What's Your Goal?

Do you want to improve your health and wellness ? Maximize your martial arts? Control your weight? Turn back the clock? Identify the areas you want to improve and let me guide you on the right path. Using the correct combination of my DVDs and resources will deliver your desired results. Shaolin Martial Arts challenges us and helps us to reach the full potential in ourselves that we only dreamt of before. Using the powerful life energy that exists inside our body, we can make ourselves healthy and balanced.

Health and Wellness

The Western focus on exercise has mainly been on making the body look beautiful through weight and cardio training. But this is starting to change. On the Oprah Winfrey show, Dr. Oz said, "If you want to be healthy and live to 100, do Qigong." How can Shaolin Monks train all their lives, while remaining free of injury and looking younger than their years? How can they be beaten with bricks or sticks and not feel any pain? 

The answer is a magical combination of Qigong and Kung Fu. Qigong strengthens the immune system, rejuvenates the internal organs and protects and prevents premature effects of ageing. The Qigong Massage enhances the power of Qigong, helping the Qi and blood to flow properly, while strengthening the bones and keeping the skin soft and supple.

The wearing of Jade helps to banish the harmful effects of the environment. Just as a tree can purify the air, jade has healing powers; helping to purify the body and protect us against the harmful effects of computers, mobile phones or negative energy. It acts as a gentle reminder to us that we are Urban Shaolin Warriors. This means we take time to step back, relax and rejuvenate. Living in the moment is a powerful skill that helps us to be successful in everything we do.

Shifu Yan Lei recommends:

Instant Health: The Shaolin Qigong Workout For Longevity

The Way Of Qigong Volume 1 to begin with followed by 2 and 3

The Instant Health Massage Brush

Jade

Lose Weight

There are many workout plans that claim to be able to help you lose weight in two weeks, eight weeks or twelve weeks but what about after that time?  How many exercise bikes have been bought then discarded? How many gym memberships not used? 

 The Shaolin Approach is to quit relying on willpower. Willpower is like petrol. It quickly runs out.  But when willpower transforms into habit, you can slim down effortlessly and get your body into great shape.

Any workout programme will help you lose weight. The trick is to find something you enjoy. If you enjoy it, you will stick with it, and it will become a habit. Keep it simple. Don't think too much. I love Kung Fu so I do Kung Fu but if I loved ballet I'd do ballet.

Once you've found the workout you enjoy, do Qigong at least three times a week. Qigong is an important factor in weight loss because it helps to balance the hormones. An increase in cortisol for example, can mean that no matter how hard you work out, you will always have belly fat. But liposuction isn't necessary. Just do Qigong. If you find the slow movements boring then do Qigong For Upper Body and alternate this with Lower Body. This will give your internal organs a workout while toning your muscles at the same time. 

Shifu Yan Lei recommends:

Instant Health: The Shaolin Qigong Workout For Longevity

Shaolin Qigong For Upper Body.

Shaolin Qigong For Lower Body.

Shaolin Workout Volume 1

The Instant Health Massage Brush

Turn back The Clock

I don't think it's true that you are as old as you feel, I think you are as old as your body feels! So make it feel good. People who do Qigong have higher levels of an enzyme that protects cells against the build-up of a highly toxic free radical, which can cause ageing.

If you're new to Qigong then start with The Eight Treasures. Once you've learnt this, do some movements from The Qigong For Upper Body and Qigong For Lower Body. Yes, it's tough but it will strengthen your bones and help prevent osteoporosis. It's especially important to do these Qigong's if you're not doing any weight bearing exercise.

 Wear jade. Chinese Jade Jewelry has been used by the Chinese for many thousands of years. We believe that Chinese Jade has the power to bring longevity, good health and peace of mind into our life.

Shifu Yan Lei recommends:

Instant Health: The Shaolin Qigong Workout For Longevity

All of the Qigong DVDS but if you don't have much time then:

Shaolin Qigong For Upper Body.

Shaolin Qigong For Lower Body.

