meditation
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A Healthy State of
Smiling warmly
in the newly opened Shaolin Institute
in New Orleans’ Gentilly neighborhood, kung fu
grandmaster Shi Deru radiates the confident humility
of the intrinsically powerful. He has been practicing
meditation since growing up in China’s Shaolin Temple,
where kung fu, Zen (Chan), and meditation flow and
blend together: “Kung fu is a way of Chan expression,
a way of meditation to recover your true-self.” Having
completed both a medical degree in traditional Chinese
medicine and an MA in exercise physiology in the U.S.,
he is particularly able to understand and explain the
wellness benefits of meditation. Stress is key, and Deru
points out that “Countless studies have shown the effect
of stress on the body, both mentally and physically,
and [how] it can manifest itself into different diseases
such as high blood pressure or hypertension.”