Are Your Beliefs About GOD the ROOT CAUSE of Your Injury?

I want to distinguish between the type of injury I sustained and the type that 80-90% of other athletes get.

My injury was a result of a macrotraumatic event — i.e. my wrist was otherwise in perfect condition but the impact of the extrinsic load was so great that my shit blew up.

Most injuries, especially in strength sports, are a result of repeated microtrauma that ultimately weakens the tissues, leading to a macrotraumatic event, usually during what seems like a relatively routine activity. In other words, your knee has been bothering you for a while and you never addressed the root cause of the issue so it finally gave out on you.

In my case, I fucked up wrist and so I need to treat my wrist (also my jerk since my loss of perfect execution is what led to this). Unfortunately, this is the thought process that most people take with the 80-90% of other injuries. But if you hurt your knee because you didn’t address the root cause of why your knee was bothering you in the first place, treating just your knee isn’t going to resolve the main issue. And you may just find yourself back in the same spot again wondering why God is punishing you so. You’re punishing yourself by not paying attention.

Most of the time the root cause of the latter type of injury isn’t actually the thing that hurts. Your knee could hurt because it’s unstable because your hips are unstable because your core isn’t functioning properly because your organs are inflamed because you’re eating garbage foods because you’re trying to feed your emotions with physical things because you’ve been programmed to believe that the answers to your problems are “out there” because you’ve been indoctrinated into a materialistic paradigm that sees separation and believes in a God that is also “out there” and is more powerful than you are and will punish you if you try to move outside of the box of what’s considered “good.”

An overly simplistic example but you get the point. Most doctors and therapists simply aren’t taught/haven’t learned to think holistically and therefore get caught in an allopathic model that only looks at and treats symptoms.

The point is that before you begin the rehabilitation process or any unnecessary medical interventions — ideally before you even hurt yourself in the first place — it’s helpful to go on the journey of figuring out the root cause of the problem. Not only will this help you so you don’t end up having the same types of injuries over and over again, but you may also begin to realize that this pain is there for a reason and your journey to discover the root cause is actually your Hero’s Journey that will begin to align you with your purpose in life and help you to remember what you actually are as ONE with everything else.

Life Is A Balancing Act

Balance is a concept that is very neglected and minimized in terms of its importance in today’s society. We have largely adopted an “all or nothing” approach to the pursuit of our aspirations so as to not “waste any time” getting there. But what is time other than a man made construct used to measure events and keep records?

Life is not a linear phenomena, it flows constantly like a river or a stream. We get so caught up on that one goal, objective, or element that we forget there are other parts of us that need attention as well. The people in our lives that love us deserve our effort also, because what is life really without the love and relationships we form along the way? Without balance, we can easily find ourselves feeling burnt out, mentally/physically fatigued, overwhelmed, etc. if that sounds like something you’ve been feeling, it could very well be your body trying to let you know it’s time for change. We are physical, spiritual, mental, emotional beings.. and all of these parts of us require different levels of effort and care. But finding the perfect balance will ultimately lead to more peace which will eventually lead to more love in this world 🌎💫

Tai Chi & Mind-Body Health

A consistent mindfulness practice has been shown to improve neuroplasticity— the brain’s ability to form new connections and pathways in response to new experiences or stimuli. When we develop new pathways in our brain, we gift ourselves improved ways to respond to our thoughts/internal emotional state therefore creating emotional stability within our body. When we are emotionally stable, we can cope with stressors in a more controlled fashion. If you struggle with anxiety, stress, “monkey-mind”, a loud inner critic, the inability to be still, or are simply a human being in today's society, you could benefit from a tai chi practice.

Tai chi is an ancient Chinese tradition that involves gentle movements, mental focus, deep breathing and relaxation. It has been shown to have health benefits such as decreasing inflammation, blood pressure and arthritis. It can provide stress relief and also improve balance. Although originally developed as a form of self-defense martial art, it is commonly known as a low-impact exercise or recovery tool that anyone of all ages and fitness levels can try.

Regardless of religion, tai chi can be utilized as a meditation and spiritual practice by bringing awareness to the body and learning to quiet the mind with relaxed focus. Often called “meditation in motion”, tai chi strengthens the mind-body connection using breath and intentional slow movements. By doing this, we are able to cultivate “chi” or life force energy into our bodies. Practicing outside in nature with bare feet on the ground connects us directly to the earth which serves as a channel for negative electrical charges to do a polar dance with our positively charged bodies. This helps to bring our system into balance at a cellular level.

This practice has become paramount in my healing journey of self-discovery and personal development not to mention the difference I have noticed in recurring anxious thoughts/feelings. When we can learn to be present with our e-motions (aka energy in motion) and feel them in our body, we can also allow them to move through us instead of getting stuck. We actually have the power to shift our internal state rather quickly if we have the proper tools to do so. This is where breath and movement come in.

When thoughts come, the mind wants to over-analyze and critique and we can get stuck in our minds becoming anxious, stressed and overwhelmed which translates to stress in our bodies. In other words, if our mind feels like it’s under attack, it’s going to send signals to our bodies that we must stay in a stressed, fight-or-flight state which can lead to all kinds of imbalances in our physical bodies. Remember that not one part of our body is separate from another. Every system works together and is always communicating. Try it for yourself! I searched on YouTube when I started for beginner videos and chose one that was simple and felt best for me. In the beginning, focus on being consistent and creating a habit. Practice at the same time each day or commit to a certain day every week. Start small and don’t get caught up in doing it perfectly. There is no wrong way to journey back home to you.