The Instant Health Massage Brush

Jade

Maximize Your Martial Arts

Thousands of years ago, Warrior monks spent their time in the mountains studying nature and seeing how they could maximize their martial arts. Usually when something becomes old it is put in the bin, but the Shaolin training has grown in value because it contains something of great value. It is a valuable jewel that has been passed down to us by our great Chinese masters. The jewel is right here; we just need to start the training so that we can discover the jewel for ourselves.

 My Shaolin DVDs will transform your mind and body into the mind and body of a Shaolin Warrior, and I teach you how to do this step by step

 Shifu Yan Lei recommends

Instant Health: The Shaolin Qigong Workout For Longevity.

All of the DVDs starting with The Way Of Qigong Volume 1 and The Shaolin Workout Volume1. Kung Fu Journey.

The Instant Health Massage Brush

How To Nip A Problem In The Bud

I have many bad character traits but one thing I'm grateful to my masters for teaching me is simplicity. Maybe I'm a little stupid but I don't think over and over again in the way I've noticed many of my Western students do. They run their problems round and round their mind like marbles.

Shantideva said:

“If you can solve your problem, Then what is the need for worrying? If you cannot solve it, Then what is the use of worrying?”
This quote is very powerful because it moves us away from worry and inaction and gets us to the root of what we need to do.

What is it that is making you anxious or worried?

Can you do something to change it?

If the answer is yes then do it.

If the answer is no then you need to find a way to accept it.

This is the end of the story.

You don't need to think about this problem anymore.

Move on.

 If you find it hard to move on then this Chinese proverb is for you:

塞翁失馬焉知非福 (Saiweng Shima, Yanzhi Feifu). The Old Man Who Lost His Horse

During the Han Dynasty—in the third century B.C.—an old man living on China’s border one day lost his horse. His neighbors all said what terrible luck that was, and sympathized with the old man. But Sai Weng said: “Maybe losing my horse is not a bad thing after all.”

The next day the old man’s horse returned, together with a beautiful female horse alongside him. All the neighbors said: “What great luck!” But the old man responded: “Maybe this is not such good luck after all.”

The old man had a strong young son. The boy fell in love with the new horse and rode her every day. One day the new horse got spooked by a wild animal and threw the boy from her back. He broke his leg very badly and was permanently crippled.

All Sai Weng’s neighbors said: “What a tragedy, your strong son will never walk without pain again.” But the old man again said: “Maybe this is not such a bad thing after all.”

And so it went that when the New Year came, the emperor’s army passed through the border region and recruited all able young men to fight in the frontier war. Because the old man’s son was crippled he could not fight and was left in the village to farm with his father. Sai Weng said to his neighbors: “You see, it all turned out okay in the end. Being thrown from the horse and breaking his leg saved my son from fighting in the war and almost certain death. So it was in the end a lucky thing after all.”

Whenever a bad thing happens in China, someone will say “Sai Weng Shi Ma” (Remember “The Old Man Who Lost His Horse”) to remind themselves and others that bad things have a silver lining.

Five Simple Tips To Lose Belly Fat

Whenever I go back to China, I'm so happy to see my friends and family that I eat too much delicious food, and  I'm always much heavier coming back to the UK than I was leaving. I used to be able to lose weight quickly but now I'm in my late thirties, I find it harder to shift and I notice that all the fat goes to one place: my belly. Belly fat slows a fighter down and for middle-aged people it can lead to health problems  later on. The belly is a very stubborn keeper of fat. To successfully shift weight from this place, we need to tackle it from not only a fat burning angle but also hormonal and diet. These are my top tips.

1) Eat breakfast

Studies show that people who eat a quality breakfast, consume less calories during the day as whole. If you're like me, and you like to workout after waking, then eat a banana or a healthy milkshake. I use a food processor to blend  a banana with some cashews, walnuts and milk. Food eaten before a workout boosts performance and enhances your workout.

