Meditation

Bruce Lee

While Bruce Lee is seen as the ultimate action star, he recognized the importance meditation. He saw meditation as an important tool to help him stay in the moment. This was espcially true when he was training or in a fight. During a fight he encouraged his students to be aware of their surroundings and to adapt to the opponent in the moment. This makes one their highest level of a fighter. This same idea can apply to everyday life such as public speaking, taking a test, or relieving stress. Bruce Lee incorporated meditation in his life because he saw all the advantages it adds.

Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water.

Beginning Meditation

Meditation can help eliminate distractions, stress, and worry in your life. Once you empty your mind you can truly be in the moment and can adjust dynamically to everyday challenges. Meditation can include the traditional practice of sitting down and closing your eyes but eventually can be used at any time during the day. If you are new to meditation the following podcast series by Jeff Warren is an excellent starting point. It is simple and lasts only 10 minutes. He offers several free meditations on Songcloud and Apple Podcasts.

Active Meditation

Lee also practiced an active form of meditation while running. He would often run three times a week and cycle or jump rope three times. He let his mind wander and staying in the moment of his traning. To get an idea of Lee’s active form of meditation you can try the following walking meditation by Lily Balch of The Morning Ritual podcast. This is a free series available on major streaming service.

The Way

It’s ironic that someone like Lee that was so known for action might find benefit in the calmness of meditation. Check it out and see if it is for you. If you do this once a day you will start to notice feeling more calm and centered in your everyday life.

“Meditation is a freeing of the mind from all motives.” (Jeet Kune Do, page 357).

Resources:

Bruce Lee Meditation image.

The Morning Ritual podcast by Lilly Balch.

How to Meditate podcast by Jeff Warren.

Jeet Kune Do: A Comprehensive Guide to Bruce Lee’s Martial Way, John Little, Editor, Tuttle Publishing, 1997, 2020. Volume 3 of the Bruce Lee Library. Excellent and detailed description of Bruce Lee’s martial art before he passed. Put together by John Little, Bruce Lee historian.

AI Narration provided by elevenlabs.io. Bruce Lee quotes read by AI.