I was walking around at work today; practicing awareness. You know, trying to stay in the moment and paying attention. Well, as I did I couldn’t help but notice a growing problem. People hunching over their devices- sending text messages, little note book laptops or even just the newspaper. Yes, some people still know how to read. It seemed like everywhere I looked, I saw curved spines and bent necks.

Now I do not claim to have the best posture but my kung fu practice has taught me some body awareness and I do try to sit and stand up straighter these days.  Quick, check your posture as you read this. See what I mean? We are going to be a society of hunched over crones if we don’t straighten up our act and our spines.

I was stopped at a red light the other day and watched a man jogging in a virtual horizontal position from the waist up. It was one of the oddest things I have ever seen. Not sure how he was managing to run. 

Your whole body will relax if you are in the correct posture. At the some of our Chi Kung class (slower side of kung fu) my Shifu (that is the Chinese name for teacher for those of you who are not familiar with the term from over exposure of Kung Fu Panda) has us stand up straight and put a little weight on our heels but not too much. You then try to make sure your shoulders are over your hips and your hips over your ankles. In other words, standing straight but not rigid. This is a good thing especially for those with back issues.

So do yourself a favor - develop a little body awareness of your own.

I never had any real desire to take martial arts growing up. I mean like most people I guess I thought it looked cool but, probably like many women, I never actually pictured myself doing it.  [Editor's Note: This section was glossed over a bit and so later inspired another post - check out "The Real Reason I began taking Martial Arts" post for a more accurate representation of this story.]  Who would have guessed years later I would not only be doing exactly that but wanting to write about my experiences as well.

I’m a busy woman with a husband, kids and a job. So what is it that inspires me to take the time not just to practice martial arts but to want to share it with others? Well you see,  I don’t just “do martial arts” I have a real passion for it. It is a way of life for those who embrace the philosophy behind it.  The practice, simply put, has transformed me into a better, happier and more fulfilled person.

I can’t say that about many other things I’ve done in my life. Can you?

So stay tuned and drop by often.  You just might read something that changes your perspective on how you see the world - I know it did mine.