2) Reduce Cortisol Levels

Too much stress leads to an increase in cortisol which leads to fat gathering around the belly.  Holistic workouts like Qigong balance the hormones so it's important to factor these in as part of your workout. If you're  rundown, stressed or busy then take a holiday from your workout and focus only on doing  Qigong. Once you're feeling better then do a regular workout and include strength training, cardio and interval training. Shaolin Kung Fu has all of these elements in one fully integrated unit.

3) Eat Mindfully

At the temple we say a prayer to our food before eating it and use the eating of our food as a meditation. Mindful eating not only makes us eat more slowly, and enjoy our food, it also helps us to eat less.

4) Eat less fat and sugar

Eat lots of fruit and vegetables, grains and healthy proteins.  Try to cook your own food. Avoid processed food, ready-meals, cakes and sugary drinks. I never saw cereals before I came to the West. They are full of sugar and salt. Try not to eat these types of cereals and also don't drink sugary drinks more than once a week.

5) Listen to your body

Our life is complicated enough so don't over complicate your healthy living and workout. Listen to your body, tune in to it on a daily basis and listen to your own intelligence. Your body has the intelligence of the universe, it knows what it's doing. Let it talk to you and take action on its guidance. 

For more tips on training and health please sign up to my newsletter. 

Ask The Shifu - Part 1

These are some of the questions I regularly get asked via email from my students. You can ask me questions by email: info@shifuyanlei.co.uk. 

Q: What are the proper times to do Qigong?

A: The only times that are not optimal for practicing Qigong is between 11- 12 in the morning and 11  - 12 in the night. If there is heavy rain or thunder then you should refrain from doing Qigong.

Q: How many times should I practice Qigong if I'm a beginner?

A: This depends on what you want to get out of Qigong. The first thing is you need to remember the movement and secondly you need to make the movement correct. If you don't spend enough time mastering the movement then you can't reap the benefit of the practice. Qigong is for your health so you should do it at least four times a week. Quality is better than quantity so a 20 minute fully focused session is better than one hour. It's best if you can make Qigong into a daily routine the same as if you eat your lunch or dinner and then it will be automatic and you don't need to think about it.

Q: Should I wait a number of days after sexual activity before doing Qigong?

A: Qigong builds up your Yang energy and sexual activity uses Yang energy so many people believe that there needs to be a number of days between practicing Qigong and having sex but this isn't necessarily true. For the Qigong that I teach in my DVDs and book , having sexual activity and doing Qigong is not a problem unless you are very weak. If you do practice Qigong then it is necessary that you don't have sex for 100 days. If you are not very strong and you want to build your Yang energy then it's good to stop having sex for at least 30 days when you are building up your practice. People's bodies are different. Focus on what your body is feeling. There are no rules.

Q: How many times should I be practicing the Qi Gong from the beginner DVD before I can move onto the next DVD?

A: Once the movement feels natural and your body feels as if it is getting the benefit and you will never forget this movement so you can swap the movements around  and you know exactly when to inhale and exhale then you are ready to move onto the second DVD. Once you know the forms from all of the Qigong's you can then practice different forms at different times.

Q: Is it safe to practice Qigong without the supervision of a Shifu?

A: It depends on what Qigong you practice. The qigong I teach on my DVDs and books is safe but there are some Qigongs that you can't learn from a DVD or book such as Shaolin Steel Jacket and other hard Qigongs.

Q: Most Shaolin masters seem to be vegetarian, is this true?

A: The Shaolin masters who I know that do martial arts are not vegetarian but they are very in tune with their body and know what food they need to eat to get a proper balanced diet optimal for their training. In the temple we are vegetarian but if we go out of the temple grounds then we do sometimes eat meat.

Q: Do you do weight lifting? Is weight lifting good for martial arts?

A: I don't do weight lifting. I use my body weight to do exercise. Lifting can be good but it depends on how you use it. You need to be clever. If you are a martial artist you need to be flexible, your punch and kick need to quick and strong so you need to make your body lean. When you use weights you have to know what you want. If you want to build up power then you need to use light weights & do more reps. If you want to build up strength then you have to use very heavy weights for a short time.

