A personal story in a nutshell
Because we all have stories to tell
Email from the Shaolin temple
Dear Shaolin student,
I have been sending my letters to Shi Hengyi so he can translate them and share them with you.
I am very curious, have you been implementing these Shaolin teachings into your life?
Describe how you are building your own Temple.
I will be reading every reply.
Written with QI by Shifu Shi Yanjun,
Head Coach of the Shaolin Warrior Monks of Shaolin Temple Yunnan, China. 34th Generation Disciple Shaolin Warrior Monk & 17th Generation Disciple Traditional Heritage of Meihua Quan
Translated from Chinese by Shi Hengyi, disciple of Shifu Shi Yanjun, 35th Generation Shaolin Warrior Disciple & 18th Generation Disciple Traditional Heritage of Meihua Quan. Head Coach of Shaolin Temple Poland.
My answer
Dear Shifu Shi Yanjun,
The things that I already got from the Yin and Yang warrior rite are completely different from what I have experienced in Shaolin training in Belgium. For the short time that I’ve spent there we were physically forced to push our limits, without any advice on how to apply our breath to the physical exercises. After 4 lessons (one month) I stopped taking lessons in this school. But I had been seeing a chiropractor prior to these lessons and I took the stretching exercises with me and paid attention to my constitution. Over one year I had 3 sessions with this doctor to correct my back from Scoliosis. So the focus went to being more active and applying this in my daily work. Hard labor in the factory where I needed to lift heavy weight. I never had a car so I did everything with the bike or by foot. And it got me through this problem with my back.
But back then I was in a very dark place. I already left home at a very early age (16). No family support or parents around. I got involved with parties and drugs. I was very insecure and searching to understand myself better and the world I lived in. And there was nobody that I was able to share this with. So I was on my own to figure my way out of this state of being. I learned for myself by correcting my body that my emotions and mindset were changing with little steps. My first steps into meditation was through mindfulness and reading books. This helped me to get out of my depressed mindset for a big part.
Through the lifestyle with the parties and the drugs I became aware of altered states of mind through these substances. I was always careful with using and never got into heavy addiction beside smoking and drinking alcohol. But I began to research the use of psychedelics. I started to grow my own mushrooms and with respectful use and focus on growth and understanding I noticed that these mushrooms started to teach me. They got me out of depression combined with meditation and sound healing.
It was years later that I found another kung fu school, Tith Ngaw Pai, a style from Hong Kong. If I need to compare it to something, it was much closer to Wing Chung than Shaolin. The teacher there was not a big fan of Shaolin and said to us that it was more acrobatic in style than a real efficient way of training. But in this school we had our tea moments where he taught us about Buddhist philosophy and taking care of the body and mindset. Also in this school I was shown for the first time how breath is a very important part of the physical exercises and how it influences Qi.
Back then I was working a lot, my job was my lifestyle, working in an animal shelter 6 days on 7. Some Weeks 7 days on 7. Going home in the summer often was just to continue taking care of kittens that didn’t have any place in the shelter because of the lack of space. So I wasn’t consistent with my training and only went. I wasn't tired from work. But I went to the school over a period of one year. On and off, I did practice the basics at home and during my breaks at work.
Then by the end of 2016, I decided to travel to Peru for the first time to visit people where they were holding a tradition of healing with plants that has been around for 1000’s of years. It was a bit of a struggle that I needed to choose between kung fu or learning from plants. So I went to Peru because it is one of the few places in the world where they still hold this knowledge.
This gave a complete new direction to my life. I started to cleanse myself through the work within the Amazonian traditions. Found a teacher that wanted to open an apprenticeship and went into the shadow that I had within. Cleansing and cleansing, integrating afterwards. So in this way I traveled on and off to Peru to continue this process. After the work with specific plants, you get back to your old life setting and that’s when you are firmly tested to how you will apply the insights and teaching that the plants brought to you. My life started to change in ways that I couldn’t have imagined before. I grew more healthy than I ever was, I started to pay more attention to my food and physical exercises. I got into climbing which was freedom to me. I loved it so much and combined it with the stretching exercises I learned so far and applied my breath into my physical exercises. Back problems were completely gone and I felt healthy and grounded in my body. No more toxic connections with people, the climbing community is very friendly and supportive.
But then Covid came to be and climbing stopped for a long time… I decided for myself to leave the country and start to prepare to move to the jungle in Peru to give myself fully to studying their medicine traditions, mainly trees in my case. I didn’t feel home in the modern western world. And in Peru I always had a feeling of coming home, a place where people understand why I was driven to do this work. In Belgium everything connected to spirituality and energy is taboo. For me this wasn’t a complete picture of what life really was and I needed more like minded people around, that understood this from their personal experience. In Iquitos (Peru) it is just normal life to talk about and practice these things.
