| Preface | | | | into one's own unique "ki signature", spirit, mind. No two |
| There are many different ways to understand Aikido | | | | people have the same exact "ki signature", just as no |
| philosophy and perceive, utilize, and benefit from | | | | two people have the same exact written signature. No |
| energy. What I offer here is one of many ways. | | | | two people have the same exact spirit, no two people |
| Indeed when I do other kinds of activities I perceive of | | | | have the same exact mind. The unique way that we |
| and work with energy in quite a different manner. | | | | each take in, utilize, and expend energy, can be |
| What follows is my experience of energy while | | | | considered to be our "ki signature", mind, or spirit. Each |
| performing Aikido over the course of more than | | | | person starts with the same source of energy, and |
| twenty years. Certainly there are likely to be many | | | | manifests this energy in a way that will never exactly |
| other Aikido practitioners that would explain their | | | | be duplicated by any other human being. |
| experiences and beliefs in a manner that is somewhat | | | | Thought, body structure,and movement, shape the |
| different than mine. I offer you here, one experience, | | | | flow of ki, into spirit/mind |
| my experience, and thus all that I say is part of my | | | | Think of the freely flowing water of a powerful river |
| belief system, and not at all necessarily THE truth. | | | | that comes upon a series of fairly large rocks spread |
| Aikido | | | | out across the river bed and extend up beyond the |
| Aikido is a Japanese martial art, and it does not have | | | | water's surface. These rocks affect the flow of the |
| an attack form. We do not kick, punch, or in any other | | | | river but they do not change the nature of the water |
| manner, attempt to hurt our opponent. | | | | itself. Ki flows through the river bed of our brain and |
| The meaning of Aikido: | | | | body. Our thoughts, body structure and movements, |
| "Ai" To gather or harmonize. | | | | are like the rocks in the river bed. These are the main |
| "Ki" Universal life force/energy. | | | | elements that shape ki into individual mind, or spirit The |
| This is the energy that we share with nature and all | | | | flow of ki is uniquely transformed by each human |
| living beings. | | | | being, but the nature of the ki itself, is not altered in the |
| "Do" An artful path of discovery. | | | | process. Just as the pattern of rocks spread out along |
| "Aikido" An artful path of discovering how to gather | | | | the river bed is never exactly duplicated in any other |
| and harmonize the energy of the universe. | | | | place on earth, the pattern of our thoughts, body |
| When we sense and move with the energy that is | | | | structure, and movement is also never exactly |
| manifesting throughout the universe we find that we | | | | duplicated. All mind is similar, but no two minds are |
| have a greater ability to live a life that is healthy and | | | | exactly alike. |
| fulfilling. | | | | A heartfelt understanding of the nature of our spirit will |
| "Ki" | | | | help us to create a healthy alignment of our thoughts, |
| In Aikido we believe that all human beings utilize and | | | | body structure, movements, and actions. When every |
| share a common energy source (ki) that helps to run | | | | aspect of our self is fully aligned we have a much |
| and maintain our environment as well as our individual | | | | greater ability to think, feel, and act in accordance with |
| human systems. We believe that since we all share a | | | | what is best for us in any given moment. We are |
| common energy source, that in some important way | | | | better able to adapt and change in a manner that is |
| we are all truly members of the same family, and truly | | | | supports the well being of our entire self and our |
| sharing our lives with all of nature. We do not have an | | | | surroundings. |
| attack form in Aikido, because attacking an opponent | | | | The misnomers of "mind-body" and "mind and body" |
| would be like attacking a family member that you love. | | | | A definition of "mind" that I often use it in my work, is |
| Attacking an opponent would also be like attempting to | | | | the following: |
| damage the flow of Universal energy in the world, and | | | | "Mind is a dynamic, self-organizing, creative system, |
| such acts are likely to have many far reaching | | | | capable of overcoming physical and temporal |
| consequences. | | | | constraints. Mind uses and manufactures energy in |
| In the Japanese language words that use the concept | | | | order to support the self and one's surroundings, trade |
| of "ki" are common. | | | | information, and adapt to change." |
| "Gen-ki" means "root energy" or one's "personal | | | | When considering this definition of mind, we can say |
| health." | | | | that mind manifests equally in the body and in the brain |
| "Ten-ki" relates to "heavenly energy" or "the weather." | | | | in the skull. Because of this I believe that the terms |
| "Hon-ki" relates to "original energy" or "the truth." | | | | "mind-body" or "mind and body" as used in the |
| "Yuu-ki" relates to "brave energy" or "courage." | | | | Western world, are somewhat missing the mark and |
| "Ki o tsukete" means "attach your energy to what you | | | | tend to lead to a certain degree of misunderstanding. If |
| are doing, or "be careful." | | | | you ask a Japanese person to point to their mind, |
| The origin of ki? | | | | usually they will point to the area of their heart, or they |
| Where does ki originate from? In Aikido the answer is | | | | will point to their lower abdomen. If you ask the |
| poetic in nature rather than scientific. It is suggested | | | | average Westerner to point to their mind they will point |
| that ki was "born" at the same instant as the rest of | | | | to their head. This is why I think the terms "mind-body" |
| the universe, and that we are all born from the ki of | | | | and "mind and body" were developed in the Western |
| the universe. Ki is considered to be an energy that we | | | | world. I believe that the average Western person |
| all have equal access to. It is an energy that courses | | | | thinks of the term "mind" in relation to "thinking" or |
| through our system if we do not restrict it. In Aikido we | | | | "thought". Oriental philosophy considers "mind" to be |
| believe that excess tension physically and emotionally, | | | | immanent in both the body and the brain. In Aikido we |
| fear, hate, greed, and anger, all cut us off from the | | | | say that we practice in order to calm the mind, by |
| universal source of ki. Our daily practice involves | | | | coordinating our thoughts, the actions of our body, and |
| working at maintaining a balanced state physically and | | | | our breath. Or we say that we practice in order to |
| emotionally, and indeed, practicing ways to cultivate | | | | further empower and actualize our mind by |
| physical and emotional balance is much of what the | | | | coordinating our thoughts, physical actions, breath, and |
| study of Aikido is about. In Aikido physical and | | | | spirit. |
| emotional balance are meant to be two sides of the | | | | When looking to calm our mind we give our primary |
| very same coin. Physical balance helps to engender | | | | attention to calming our breath and our heart beat, |
| emotional balance and health, and vice versa as well. | | | | which will tend to lead towards a relaxing of our |
| Often in my professional work with individuals I find | | | | musculature and a slowing down or cessation of our |
| myself first addressing the clients physical balance | | | | internal dialogue. If we calm our body we will tend to |
| when they come wanting to resolve emotional issues, | | | | calm our cognitive thought processes. Calming the |
| and I do the reverse as well. I often first address or | | | | mind can also be accomplished by giving primary |
| explore how emotional imbalance might lead to the | | | | attention to the speed, rhythm, and tone of voice of |
| physical difficulties they are experiencing. | | | | our internal dialogue. If we calm our cognitive thought |
| "Ki signature" mind, spirit-Energy manifests as spirit, | | | | processes we will tend to calm the body. When we |
| spirit manifests as mind | | | | calm both our cognitive thought processes and our |
| Energy manifests within each individual as spirit, spirit | | | | body, then we calm our mind. Cognitive mind and |
| manifests in each individual as mind. In some way that | | | | somatic mind are part of a recursive feedback loop. |
| is a mystery to all of mankind, the freely available | | | | You can't affect one without affecting the other. |
| energy of the universe is transformed by each person | | | | |