Q: What kind of diet do you have?

A: Your diet depends on what your are doing, are you training or not? All my life I have trained so my diet is very simple. If I train very early in the morning this means I can't cook breakfast and wait an hour before training so I make an energy drink with four or five different nuts, milk or soya milk or coconut milk, four of five fruits and vegetables like banana, carrots, or apple. I put this all in a food processor and drink it. Then I train for two hours. This gives me enough energy to do my training. Throughout the day I eat nuts and fruit to keep my energy up. For lunch I eat a very big meal which usually consists of meat, rice and vegetables . I eat less for dinner, sometimes just five different fruits. If I train later in the morning then I will eat my dinner for breakfast. I think it's best to eat heavy food earlier rather than in the evening. 

Shaolin Skype - Making Authentic Shaolin Accessible To All

I am passionate about Shaolin not only as a martial art but also as a powerful tool to help people live longer, be happier, fitter, healthier. I am always looking for ways to help people master the Shaolin Arts and get closer so they can experience the real Shaolin. My aim is to take away any obstacles that may get in the way. This is why I make  books and DVDs. I hope that wherever you are in the world, you feel as if you are training in the temple alongside me.  

When I first came to study at the Shaolin Temple I was confused by the different forms and training. I studied a myriad of different forms before I found the true jewels of the training. My training and experience means your time is not wasted. When you train with me you are being handed my twenty-five years of experience. I only teach what is relevant. Time is precious. I don't want to waste your time in learning something that isn't. This would be a waste of my time too.

In accordance with the Temple of Zen, I aim to teach as clearly and simply as possible but I recognize that as a student's training deepens there may be aspects of the training that can't be answered through my DVDs and books. This is why I am now offering Shaolin Skype sessions.

Who are the Shaolin Skype sessions for?

Do you have a niggling doubt that you may be doing the breathing or some of the movements incorrectly?

Are you struggling to stay motivated and committed to your health and fitness program?

Do you want a personalized program tailored to your health concerns?

Do you want more detailed specific advice?

Is there a martial application that you want to learn that I don't teach in my DVDs?

Suffering from injury and want help in recovering?

If you've answered yes to any of these questions then these sessions may be for you.

How does it work?

A Shaolin Skype class is the same as if you were coming to see me for a one2one. The Shaolin Skype Session last 45 minutes and is available exclusively to subscribers of my newsletter.

What do I need?

A Skype account. If you don't have one already then you can sign up for free.

A web cam.

A Wi-Fi connection.

What do I need to do?

Wear loose comfortable clothing

Be in a quiet private space with phones switched to silence

Log on a few minutes before the designated time

How do I book?

If you haven't already then subscribe to my mailing list

Follow the link to buy a voucher and receive a Shaolin Skype session for £60.00

Once you have made the payment you will receive a pdf gift voucher together with instructions as to how to book.

The vouchers are non refundable and valid for twelve months.

What happens after I've bought a voucher?

You can make an appointment to have a session with me at any time within the next twelve months.

Bookings are made up to three months in advance.

Simply email my team and let them know when you're available.

They will then book you in, and send you a series of questions via email.

Your answers will be strictly confidential and help me to tailor my session for you.

Only subscribers to my mailing list can receive a Shaolin Skype Session. Subscribe today and receive 20% off.

The Seven Laws Of Success - How Your Daily Workout Can Help You Achieve Your Dreams

Working Out The Mind & Body

Before I came to the West I only knew what was taught in the four walls of the Shaolin Temple. I knew there were other martial arts outside of Kung Fu and Qigong but I had never seen them before. When I came to the London I was curious and went to many classes to study. I wasn't so much interested in the different techniques. I was interested in how the mind worked. Would the mind of a Muay Thai fighter work differently to a Sanda fighter?

But the most important mind that we need to get to know is our own. It saddens me to think of the many people who workout without using their mind. At the temple, our training is always seen as a meditation. The mind and body work in a unique way and by using our workout as a meditation we infuse our self with a deep sense of spaciousness and peace. So next time you are running, swimming, weight lifting, practicing Qigong or doing a kung fu class either through a DVD or in a class, use my  seven laws to help you achieve success not just in your workout but in your life.

