An Interview With Eden Gold
Learn to wake up and no matter what, look forward to life of the day. My father had a difficult disease. But that didn’t stop him from waking up and telling himself that “today will be a good day unless otherwise proven”.
In our modern, fast-paced society, mental wellness is a crucial aspect of leading a fulfilling life. However, for many people, achieving and maintaining good mental health can be a challenging task, with obstacles such as stress, anxiety, depression, and more. That’s why it’s essential to have practical and accessible strategies for mental wellness that can help build resilience, emotional intelligence, and overall well-being. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Jonathan Snowiss.
Mental health has a lot of different “paths” to find an ‘internal balance”, or an ‘internal peace”. My experience as a martial artist, qi gong (health movements), tai chi and meditation for 35 years has given me insight to the mind/body connection along with martial virtues to build a strong mindset for mental health. I have studied the philosophy, the medicine, the meditation, and everything that goes along with the training. I majored in “Mind/Body Healing: Qi Gong”, an independent major from Pitzer College. I studied the arts in Shanghai China for 2 years before teaching full time at my studio for 9 years.
I have written many articles on Martial Journal Jonathan Snowiss, Author at Martial Journal, Qi Journal as well as a book “Climbing the Mountain: The Essence of Qi Gong and Martial Arts”. I was featured in Medium a few months back on Cognitive Health, Jonathan Snowiss On Lifestyle Habits Supporting Cognitive Well-Being | by Maria Angelova, CEO of Rebellious Intl. | Authority Magazine | Medium I am also currently looking for a publisher for my latest manuscript I am calling “Reflections on Virtue”, which is deepening the martial virtues for everyone.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion about cultural sensitivity, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?
My name is Jonathan Snowiss. I have done Chinese Martial Arts (aka Kung Fu) and all of its aspects for 35 years. I even had an independent major at Pitzer College, where I created my own major with senior thesis. I called it “Mind/Body Healing: Qi Gong” in 2001. Qi gong is the health (physical and mental) part of kung fu. (You don’t have to do martial arts to do qi gong. In fact, most people who do qi gong do not do martial arts. It has similarities to yoga. I highly hope you can find a competent teacher in your area.) After graduation, I lived in Shanghai China for 2 years studying the language and different martial arts styles. I came back to the States and opened a studio to teach for 9 years. I also wrote a book on martial arts and qi gong “Climbing the Mountain: The Essence of Qi Gong and Martial Arts”. After closing the studio, I became a stay home dad. My daily interactions with my kids opened different understandings of what I do. And since I wasn’t obligated to be at a job, it gave me time to practice, reflect, and write. I have written many articles for different magazines and a new book I’d like to title “Reflections on Virtue”. All of which gave me opportunities to understand the philosophies of my practices to see multiple perspectives on life. Since I try to look at many perspectives on life, it has helped me find calmness, not necessarily “inner peace”, but on the road to contentment, being at peace with life. There is peace even within a raging storm.
Before getting into the interview, I’d like to mention that this is not a simple or straightforward subject. It is very personal and full of detailed nuances that are specific to each individual and needs individual reflections. It is slow, it takes time, be patient. So, I am sometimes long worded. I aim to be as clear as possible, discussing things that are not directly related to mental health, but become important as one practices these philosophies for mental health.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
One of my favorite memories of my martial art training is when I felt a connection with the trees around me. It could have been my imagination, or it could have been real. Doesn’t matter. But what I got out of it does matter. It was a deeply profound appreciation of life as a whole. So, I can have a “spiritual experience” by tapping into that memory even in the supermarket parking lot. I see the trees and I can enjoy it. I see the un-environmentally friendly gas station and appreciate everything that goes into making a car move…. I understand that even human made stuff has never broken the laws of physics. These things are still part of existence, our experience, and although with all of the problems that come with them, I have learned to appreciate what the universe has, and I benefit from them.
From that single experience all those years ago I slowly started to understand the importance of gratitude. Gratitude is one of the most powerful, and undervalued virtues. Even if you believe you are a grateful person, it is more challenging and powerful than you can imagine.
You are a successful individual. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
This might be a bit idealistic, but success is a badge of perceived honor to show others.
I am still living. So, I cannot say I am successful. “Success” changes meaning as time moves on. It does not have a clear, single definition. Success is a temporary experience in the past like winning a trophy or getting a good grade in school. It cannot be the present because I am persistent in refining how can I be a better person, I can always be a better person. “Success” right now, as I sit at the table writing, is to make sure I am as clear as possible in expressing my thoughts to the reader. I am doing the best I can. It might make a positive, life changing difference in some, or it might only confuse some people. It does not take into account the future because things always change, who knows what will happen. The readers who had a positive change might later get confused and this article made things worse. Or for the confused readers at one point will have a positive life changing experience for the good, specifically because of this article. So, for some I am successful, and others I am not. And that will change as life goes on.