Now I came back to Europe for love, one and a half years ago. To help her close down the paperwork in Belgium and work our way back to Peru. We’ve been traveling through Spain while starting up our own business. I had a couple of opportunities to go climbing here, but I was missing physical exercise so much. My work from the jungle is beautiful and powerful but I was still missing something. So I had this olive tree that I have been visiting for weeks to ground and relax. The tree invited me to drink from its bark and go in isolation for 7 days. Olive tree is a teacher on harmony, unity and discipline. He made me aware of the imbalance in my work, so during my time in isolation I picked up the exercises I remembered from my last kung fu school. It was so empowering and I saw what I was missing. This was exactly what I needed to bring into the work that I was doing with plants in the past years. This feels like a complete picture of me. All the rest just came onto my path.
So what I have been doing now to take care of my temple is, be aware of my food, and drink enough water. Almost no alcohol, only on some social occasions. I walk often and spend lots of time in nature after work. And I found the European Shaolin temple online with a bunch of free lessons that I started to pick up. Mainly Qigong to work on my Qi blockages. And then I came to you, Shifu.
I was a bit reluctant to share this story in a nutshell, because of the judgment I received for the choices that I made in the past. But I want to be fully open and transparent with you on who I am and what made me into the person that I am today.
The story that I share here is from my 16 to 33 years of my current life. But I hope that this gives you some insights into how I implement kung fu in my life and how I take care of my temple.
Warm regards,
Nick
The answer to my story
Dear Nick,
The life story I humbly receive and appreciate. There is no judgement - it is a story of the person you have become. Without it, you will not be here now! Never be ashamed of your path. Interesting what the Hong Kong master said about Shaolin - that is specific for modern Wushu, not Shaolin. Wing Chun roots are from the Shaolin Temple, and the Shaolin style is far from acrobatic! The traditional Shaolin is quite linear in movements with very few kick jumps which I will not classify as acrobatics.
Wing Chun closes down the body in its roots for arms and legs - here, we practice this style, but we also practice Meihua Quan, which is exactly the opposite - fully open the body. I assume your path has led you step by step to where you are now, and you can understand more. You started from a dark place to a balanced Yin and Yang life. Such a journey! In your path, you understood the power of nature and our place in it. The olive trees are very powerful, and they can sustain life. This is how Greek people survived wars!
Only when we are fully receptive can we understand each thing's place in life.
Amituofo
释延博 Shì Yánbó
34th Generation Shaolin Warrior Disciple
17th Generation Meihua Quan Disciple
The end of our communication about this topic
Dear Shi Yanbo,
This is a big relief to read your answer. I'm very grateful to receive such a warm welcome.
Indeed without this journey I wouldn't be standing here and I am very happy the way it is. Wouldn't want to change it for anything in the world!
This was still a long story in a nutshell...
But now I know and feel that I have arrived where I'm supposed to be.
Thank you so much and I'm looking forward to training with all of you over there!
Warm regards,
Nick
Amituofo
Why do I share this as a blog?
Because I want to show other people that I also had my struggles, I’m not ashamed to share it, because it is a part of who I am. This whole journey brought me where I’m standing today and I wouldn’t change a thing about it. I learned to embrace my shadow side and the light that I carry with me. The full spectrum!
In my free time besides walking in nature and recently back to kung fu practice I also love watching movies and scrolling around the internet/YouTube. What I notice is that there is so much fear going around and doom and gloom thinking. Almost like many of us are focused on the darkness and are missing the light, or at least the whole point of this story…
We are a part of this creation and need both to realize who we truly are. It’s much more complex than this. But it is time to stop fighting, dividing, we need to come to getter and see things for what they are. Because without the dark there wouldn’t be light. Without experiencing the warmth there wouldn’t be cold,... And this could be a long list. But my point is that we live in a creation that is built on polarity. One can’t exist without the other.
But it’s time to wake up and stop the game of divide and conquer, accept each other's differences and learn to appreciate them. For what else would the world and each individual be unique if we were all the same? Wouldn’t that be boring?
If there is anything on your mind or you wish to work on this for yourself, which is a personal responsibility for every individual person and not something we can force upon each other. Every month we do at least one live session on Instagram where we invite everybody to join us. To share your worries and questions, to connect,... The biggest problem is disconnection and so this is a small part of our effort that we like to offer to reconnect.
Follow us on Instagram to stay tuned for our live sessions and your welcome this Saturday the 1st of July, 6:00 PM (CEST) on my lovely wife her profile @lemairesoulcrafts. Replays are always available for those who can’t join us live!
If you like to do deeper work with us, check out our websites, never hesitate to reach out! We are glad to help out or to listen to your personal story and see where we can guide or offer help for you.
Nick:
https://www.sapitodelaforesta.com/
https://lemairesoulcrafts.com/
I also offer free intake sessions, no strings attached! To get in touch with me, you can simply answer this post, send me a message on Instagram (@Sapito de la foresta) or send me an email at sapitodelaforesta@gmail.com.
If you would like to check more information on the Shaolin temple you can find it on their website!
Shaolin temple in Yunnan:
Keep your head up and heart strong, none of this is permanent and it is for our better good!
Love to all of you,
Nick
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