Shi Xing Mi 释行米 Walter Gjergja  |||  32nd generation Shaolin Master 少林武僧

 

Walter Gjergja – Shaolin Temple secular monk Shi Xing Mi – is a Shaolin Master, philosopher, advisor, strategist, co-founder, coach, speaker and author.

 

Born into a modest background, in a small village on the foothills of the Italian Alps, he embarked on a remarkable journey of personal and academic growth that culminated with studying in Australia (La Trobe and Melbourne University) and China (Shaolin Temple), co-founding multiple educational projects and wellness companies, conducting diverse activities internationally (News & Press) whilst - currently - living in Switzerland. 

 

Walter studies Kung Fu WuShu (Chinese martial arts) since age 13 and Chan (Shaolin philosophy) since age 18. Disciple of Grand Master Shi De Yang, with traditional ceremony in the Shaolin Temple he has been nominated secular warrior monk of the 32nd Shaolin generation, monastic name Xing Mi.

 

He has spent many study stays in Shaolin spanning a period of over two decades, becoming one of the very few real western Shaolin Sujiadizi Wuseng and perhaps the only one to have studied in depth all the Shaolin wellness and mindfulness practices, augmenting them with contemporary academic studies; Shi Xing Mi has been the protagonist of many magazine and newspaper articles (News & Press), numerous international events and several television documentaries (BBC, Discovery Channel, Disney XD, Italia1, CCTV, RSI).

 

Author of three books and over one hundred papers on wellness, fitness, mindset, philosophy and strategy, Shi Xing Mi has also completed a double major university degree and has taught the Shaolin disciplines and his Shaolin-inspired philosophy in various fields and over 30 countries, utilising his unique eastern and western cultural and professional background.

 

He has been called by international media a "cultural acrobat", "monk of strategy", "master of effectiveness", "the wellness master" and "the fitness monk".

 

After beginning to practice Kung Fu WuShu as a child in the mid '80s in Italy, from the early ’90s Walter then traveled for more than two decades, studying in China at the Shaolin monastery and in Australian universities, as well as achieving wins and placements in many national and international competitions (Kung Fu WuShu forms and Sanda combat) including three consecutive Asia-Pacific championships.

 

Walter initially studied Shaolin culture – Wugong (martial disciplines and physical training) Chan (philosophy) Yi (health practices and medicine) – with various Masters, among whom the teachers of the famous Shaolin Temple WuShu Guan in Shaolin and other illustrious Shaolin monks.

 

In parallel to his deepening Shaolin studies and following university graduation, Walter also had an extremely rapid and successful international corporate career, becoming at age 27 Co-Founder and CEO of a publicly listed company and then director of a strategy consulting firm, but courageously decided to abandon it, to complete his Shaolin Temple education and then focus his life on sharing his unique mix of competencies.

 

During one of the study stays in Shaolin he had the opportunity to meet Shaolin Temple Grand Master Shi De Yang; the Master accepted him as student and eventually, after years of study and friendship, as formal disciple (the first non-Chinese), descendent of the 32nd Shaolin warrior monks generation. The rare traditional ceremony, performed in the Shaolin Temple with elder monks and relatives of the Master, officialized his entry in the Shaolin genealogy with the monastic name Shi Xing Mi, which has also been inscribed on a stele in the Pagoda Forest.

 

In 2004 Shi Xing Mi co-founded Shaolin Wuseng Houbeidui Italy, in Milan, today managed by his disciples and active also in other cities and in Switzerland as Shaolin Wenhua Europe, one of the principal Shaolin Cultural Centers in Europe, member of the Shaolin Temple official representatives association; he has also been appointed Head Master of the Traditional Shaolin Culture Center in China and Shaolin Cultural Director of various international federations.

 

From his unique and diverse educational, professional and teaching experiences, he created four specific mindfulness-based training systems: 'The Warrior Monk Way', 'Shaolin: power of movement', 'Shaoness' and 'Moving Minds' (Mission & Activities).

 

Shi Xing Mi has conducted seminars and keynote speeches at conferences and corporate events, coached the management of many leading international organisations (Partners & Clients), held lectures at university faculties (Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Russia), trained champion teams in various sports, written books and articles, collaborated as advisor and consultant in a very diverse range of fields (Mission & Activities).

 

In recent years, he has become deeply involved in several leading wellness and healthtech projects, contributing his uniquely eclectic mix of knowledge, wisdom and experiences as Board Advisor, Co-Founder, Chief Wellness Officer and Head of Mindfulness at Palta, the international group developing them.

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