Success or failure does not make “me”, well, “me”. Sticking to my understanding of “virtue” makes “me” every moment. A failure today can make a success in maturity tomorrow. And a success today will be either a start of something more beautiful tomorrow, or a laziness setting myself up for failure, which can be the beginning of a success in the day after. Any “success” I have I believe I will probably not see because it will be my legacy.
Don’t worry yourself about success or failure in a dualistic dichotomy. It is only your ego’s opinion of what someone else’s expectation is of you. Perhaps a failure in something means a success that you are ignoring in something else. Work hard to achieve goals in life, but do not use them as a measurement of success in life.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview about mental wellness mastery. What is one often overlooked daily habit that can significantly improve one’s mental wellness?
“Mastery” is a delusion. Just take day by day to learn how to train your heart and mind to have gratitude, the underappreciated virtue. People talk about it. Religions and philosophers teach it. We know how important it is. But too many people don’t truly believe it. Mental wellness only starts with being thankful with the things we externally have. A roof over our head, a bed to sleep on, food to eat…. Be thankful to the people who brought it to you like the truckers and store workers. Be thankful of the people who produced the materials in the factories that you have. Be thankful for the plants and animals who are no longer living so you can have what you have. Be thankful of the money to buy the stuff… on and on. (If you are religious and thank God in your prayers, don’t forget everything after creation that got us here in the here and now.)
If you don’t have “anything” (then how are you reading this article?), be thankful that you are simply alive. What are the chances that you are living? Of the trillions of stars and galaxies, the trillion ways that your DNA was set up for you to experience life. What are the chances? 1in a gazillion? How precious! Take your pick on what to begin to be thankful for. Gratitude sets up opportunities to experience life not in a happy place, but content with what we have which teaches us to have a stable heart and mind.
How do you recommend individuals recalibrate their mental wellness after experiencing a significant setback or failure?
I like the way you asked this question. It is how many people think. However, I would not recommend to recalibrate. I would not bring up the words mental wellness in the first place. Mental wellness is perspective, unlike depression which is less common than people think. Most people who believe they have depression actually has an “habitual disillusion” to life. Even substantial setbacks and failures are temporary. But they can have a meaningful new beginning. So don’t let what should only be a temporary disappointment become a habit.
I would focus on learning to let go. Not of the single event, but as a general skill that can be applied to anything. Letting go is not being detached, cold, or distancing. You can be very attached to many wonderful things. It is learning to understand that it is allowing
life to continue at the right time, which is the challenge. It allows for flexibility, opportunities while not letting extra weight of nostalgia, regret, or mental hold ups preventing us from moving on. I definitely recommend the skill of letting go, one of the “hardest” skills to learn and maintain.
In your experience, what is a common misconception about mental health that hinders people from seeking help or improving their wellness?
“I’m too busy.” There is a zen koan that goes something like this: meditate 20 minute a day. And if you are too busy for that, meditate for one hour. If you are mentally prepared to meditate, you have already cleared you mind of too many distractions. But if you have not settled you mind, then you need more time to get into the practice. Hence, the hour.
Can you share a transformative moment or client story that highlights the power of a specific mental wellness strategy?
My freshman year of college was really challenging. Looking back, I was not depressed, but constantly discouraged and disappointed in myself. It was not easy. I talked to the school’s therapists for a about 6 weeks and that was enough for me. Somehow I started writing poetry, which the therapist encouraged. A couple months later I realized that the poetry was going pretty dark. It somehow occurred to me that the poems were incomplete. From then onward, I would start writing with my frustrations, sadness, anger… but always finding a way out. Eventually, I recognized the disappointments were honest, but that they were not the only point of view and that they were not the end of the story. This strategy helped me not get emotions out, but it more importantly helped me get through the rough times and to “see the light at the end of the tunnel”. I am not at the end of the tunnel, but I don’t let the darkness suck me in taking me away from the journey to the end of the tunnel.
Based on your experience and research, can you please share “5 Everyday Life Hacks For Optimal Mental Wellness?”
Before I go into these, please remember that there are no “hacks” to anything in life. But there are more effective ways for long lasting effects. Also, “optimal” is very subjective and should not be used as a measurement or even in the conversation at all. “Balanced” is better, but even that is not the right word. I like “balanced” but one must understand how I use the word. Balanced is how well one can “withstand” the challenges, chaos, and disasters in life without it overwhelming one’s life. It is the ability to accept the ins and outs of life, no matter what they are. It is also how well one can get up after a setback or whatever and continue on (it doesn’t matter how long, as long as one progresses). It is being “ok” that life isn’t perfect. It’s knowing that life is mostly beautiful and amazing even with the disasters in life is trying to distract us from seeing it. In positive psychology, which is a subfield of psychology, says that it takes 10 positive experiences to weigh the same as 1 negative experience. For example, a single bad experience at a restaurant will be remembered more clearly that 9 great experiences. We took the good experiences for granted. A person who has a balanced mental wellness will recognize this and stay more attuned to the positive, but accepting the negative and using both to make a judgement. And if the judgement is wrong, the ability to acknowledge it and change course.
