Martial Arts and Meditation
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 allows the mind to to be unbound […]
Following up on our recent meditation workshop, I thought about different options that new practitioners might find helpful to support their study. One way to help build the daily habit of meditation into your routine is to find a way to keep yourself accountable. A meditation journal is one technique you can use to do […]
Happy holidays from Phase Yoga and Aikido Durham! Come and join us for a complementary introduction into Meditation. Yes its Free! This Friday December 13th, at 8:00pm – 8:30pm at Phase Yoga Studio in Port Perry – 241 Queen St. (back entrance of Brittany and Bros) Stay balanced through the holiday season with a 30 […]
We will be participating again this year in the Whitby open streets festivities! Offering free mini Aikido classes and introductory meditation sessions as part of the many activities promoting physical activity and healthy recreation for local families. Event time is September 28, 2019 from 10am to 3pm in downtown Whitby. Come out and share in […]
We are supporting the Rose of Durham in their upcoming charity trivia night by offering a free private Aikido class to the winning trivia team. I would also like to organize our own team to attend the event. The trivia night is Sep 19th, from 6:30 to 9:00pm at the Town Brewery in Whitby. We […]
Happy summer to everyone! This is just an update on class schedule changes. There will be no classes in Port Perry or Whitby for the week of August 12. Classes will resume at both locations on Monday August 19th. Beginning in September we will be changing the schedule at both locations. Whitby will be moving […]
Mitori geiko refers to the concept of practicing by watching. Typically, we practice mitori geiko when we are unable to practice due to an unfortunate injury (often sustained outside of training!) or when we arrive late for class. We learn by watching the instructor and analyzing his/her movement. However, there are also other ways to […]
It is my pleasure to announce that the Shindokan Dojo will be hosting Kimeda Sensei on Friday, March 1, to celebrate his birthday and to teach class. Class time will be from 7:30 – 8:30 PM in Oakville. Please note that this class is completely FREE of charge for AYC members. This event will be […]
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 I’ve attended, with guest teachers from Vancouver, […]
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 sweating from physical exertion, we did leave them mentally […]