Don't Stand Still

Sidney Crosby is rumored to be returning to play his first game in over 10 months on Monday. His injury has raised awareness about the severity and long term consequences of head injuries. Like any injury, a concussion heals but if you suffer a couple within a short period of time, recovery is more complicated. I’ve suffered a couple of concussions in my lifetime and I have been very lucky that they came years apart. I certainly wasn’t smart enough to rest and give them a chance to heal so my recovery was more blind luck than a mindful strategy.

I’ve watched one of my students struggle after suffering a concussion a couple of months ago. A kung fu lifestyle guarantees the brain bucket is going to take abuse on a regular basis and finding a balance in your training without aggravating the injury is the biggest challenge. No one wants to rest and atrophy while healing so finding alternative paths to mastery is important when recovering from any injury or setback.

Some of my greatest accomplishments have come about as a direct result of a major injury. Whenever I suffer a setback I use it as an opportunity to narrow my focus and concentrate on aspects of my training that do not aggravate my injury. The trick is to stay mindful of the healing process and push around the injury.

“A discovery is said to be an accident meeting a prepared mind.” - Albert Szent-Gyorgyi (1893 - 1986)