Love and Truth
Principles and practices to Spark Creativity and Explore the Infinite Potential Within.
The Meditation (Principle)
The Love and Truth active Meditation: Witness the present with a non judgmental mind (Truth), guided by intuition (love), while in a state of action (creative flow).
Keys To Unlock Potential & Live Fully
The Mind / Truth / Frequency: Nurture an open and clear mind by letting go of cherishing opinions (good and bad), judgement, discrimination and beliefs. See thoughts as perspective, not truth. Be the witnessing presence where life is happening.
The Heart / Love / Vibration: Nurture the qualities of an open heart: unconditional love, compassion, gratitude. When the mind is clear, the heart naturally flowers like a magnetic compass of your true potential. Follow your heart.
The Body / Action / Energy: Align the body, heart and mind to an open, relaxed and alert flow state by practicing the Love & Truth exercises. When the system is harmonized, chi (life force) circulates and the light of awareness shines brighter to guide the way.
Frequency + Vibration + Energy = Resonance
A key function of the Love & Truth practice is the development of perception awareness with your energy, thoughts, emotions and actions. As you become more conscious (not compulsive) about these four “wheels” of your life, they align to the guidance of your awakened state.
Take ownership of these keys when you are ready to be the captain of your ship. To navigate through life gracefully and live fully!
To know thy self, live who you truly are and follow the heart.
The Exercises (Practice)
It is said that this system of “harmonizing” exercises traces its origins back to Bodhidharma (Dharma of Awakening), a legendary monk who brought the meditative practice to the Shaolin Monastery thousands of years ago. He is noted as being the transmitter of Chan Buddhism to China and Zen Buddhism to Japan. He was profound and mysterious, thought to arrive from the Silk Road, perhaps the prince of a King from the South of India, taught by a female awakened master named Prajnatara. It is said she instructed Bodhidharma from a vision to travel East and share the teachings. These actions profoundly transformed human consciousness, influencing countless healing modalities and practices around the world.
These “awakening” exercises are an extraction from the comprehensive Shaolin training system. They are considered the original unaltered practice, preserved with extraordinary effort by a monastic tradition. Each exercise when done consciously and properly, is engineered to unlock, align and harmonize the body, heart and mind to flow creatively as a “resonant” expression of life.
The practice is designed for all ages, male and female and adaptable to virtually any body / mind condition.
( This exercise outline is a guide for students who have already been formally introduced to the practice. )
Active Meditation Notes:
Breathe: in thru the nose, out thru the mouth. Breathe from the Tan Tien (the Chi life force well) that is located just below your belly button. Remember to breathe properly, synchronized to the movements as was demonstrated in class, with the tongue lightly pressed against the roof of the mouth.
Practice presence: Place attention on each exercise as they are being performed in the moment, aligning the breath, heart and mind with each movement. Keep the mind open (non judgmental / without opinion) and the heart relaxed and loving (true natural state) while being guided by the higher mind (intuition source) not the lower conditioned mind (ego).
The Complete alignment system: Each exercise and the specific order in which they are performed is designed to harmonize every aspect of the human system from head to toe. The techniques when done correctly, create body, heart, and mind alignment, releases resistance / tension blockages everywhere and activates the intuitive heart guidance system to experience living fully!
Experiencing the intuitive “higher mind” comes from consistent practice of the love & Truth meditation to create a gap between the witness (true self) and the mind. Trust the flow.
Upper Body Exercises
Formal bow.
- Wrist exercises – Shake out the wrists / turn both directions.
- Ankle exercises – Shake out the ankles / turn both directions.
- Trunk twisting – slow way / fast way, 10 times each.
- Neck exercises – Slow way (with dynamic tension) / then relaxed roll head in full circle both directions.
- Arm swinging exercises – Circular in both directions (alternating for advanced students). Cross at elbows. Start off slowly and slowly pick up pace to as fast as you can then slow down to a complete stop.
- Finger grabbing exercises – A. Arms in front, palms facing down – slow then fast. B. Arms in front, palms facing up – slow then fast. C. Arms to side, palms facing down – slow then fast. D. Arms to side, palms facing up – slow then fast. Tight fists on last grab, sink in stance.
- Arm Raises (Hands behind back) – Start with arms facing forward then go behind the back and pushing upwards 5 times. Alternating hands, holding wrists, do this 5 times.
- Touching Toes – Arms and hands fully extended with feet shoulder with apart. Exhale as fingers / arms stay at 90 degrees going down, touching the toes. Then inhale as arms / hands come back up and continue over backwards as far as you can go behind you, to full exhale.
- Stomach / palm heart hitting – Forearms to both sides. Then with palms over Soloplexis (for advanced).
Lower Body Exercises
- Palm to the floor – Feet in a wide stance, joints never locked with arms to sides, palms facing down. Palms touch the opposite toes / floor. Alternate hands, slow way / fast way 10 times each.
- Side switching exercises – Slow way then fast way, legs at 90 degrees, hold last two, 10 times each
- Side stretching exercises – With knife edge, toes pointing forward, 10 times.
- Side stretching exercises – Toes pointed up on heels, slow then fast, 10 times.
- Maximum Stretch exercises – Feet pointed forward and wide apart, bring face towards floor, 10 times.
Formal Bow.
Developing Flexibility in body, heart and mind are key to experience the grace of a creative flow state. The class structure integrates special exercise challenges specifically designed to develop these aspects and upgrade the nervous system. This provides real world benefit for the student to utilize what they learned in class with stressful situations of daily life. When the Love and Truth practice is applied to life circumstances, any challenge can become transformed into an opportunity (personal evolution).
Follow Along Exercise Video
This video is accessible for students who have already been introduced to the practice.
About
I began practicing Shaolin Kung Fu at 18 years of age and had the profound fortune to be taught by an extraordinary master. With a deep commitment and beginner mind, I practiced with great reverence, these were the dynamics of the time and space. I would become an assistant teacher for the school and could see the beneficial consequences of the practice in every aspect of my life.
With an investigative mind that is always yearning to learn new things, I became a student of life. Always seeking, exploring new tools, modalities and wisdom practices from around the world. Ultimately, my goal was to find the way to live the dreams I could feel nestled deep within my heart. All my research, intuition and explorations always pointed me back to the Shaolin practice as a complete and effective system. So I used my life as an experiment, to see if this could bring the truth of who I am to reality.
After over 35 years of practice, “Love and Truth” is the distilled essence inspired by the Shaolin system. My life, my wife, my child, my material spaces and the career path I live are all clear manifested expressions of my heart, pristinely aligned to who I truly am. At my age, I require no medications and do not suffer any mental ailments and any physical conditions are resolved through intuitive guidance. I observe this as a consequence of applying the principles to my life, doing the daily tune up practice and essential active meditation throughout the day.
Although I had trained students for years in the traditional Shaolin system, today I share the essential Love and Truth practice for those drawn to these principles who are seeking alignment and a balanced well-being.
“To experience creative flow and become a living expression of the true love within is the greatest treasure I am aware of.”
