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On Sunday morning in a quiet lane of Koregaon Park, one could see about 30 people striking the air in sync with sharp, rhythmic exhales. This was the Shaolin Warrior Workshop, led by Hurssh Verma, who calls himself a Shaolin warrior monk and has trained in China for over five years.
The intensive and immersive workshop was designed to strip away digital distractions and forge an unbreakable bond between body and spirit.
One of the foundations of Shaolin martial arts is breathing technique (Photo Jignesh Mistry)
(Photo Jignesh Mistry)
Hurssh shared, “We got everybody introduced to the warrior training, basics of the Shaolin stick and the Shaolin staff. It involved understanding the form through basic stretches, the way you breathe, body alignment, swings and strokes.”
The participants were also introduced to the alert and active theory, Tai Chi and Qigong, the meditative practice that involves deep breathing and slow movements.
“I’m into fitness and wanted to explore the Shaolin monks’ practice. We have a lot of yoga workshops but this was something entirely different that I experienced. I am happy that many others got to explore it too,” said Sonika Khani, experience curator With Humans.
A packed house on a Sunday morning (Photo Jignesh Mistry)
Beginning with hard and physically intense, and then moving to more focused, slow and meditative actions, the workshop saw Punekars from various fields getting involved. “This practice creates harmony, making you find that right equilibrium in your body. It is doable by anyone, irrespective of gender and age,” Hurssh added. By the end of the session, aching muscles were entirely eclipsed by a profound sense of inner peace and participants left carrying the spirit of a Shaolin warrior into their daily urban lives.
Hurssh Verma showing a participant how to hold the stick, known as Gun (pronounced “gwen”) or Kun in Chinese (Photo Jignesh Mistry)
(Photo Jignesh Mistry)
(Photo Jignesh Mistry)
English (US) ·