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Introduction to meditation
Meditation is about relaxing the mind and the body, so that you can tune in to what is going on internally by tuning out the external stimuli of the outside world. Breath and your internal energy flow through the body like water through a garden hose. It is this…
Meditation and Aikido Training – Combating the “Four Sicknesses”
In my previous blog post I spoke about how to perform a basic breath meditation circuit. This time I would like to look at how this type of breath training is relevant to Aikido training. Developing a relaxed breathing pattern is the only way to connect your…
Heijoshin
Members of Aikido Yoshinkai Canada who have been with Kimeda Sensei over the years know that until 2017 one of the hallmarks of his teaching was his weekly Kenshu class. Kenshu are intensive study and training classes and while we did not always leave these classes…
Let’s Get Clinical!: 7 Tips for a Meaningful Aikido Clinic
Chris Johnston Sensei and Paul Gagliano Sensei (Aikido Shindokan dojo) recently made a trip up to AYC Ottawa to deliver a Kigami Biraki clinic. Although I couldn’t join in the trip to visit Hans De Groot Sensei, the event inspired me to reflect on some of the clinics…
Ichigo Ichie
One of the most succinct answers to the question of, why study aikido (or any other budo for that matter) can be paraphrased as follows: To learn about tradition and to improve ourselves. (I have to admit I cannot remember where I read this or who originally wrote…
Mushin
The term MUSHIN is referenced in zen meditation as well as martial arts texts, and translates to “empty mind”. Working to develop a Mushin state of mind means that one’s thoughts pass like clouds in the sky, where the mind observes them but does not follow them. This…