Shugyo means “determined training that fosters enlightenment.” It’s purpose is to “tighten the slack”, toughen the body, and polish the spirit.
In my web travels I found several explanations as to “what” shugyo is, or means. Basically, it’s deep mind-body training. Any type of training can be “hard” however; Shugyo also speaks to the mindset that accompanies the training. It’s the distinctive factor, separating mindless training, from one that encompasses body and mind. A perfect explanation of Crossfit. Training that requires reaching higher levels of consciousness as well as a physical ability. Buddhists training is considered Shugyo, as it requires great physical effort but even greater mental efforts. This concept is then meant to carry over to all aspects of your life through the application of energy, focus and mindfulness to all you do.
The initial intent of this post was to promote the upcoming fundraiser, Summer Solstice. And that is still the intent! But let’s detour for a moment!
The fundraiser is an all day event to raise funds for Camp Bucko. If you’re like me, you may not have ever heard of this organization before. It’s a camp for burn victims between the ages of 7 to 17 years old. In reading more about the camp I came across the line “Most of all, it’s a place to have fun and learn new things, build self-esteem and help to cope with life beyond their burn injury.”
That single statement had me hooked. This is my Crossfit. It is a refuge. It is a safe space with like-minded people, a place of betterment, self-growth, and positive energy. Crossfit is my brave!
Crossfit entered my life in a collision of circumstance. For me, the worst experiences in my life have always led me to the best outcomes. And this was how I came across Crossfit. A meeting with a personal trainer I wasn’t supposed to train with, and who really didn’t seem thrilled to have a new chick client plunked into his schedule! My determination to prove him wrong ended up winning him over. I passed the “suck test” refusing to give up during our first session of torture. He softened, but didn’t become any less tough, and changed my entire life! He introduced me to the wonderful world of Crossfit!
I am no athlete. I had the most un-athletic of childhoods. My poor mom tried…softball, ringette, badminton, even synchronized swimming. I was super shy and chubby, not a great profile for athletics! I did books not sports! I am the recipient of year after year of “participation” ribbons. My shelves were full of knick-knacks, CD’s and books…not awards, sports equipment or sneakers.
Enter adulthood and Crossfit. After six months of Crossfit training with Mr. Personal Trainer, I discovered that Crossfit Toronto was a few blocks from my place. It took another month to muster up the courage to actually check it out…but once I did there was no going back!
Crossfit is my brave! Everyday I Crossfit I take on something unknown and I know I will survive. This is an incredible feat! This is something I don’t’ think the average person can claim. Everyday I Crossfit, I challenge myself to push beyond what I think my limit is. I get comfortable with discomfort. I understand that when my head says “heck no!” my body still has a little more to give.
This brave spilled out into my everyday life. I took on my first triathlon last summer…and by summers end I had completed three! Something I had never dreamed myself capable of. I didn’t drown, I didn’t wipe out on the bike and I didn’t collapse on the run. In fact, I placed for my age group in two of them! I had to move a few books on my shelf to display my very first awards!! It only took 30 years! Professionally, I went from a trembling, stuttering mess when faced with a group presentation, to a less trembling, stuttering mess! So I still don’t enjoy standing in front of a room full of people, but I do it a lot more confidently than I used to.
And here is the crazy part! I’m not alone. It’s like a Crossfit pandemic, and every member I meet seems to have been impacted by Crossfit.
So now that we have had the Oprah moment…let’s get back to my initial intention! The Summer Solstice fundraiser taking place Saturday June 20th at the Moss Park Armoury. This event will be raising funds to give kids who have suffered burns, a safe space where they can meet other kids who understand them, and face similar challenges. It’s an opportunity to be part of a supportive community…to just be a kid!
Consider your “Oprah” moment! Can you really pass up the chance to give this to someone else? I can’t.
Sign up today. One day of fun, community and Crossfit equals a summer full of camp, friends and lifetime memories for a kid. Seems like a win-win no!?
Workout
Bench Press 5-5-5-2-2-5-5-5
The last 3 sets of 5 reps are the same weight
A good way to know what shugyo is is to give a good example of what shugyo is not. That would be walking the treadmill while watching CNN or reading a magazine. This is completely non-shugyo because there is disengagement between the mind and the engagement of the body in the exercise.
I actually like to take it a step further and prefer no music as well. This is not a dance club–it is a gym where work is performed with focus. Some prefer music to get pumped up, but I prefer none so I can focus. That, in a nutshell, is the difference between the PL and the OL environment.
re: shugyo and music – I used to CrossFit by myself and never played music. Since joining an affiliate where music is played (loudly) during the WOD I have noticed that I don’t hear it at all. I also do martial arts and I would say it is comparable to a match in a tournament – there I also do not hear or see anything other than the opponent. A marching band of purple elephants could go by and I wouldn’t notice a thing.
[...] we are changing only our bodies every day in the gym think again. Read this excellent article about Shugyo and the relation to CrossFit. Seriously. On a more serious note, a solider from Litchfield Park [...]
agree! there is far too much disengagement of the mind from the body. each move should have your uttmost focus.
no blackberry, cell phone call, or last minute meeting can reach me on the gym floor.
although i do have the need for tunes. sometimes i need just a little distraction to drown out that voice that keeps saying “quit now!”
Keiko Shuygo….as Shioda Sensei explained to me is critical to everything. It is a welcome breeze to see it here in our paths. Make it more than wt you will. MAke it will your wants. less thought, more do.
[...] Shugyo [...]