Now Is All We Have

Our mind is a muddy glass of water. It's only when we allow our mind to be still that the mud can settle to the bottom and we can have clarity. The present moment is changing fast and our mind is constantly darting between the past, present and future. To calm it down, we give our mind an object to settle on. The object is our breath and our movement. Once our mind is calm it can then gain the powerful focus of a laser.

Star In Your Own Movie

There are some places in this world that give us great peace. For some people, it may be a Buddhist Temple, others a church, others may find peace in nature. Before you begin your martial arts session, take a few moments to close your eyes. Approach your workout as if you are about to enter that place that gives you peace. Then, begin to imagine yourself at your best, in peak health, flexible, and relaxed. If you're doing bag training, picture your self kicking the bag with power and speed. If you're going through my Qigong DVD then you're staying completely focused on the movement. Runners imagine yourself running effortlessly, your body as light as a feather.

 Believe You Can

" Believing in something beyond the self can have a hugely psychological impact, even if the belief is fallacious." Bounce by Matthew Syed.

Faith is vitally important. Give me a fighter with faith and a fighter with good skill and the fighter with faith will win. We need to believe in our self and in a bigger wisdom than our self. Belief is the first step of our training. A belief that we can do this.

Shaolin Kung Fu Training is hard. It challenges us. This is why we gain in confidence. We are now doing something we never thought possible. We look back and see how far we've come. Our workout has taken us out of comfort zone. It didn't just challenge our body, it challenged our mind. We are taking part in a tradition that is thousands of years old. We are keeping it alive and applying it in our life so that we can become an urban warrior.

Let Go

Shaolin Training is an effective tool to deal with worries and problems. But how do we apply this? Using our workout as a meditation gives us a mini holiday from the circle of our thoughts. It allows us to let go of our worries and problems. This crucial mini holiday helps us to get a bigger perspective so we can deal with our problems more effectively because we no longer feel swamped by them.

Focus

It takes many hours to become a master of something. Once the sport is mastered, a different part of the brain is being used and this is when the workout begins to feel like an instinct. But this only happens with very purposeful practice. Doing the thing that you're bad at makes you into a champion. Failing over and over again makes you into a champion. If there's a certain kung fu kick you struggle with then keep practicing it. Spar against people who are better than you, this is the only way you will learn. Struggling with stamina? Do interval training and hill running.  

Challenge

When you can easily get through your workout, it means it's time to move on. Never stop believing in yourself and never stop challenging yourself. If you are lazy in your workout, are you being lazy in your life? If you're limiting yourself in your workout, in what ways are you limiting yourself in your life?

Blueprint

Your Shaolin Kung Fu Workout is a blueprint for your life. From success in your workout, you can go and achieve success in your life. And remember it's not about winning or losing. It's about doing everything with passion and mindfulness so it has meaning for you. You can't control the outcome but what you can control is having fun in the process.

If you like my blog posts then please sign up to my newsletters to receive more tips and exclusive offers.

The Zen Koan Workout

The world of Western traditional physical exercise is beginning to catch up with what  martial artists have known for thousands of years. Fitness is not just about burning calories and sweating. It’s about being healthy from the inside out and using breath and movement as a way to gain a deeper understanding of ourselves.  Research is revealing that this mind-body fitness not only keeps us healthy but also greatly helps to banish stress and is aids longevity.

Planting the seed

As martial artists, we trust that our final goal of conquering ourselves will be reached effortlessly. The goal is the seed. Through being in the moment and turning up for our martial art’s training sessions we carefully nurture that seed. When we are ready this seed becomes the goal we planted all of those years ago without us having to tinker with it or turn our thoughts to it. It’s almost like something we put away in a drawer and forgot about. 

But training is not possible without some basic level of health. Most of us take health for granted and it’s only when we get a cold or an injury that we are reminded how lucky we are to have the good health to train.

