Vince Gironda, ‘The Mental State’, The Gironda Master Series Vol. I

vince_gironda.01

The Zen masters, Hatha Yoga and Judo, teach us that the human race of today has lost all trace of an instinctive wisdom of the body. But I disagree in part. I have observed many top bodybuilders (champions) who still have this instinctive wisdom of the body, drawing its essence from obscure biological memories going back to the beginnings of the world. The possibilities of physical expression from this angle are limitless. Achievement of any physical goal can be obtained when a person is in contact with this source.

In order to obtain this state of awareness, the Zen masters advise us to be completely aware of what we are doing at the moment. In short, physical discipline is a must. But this physical discipline should be free of all mental identification and all craving for becoming. One should see and feel as if one had already obtained the desired state of being.

Let us now consider the all-important present – the state of being which should be your state of mind. The easiest way to understand this is to explain the word “concentrate”.

In the intransitive sense, concentrate means to bring all one’s powers, faculties or activities to bear upon a course of action, or though, or object – to fix exclusive attention to.

Hence: When one concentrates, he gives exclusive attention to a subject, action or thought, using all his powers and faculties toward one end (perhaps toward a definite conclusion).

2 Comments

Leave a Reply