30 DAYS TO FIT AS F**
Over centuries, Samurai Masters developed comprehensive training regimens to prepare warriors for an honorable, deadly life. Incredible wisdom lies within these texts, but since the millennium the Performance Sciences have exploded at an exponential rate. The Inner Blade program incorporates the best of both worlds.
One obstacle the Old Masters did not encounter was Too Much. Over millions of years humans endured devastating famines, so we evolved to crave calories and store energy reserves (fat). Now, those adaptations are killing us.
That’s why we start with the BODY.
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 most onto the Path. That’s what attracted me.
But make no mistake, the goal is first and foremost getting healthy. Luckily, these are actually one in the same—the accumulation of excess fat does not only obscures a six-pack, it also builds up around the organs and inside the liver and kidney, paving the way for serious metabolic diseases that in turn lead to cardiovascular disease, stroke and even cancer.
Even so, getting lean is a powerful motivator, so let’s run with that.
Lifestyle dictates appearance.
It’s that simple.
Want to look like a _______? Then live like a _______.
For me, I fill in those blanks with Lean Modern Samurai. That’s the Path up the mountain that calls me. Lean is best for my hobbies, surfing and jiu jitsu (competition). In these sports, agility and flexibility are critical, and as we age staying lean enlivens spontaneous movement, which prevents injuries. Plus, I just feel better.
Speaking of simple, Modern Samurai lead simple lives.
Predictable might be a better word.
Forget the glamorous photos and videos, that’s all hype. I’ve spent the last twelve years interviewing and training side-by-side with the greatest Modern Samurai on the planet.
So let’s back up even further. I wrote, Lifestyle dictates appearance. So what defines a Lifestyle?
A Lifestyle is a series of micro-practices that fill our day.
Simple.
Predictable.
In short, that right there is the Inner Blade 30-Day program.
Over 4 weeks we adopt a series of transformative micro-practices—none much more difficult than brushing our teeth every morning—and soon find ourselves walking a completely different Path. A Path that leads up the mountain toward a lean healthy Body, plus a healthy Mind & Spirit.
The keys are Knowledge of the Path and Accountability.
The Key is a Mentor.
At nearly every step of the Journey the most formidable Shadows I've encountered existed purely in my mind.
Doubts.
Fears.
Cravings.
In the verbiage of the Hero’s Journey, these Shadows all proved to be Threshold Guardians that blocked further progress, and until I learned to overcome them I was stuck. Confused. Frustrated. Sometimes wanting to quit. Then I realized these Shadows were my greatest allies, there to teach me the skills I needed to continue climbing.
Luckily, I found 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 embedded during childhood trauma I went to Onsite.
From these specialists I gained powerful techniques that form the basis of the Inner Blade program.
Let’s be very clear: most diets fail. Why? Because they do not address the Mind. Even worse, relapse leads to shame, which leads to an even greater use of food as a panacea.
As the great Miyamoto Musashi taught: “Do not let the body be dragged along by mind nor be 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 usually shifts as we grow. We must afford ourselves and others that latitude.
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 them up when they fell.
When we start to balance and heal these three spheres by adopting proven micro-practices, the results come quick and the sense of confidence and joy propel us along.