Path to One Blog

Covid-19 has put each of us and the entire world in a check position. Just like in the game of chess, we must do something to save the king, ourselves. Many families, businesses, and people have been put in a very precarious situation where they are experiencing hunger, bankruptcy and threat to their wellbeing. Even anxiety, depression, other mental health problems and substance abuse (alcohol, drugs, etc.) are rising at an alarming rate because people are not accustomed to being locked down for long periods of time, are not being able to work for their survival, are not able to provide for their families, are losing what they have built or accumulated during their lives, and are not knowing with certainty what the future holds for them, for all of us. It is in periods like this where we MUST be able to adapt and change as required, where we need to see not a problem but an opportunity, and where keeping a positive attitude is essential to their physical, mental and emotional health....

Not enough importance has been given to breathing in the Western countries and culture, not even in Western medicine. We have never been taught how to breathe correctly, the different ways to breathe, exercises to improve our breathing or even the importance of breathing. Breathing has been completely taken for granted and completely ignored. In fact, breathing only seems to become important when you suffer from some type of respiratory illness, when you are suffocating or when you practice some type of sport or activity where breathing is key to performance. What we have not understood is that breathing is the essence of life! Life cannot unfold if we do not breathe! Breathing is the first and last sign of life. In fact, when we are referring to our lives, we are referring to what happens between these two breaths. But it is not just that. Everything that happens between those two breaths, absolutely everything, regardless of the magnitude and whether we do it consciously or unco...

All of our lives we have been thinking in terms of what we own, what we have, what belongs to us, but the real question is, do we really own these things or do they own us? The idea of ownership started since we were born and, for most, continues until they die. Most people spend their entire lives accumulating and collecting possessions like cars, boats, airplanes, houses, awards, knowledge, family, relationships, and so much more. We think we own our bodies, minds, spouses, children, friends, jobs, businesses, plus all the other a million other possible possessions we can have. So, let’s get back to our initial question, do we own these things? Do we own everything that we have been accumulating all our lives? And the answer is resounding “no.” Why not? For one simple fact, “because you cannot take any of these things with you when you die.” If we cannot take these things with us when we die, then we are just borrowing them temporarily here during this life time, even if we pa...

“We are not Masters without students, who are, in the long run, our best masters!” - Mao Although martial arts has been perpetuated as a way to learn how to fight and defend yourself by movies, magazines, advertisement, etc.; and although most students enroll in martial arts with the purpose of learning how to defend themselves; the real purpose of martial arts is to help their practitioners to become better human beings by means of developing their bodies and minds, by learning how to manage their emotions and energies, and by challenging their physical, mental, and emotional boundaries. It is not a sport or a combat sport, nor a fight club or where you just learn to defend yourself or fight. To the contrary, it is a way of life! There is a big difference between sports and martial arts. On the one hand, while physical activity and exercising are practiced in general for health or to overcome some type of sickness or health issue, sports are practiced mostly for competition o...

This is a story of a rich man who was born in a prominent, wealthy family many years ago. He grew up completely sheltered from the world, happy, and fearless. Everything was provided for him and all was new, exciting and wonderful. When he was old enough, he wanted to travel and experience the world so he left for many years to travel all around it. But the more he traveled, the more he saw, heard and experienced things that were new to him, and he started to lose confidence, to be scared, and protect himself and the possessions he had acquired. It finally got to the point to where he decided that he did not want to continue with this journey anymore. It was just too dangerous and no longer pleasant. So, he went back to his country and his family. His parents had given him a beautiful piece of land in a valley surrounded by mountains, rivers, grass, trees, etc. The summers were warm, the winters cold, and the rest of the year was just perfect. It was a priceless piece of land. Bu...