Mind- Body Fitness

Sometimes a person can look strong but this doesn’t mean they’re healthy. Body builders may be inflexible and internally weak. Yoga practioners may be flexible but ask him or her to perform a martial art’s kick and they have no power or speed. This is one of the reasons why there are so many different Shaolin exercises and forms. We work with our whole body and our bodywork has an affect on our mind.

We mix different kinds of training together to make our mind and body connect and work together. We want our stamina and flexibility to work together and our power and speed to work together. At the Shaolin Temple we build up our fitness level from our health not the other way round. Fitness is much more than good stamina.

Peaceful Monks

Sometimes a person may not look strong but they look healthy because of their skin and eyes and when they talk their mind is calm. I have witnessed many Buddhist monks like that. There is something about them, which makes a person feel calm when they are in their presence. Health means that they have a peaceful mind and their internal organs work well. 

Fitness from the inside out

The world of Western traditional physical exercise emphasizes the need for cardiovascular and strength training but they are increasingly beginning to realise that for true fitness we also need to practise stretching and Qigong. Health and fitness usually mean two different things but for optimum fitness and true health we need to bring the two together and join them in a union.

Once you have a healthy body this means you have the foundation to be able to get fit. Fitness doesn’t mean you can run ten kilometers or you can lift very heavy weights, fitness means you have good stamina, you are flexible and your reaction time is very swift.

Suggested Training Plan – How To Start

It is not necessary to be a Shaolin martial artist to run through this training plan below but it is suitable for any martial artist.

1) Run for twenty minutes to make your body hot.

2) Raise each knee a hundred times to loosen your muscles.

3) Stretch your legs and hips.

4) Practise the five fundamental Shaolin kicks.

5) Do some push ups to train your upper body.

6) Traditional punches to stretch out the muscles.

Repeat 2) – 6) three times.

Once you have finished this training we can do some traditional forms or if you are a Thai boxer or kick boxer then you can shadow box and kick different combinations to make your mind and body work together. Do a workout from one of my workout or bootcamp DVDs. 

If you don’t like training outside and you train in the gym or in your home then at the beginning of your training session you can skip or ride a bicycle instead of going for a run. The important thing is to make your body hot.

Qigong

After we have gone through this training plan, we finish our training with Qigong. At the Shaolin Temple we never do fitness training alone but always balance it out with the practice Qigong to enhance the power of our external training and balance our Yin and Yang. Qigong helps us to feel peaceful, concentrated, positive and focused.

The Power Of Qi

Many athletes especially long distance runners and cyclists know that it is their mind as much as their body that gets them through the race. Once their mind has given up then they too will give up and they won’t be able to continue and complete or win the race.

But even though they understand the power of their mind, they don’t understand the power of Qi. This is why they end up retiring when they are in their thirties. They don’t look after their internal organs. Shaolin Monks do which is why their training deepens as they get older.           

Effortless effort

When I look at someone who is truly fit, everything they do looks easy. They are very flexible because when they run they tell their body to keep light and positive. When they punch or kick, they tell themselves to relax and use their body more. When they lift weights, they know exactly which muscle they need to use and which muscle they don’t need to use. When they practise Qigong they know when they need to inhale and when they need to exhale. They focus on what they need to focus on and this gives them confidence and power. They understand that if their mind is strong then their body is strong and if their body is strong then their mind is strong. It’s not possible to separate the two out.

A Zen Koan

Martial artists have always used both; they have always used the breath because it is the link between the mind and body. They have always focused on the present moment because it is the only moment when we can be truly alive. This is why – in the past –Masters sometimes used shock tactics or said Koans in an attempt to awaken their student to what life really is. 

What is the sound of one hand clapping?

If we try to understand with our intellect then we’ll never understand and if we try to do martial arts with our intellect we shall also never understand. 

Only when we have cultivated strong willpower and let go of our mind can we move to hard training to build up our stamina level and create from out of ourselves a warrior’s mind and body.