Naruto Meditation
Naruto is a Japanese manga and anime series by Masashi Kishimoto, serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine from 1999 to 2014.
This fictional character is based on Japanese legends about ninjas, but in disguise as entertainment teaches valuable life lessons and introduces young people to meditation.
My focus in this blog is to discuss the use of the ninja philosophy that Kishimoto has introduced to his readers and its use as a tool to teach meditation and mindfulness.
The story of Naruto is a story of awakening, of understanding the nature of ourselves and the emotional baggage we all carry and the long road to resolution.
Naruto Uzumaki is a popular anime character and the manga series follows his life from his teenage years.
Orphaned and with no other relatives, Naruto desperately wants to bond with the others in his village and to get their attention indulges in various mischievous acts because only when the others are angry will they interact with him. This is a recognizable scenario for many an ‘outsider’ in a small community, and young people in particular can identify with this.
Enter Naruto’s World of Meditation
Over time Naruto comes to realise that he wants to be respected, and so he tries to provide value to the village and to the country through good deeds rather than bad, with the ultimate aim of becoming a great leader.
To this end he begins a training arc based around the premise of drawing strength from nature through meditation, learning to be absolutely still in body and mind. Through this he develops super powers, being able to control and change his body.
Of course we do not draw strength externally from nature, but from within ourselves and hopefully followers of the manga series come to understand that meditating will make them stronger in both their physical and emotional being. Less prone to anger or irritation, more accepting of challenges in life, more becoming one with others and the world.
Naruto Meditation in Real Life
The idea that we could learn meditation lessons from anime characters and stories might seem almost too good to be true.
But there is one meditative technique taught to Naruto that can be used in the real world of physical combat and combative sports – the Battle Meditation.
Battle meditation can be used to force enemies to surrender.
It helps lift warriors’ spirits and keeps them focused despite overwhelming odds.
Through the use of Naruto meditation techniques, a person is able to perform a breathing exercise that will allow them to clear their minds, thus allowing them to fight better.
With a clear mind they can react faster and better take in what is happening around them.
Naruto teaches those who wish to emulate him that training is a lengthy process, indeed one that never ends.
Parting Words
I was inspired to write this blog after watching the Naruto series on YouTube. It actually taught me a lot of valuable life lessons that are still to this day helping me a lot.
Amazon also sells Naruto movie volumes, which are incredibly popular!
Here’s an example: The Last – Naruto the Movie (Dubbed)
Naruto is an iconic ninja character in the world of entertainment.
Ninjas have been part of Japanese legends since ancient times. In fact, ninjas were not as they are in popular culture assassins but were largely spies, scouts and guerrilla soldiers.
Historically, a ninja was someone who performed covert acts for the government or served as a mercenary. They were hired for their skills in unconventional warfare.
Naruto may have been a fictional character but the lessons he had to learn, the challenges he faced and the mistakes he made are all true-to-life.
Naruto, even as entertainment for young people, teaches valuable life lessons, introduces them to meditation, and helps them to grow.
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