1 . Learn to wake up and no matter what, look forward to life of the day. My father had a difficult disease. But that didn’t stop him from waking up and telling himself that “today will be a good day unless otherwise proven”.
2 . Find something that pushes your body to overcome, within reason, of course. Some take cold showers. Some do exhausting exercises. Choose something that won’t hurt or injure, but something that “sucks” and learn that at some point it will end. But be persistent. Learn to breathe through it with abdominal breathing, and learn to ground your mind and energy so it is not stuck in your head.
3 . Learn to meditate, but start with mindfulness. Learn to stay aware of one thing. Remember to not use laser focus or forced/straining concentration, just awareness. This teaches us to ignore what is not important at the moment and on the subject and experience what is. In mindfulness training, for example, one practice is to have the mind full of your breath. Nothing else is more important than your breath at each inhale and exhale. The goal is to fully experience the breath. One time is clearly not enough. Maintain the awareness experiencing each moment as the process unfolds itself.
The challenge is the mind will do its best, to not be mindful of what you want to be aware of. The mind will be pulled into being full of what happened in your life by your emotions. All of which are not your breath. When that happens, it is ok. It is what the mind does. It isn’t being bad or anything. It needs conscious guidance. Just acknowledge the thoughts and emotions and go back to the awareness of the breath, no matter how many times. Learn not to be agitated or annoyed. Just always return to the breath. It will deepen and slow down. You will calm down. And maybe naturally smile.
4 . Learn to choose your words wisely. Or, as the old saying goes, “once the wiseman said, nothing!” Many times, our opinions are not important enough to actually say to others, and important to not say inside our own minds. For example, if you choose to take cold showers, do not tell yourself how much you do not like it or just grit it out…. Your opinions will only make it worse. Breath through it. Learn to let the tension go. And as strange as it sounds, learn to enjoy the coldness. You will have a stronger mind, more resilience to challenges, more patience, and can find a better peace of mind.
5 . Don’t overwhelm yourself with thinking about your mental health. If you are worried about it, then the worry will make it worse. Then you worry that you are worried about mental health. And again, you worry about the worry that you are worried about it. Yes mental health is an issue, and something to overcome. But if you use your time thinking about it and not being proactive in changing your life, then you will stew in your own emotions dragging you down.
What role does technology play in mental wellness today, and how can individuals leverage it positively without exacerbating mental health issues?
There is no technology that will help with mental well-being. Technology is to make doing stuff in life easier, but it will not make our outlook on life better. In fact, studies on the effect of cell phone and computers show that it does the direct opposite, especially social media. It’s better to put the cell phone down, walk or sit with nature. If you are in a city and there are no trees or nearby parks, it will be more difficult, but as oddly as it sounds, enjoy the craziness of the city.
However, if you need to talk to someone, you call someone whom you trust that will help you. Or if no one is around or you feel no one cares, in America, call the suicide hotline, 988. That is the only technology that I could say is helpful.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
There is no “movement” that I could start because all the movements are already here! I would only promote what is already there. All wisdom is old wisdom. Any movement would just be a modern interpretation of what people already know. There are so many that I personally enjoy and have learned from, Daoism philosophy and Chan Buddhist philosophy which are both major influences to Asian martial arts. I enjoy Christian philosophy…. Notice I used philosophy of these religions, not the dogmas of the religions. I like stoicism and samurai philosophies as well. I unfortunately don’t know much of Mideast or African philosophies. Each philosophy comes from different experiences and are different paths. Yet their wisdoms have similar aims: finding inner peace.
How can our readers further follow you online?
www.internalqitraining.com, www.thevirtuespath.wordpress.com, www.martialjournal.com/author/jonathansnowiss, www.facebook.com/internalqitraining.com, www.facebook.com/WeiTuoAcademy.com, www.facebook.com/virtuepathway.com
Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
About The Interviewer: Eden Gold, is a youth speaker, keynote speaker, founder of the online program Life After High School, and host of the Real Life Adulting Podcast. Being America’s rising force for positive change, Eden is a catalyst for change in shaping the future of education. With a lifelong mission of impacting the lives of 1 billion young adults, Eden serves as a practical guide, aiding young adults in honing their self-confidence, challenging societal conventions, and crafting a strategic roadmap towards the fulfilling lives they envision.
Do you need a dynamic speaker, or want to learn more about Eden’s programs? Click here: https://bit.ly/EdenGold
Mental Wellness Mastery: Jonathan Snowiss On Everyday Life Hacks For Optimal Mental Wellness was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.