25 PRACTICES
TO MASTER THE MIND &
FORGE A RIPPED PHYSIQUE
Unlike barbaric warriors of other cultures, the Samurai comprised a noble class in Japan. They were highly literate and studied history, philosophy, poetry, calligraphy and mathematics. Over centuries, Samurai Masters developed comprehensive training protocols to prepare their warriors for battle. Addressing Body, Mind & Spirit, these regimens produced the greatest warriors in history. Disciplined. Calm. Deadly.
Incredible wisdom lies within the medieval texts describing these protocols, but the last twenty years have also yielded incredible insights into the Performance Sciences. The Zen Protocol fuses the ancient and the cutting-edge for the best of both worlds.
We are primarily visual creatures, and the Body is of course easier to see than the Mind or the Spirit, so that’s usually the honey-pot that first attracts us onto the Path. That’s what attracted me.
But make no mistake, the Body is merely a reflection of the Mind. They are inextricably linked, and the difficulties most encounter along the path originate in the Mind.
Ignore the Mind, and any progress made is fleeting.
Even so, getting lean is a powerful motivator, so that’s where we usually start.
Lifestyle dictates appearance.
It’s that simple.
Want to look like a _______? Then live like a _______.
This is a very personal decision. Some desire a large powerful physique. Some a streamlined runner’s frame. Some curvy. Some lanky. There is no right or wrong. The power of the program lies in its ability to allow us to achieve our goals, in all areas of life.
For me, I fill in the above blanks with Lean Modern Samurai. That’s the Path that calls me. Lean is best for my hobbies: surfing and jiu jitsu (competition). In these sports, agility and flexibility are critical.
So what defines a Lifestyle?
A Lifestyle is a series of micro-practices that fill our day.
Simple.
Predictable.
Micro-practices.
In short, that right there describes The Zen Protocol.
Over 4 weeks we adopt a series of transformative Micro-practices—glass of lemon water in the morning, short meditative walks, 14 min resistance workouts in the afternoon—and soon find ourselves on a completely different Path.
A Path that leads up the mountain toward a healthy Body, plus a disciplined Mind & Spirit.
At nearly every step of the Journey the most formidable Shadows we encounter exist purely in the Mind.
Doubts.
Compulsions.
Fears.
Cravings.
In the verbiage of the Hero’s Journey, these Shadows serve as Threshold Guardians that block further progress, and until we learn to overcome them we are stuck. Confused. Frustrated. Sometimes wanting to quit. Then we realize these Shadows are our greatest allies, there to teach us the skills we need to continue climbing.
Luckily, along the Path we find various Mentors to help.
To deal with performance anxiety, I sat with sports psychologists and practiced Mushin Mind daily.
To deal with food cravings, I hired a CBT Therapist.
To deal with unhealthy subconscious behaviors, I attended a week-long retreat conducted by some of the top psychologists in the world, at Onsite.
From these specialists I gained powerful techniques that, fused with a life-long practice and study of meditation, form the basis of The Zen Protocol.
Let’s be clear: 95% of diets fail. Why? Because they do not address the Mind. Even worse, relapses lead to shame, which leads to an even greater use of food as a coping mechanism.
As the great Miyamoto Musashi taught: “Do not let the body be dragged along by mind, nor the mind dragged along by the body.”
Let’s not confuse Spirituality and Religion.
Spirituality is the belief in something bigger than ourselves, and that belief is an individual choice that shifts as we grow. We must afford ourselves and others room to explore.
The Universe. God. The Cosmos. Quantum Physics. Nature. Humanity.
A Spiritual Practice is the connection with that larger something.
The Ocean: surfing
The Cosmos: gazing up at a clear night sky
Humanity: giving our time to help the less fortunate
Dr. Lisa Miller, author of The Awakened Brain, recently proved via fMRI scans of the brain our need for some type of Spiritual Practice. The gray matter of those without a practice mirrored the clinically depressed.
That’s why Samurai didn’t just train with swords. They also studied art, poetry and calligraphy, and every day they strove to walk in honor amongst a Tribe on the same Path, there to help when they stumbled.
We balance the Mind Body & Spirit by adopting proven micro-practices, and after that, well the results come quick, and the newfound sense of confidence and joy propel us further and faster than we ever thought possible.