, downloads and personal training.