Josh Lu of 1-800-BJJ-HELP is back. This time, we're going deep on all things mindfulness and meditation. Josh is a white belt based in San Diego, CA. He's been meditating for 12 years and has spent a total of 45 days (spread out over the years) on silent retreat. He's currently pursuing a mindfulness meditation teacher certification. In this conversation, we discuss the psychological challenges of competing in Jiu Jitsu and the importance of authenticity in finding one's own style. We explore the paradox of change and the illusion of self-improvement, emphasizing the value of being present and accepting oneself. The conversation also touches on the connection between Jiu Jitsu and Boyd Varty's idea of tracking, as well as the application of Jiu Jitsu lessons to life. Josh provides guidance on getting started with mindfulness and the role of journaling in cultivating self-awareness. And the conversation concludes with a guided meditation practice. Some weird thoughts and reflections on all of these things in this week's BJJ Meditations. 00:05:50 Reflection on the recent competition 00:09:01 Exploring shame and mindfulness 00:11:55 The feeling side of human experience 00:16:00 The practice of patience and discipline 00:19:04 The importance of an embodied practice 00:21:15 Using mindfulness in coaching 00:28:52 The journey into meditation 00:32:01 The interrelationship between meditation and jiu-jitsu 00:33:51 The value of mystery and the unknown 00:37:56 Navigating the plateau in jiu-jitsu 00:41:34 Optimizing for the long haul 00:42:29 The Psychological Challenges of Competing 00:44:09 The Paradox of Change 00:44:51 The Illusion of Self-Improvement 00:46:21 Being Authentic in Jiu-Jitsu 00:47:35 Finding Your Own Style 00:49:00 Discovering Your Passion 00:50:39 The Themes of Jiu-Jitsu in Life 00:53:38 Trusting Your Intuition 00:55:11 The Connection Between Jiu-Jitsu and Tracking 00:56:18 The Value of Being Authentic 00:57:36 Applying Jiu-Jitsu Lessons to Life 00:58:18 Getting Started with Mindfulness 01:00:31 The Role of Journaling in Mindfulness 01:02:28 Externalizing Internal Thoughts and Emotions 01:03:13 Using Humor to Disarm Negative Emotions 01:04:29 Avoiding Value Judgments in Language 01:08:23 Guided Meditation Practice Work with me: https://www.bjjmeditations.com/schedule-a-coaching-session Train at Princeton Brazilian Jiu Jitsu: https://www.princetonbjj.com/ Read more of my work on Substack: https://joehannan.substack.com/ Follow BJJ Meditations on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bjj_meditations/ #bjj #jiujitsu #stoic #stoicism