Meditation for relaxation, Ch'i control for harmony
Meditation is a vital tool for those seeking harmony and balance. It is taught in Fire Dragon clubs as an integral part of training, and students are encouraged to practice and develop their skills outside class.
Master Hardy himself meditates daily, to minimise the stresses of work and teaching. Balancing the demands of increasingly complex lives is a major challenge for many, and conscientious meditation practice can be a great help to centering, and achieving a feeling of peace.
The meditation that Master Hardy practices and teaches starts with correct and relaxed breathing, using this to relax the body, and then the mind. Intruding thoughts are allowed to flow through, as attention returns to breathing.
Classes help students develop appropriate tools for focus, and eventually students acquire the ability to become one with their environment - to feel their centre expand to include the floor beneath them and the air around them.
Sometimes, before meditation, it is useful to clear the mind, and compartmentalisation is a tool that can assist this.
Pushing Ch'i for energy development and healing, is good to practice after a meditation session. Students may find it useful to incorporate meditation in their strategies for achieving important goals.
Of course, students should remember that Kung Fu in general and meditation in particular, can allow them to achieve more, and take on additional responsibilities. These can in turn result in increasing stress, when the goal was to reduce stresses, and enjoy life more! So students should strive for balance in their lives as a whole, and use meditation wisely and for balance.