Sensei’s thoughts

Dimensionality With the Unit

Sensei's thoughts, Working with the Unit
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Introduction

In our last on-line class we practiced with the four basic energies of the unit:  idea; structure; intuitive principle and unifying energy.  We practiced with these four energies of the unit as they are manifested in the Aikido technique shomen-uchi irimi nage.  We used the energies of our imagination to create an enhanced experience of our uke-training partner.  We then worked on an internal dialog between the energies of the unit to achieve a greater state of internal harmony and integration.  Moving from an Aikido technique focus to a daily life focus, we used the shomen-uchi irimi nage technique as a physical metaphor and selected a unit from our daily lives as a way of broadening our practice.  This included identifying and upgrading a part or parts of the unit that needed some additional time and attention in order to create a more integrated and balanced unit. 

The unit is the part of ourselves that contains the skills and abilities necessary to accomplish the tasks for which that unit is created.  The energetic content of the unit is decided by the skills necessary to perform that particular function and therefore will vary from unit to unit.  Performing brain surgery is a very different unit than running a marathon.  Being a parent is very different than being the CEO of a company.  One of the most commonly asked questions in Aikido is, why is it so difficult to transfer the good feeling I get in class to other activities?  One response is the energies of Aikido are unique to Aikido.  The chemistry is the same but the chemicals (energies of the unit) are different in each situation.

The unit is the clothing we wear to accomplish particular tasks or assume particular roles.  O Sensei called the unit haku-Essence of Aikido (pg.27). 

This process as I of “inhabiting” particular units is often unconscious.  When we walk to our car to drive home, that is a unit, one to which we don’t generally give much attention.  Some basic units are much more a part of our identity than others.  Examples include your choice of work; your place in a family or other important social groups. 

The overall goal of this series of classes is to help create a more balanced and integrated unit that functions better and  allows a better forging to occur between the I and the unit resulting in better performance and more personal satisfaction. 

Our goal initially, is to experience the basic parts of the unit and their interaction with each other.  It is in this conscious interaction that a real opportunity for a balanced and integrated unit exists.  If the basic parts of the unit are not consciously experienced we may miss important elements of the unit and therefore start from a place of fragmentation rather than wholeness.  Our best experience is not available for the task at hand.  If that is not addressed we will experience the downstream negative effects of that fragmentation, in reduced performance and satisfaction. 

One way fragmentation occurs is when action is taken from only some of the energies of the unit that are the most readily available to our experience.  An example is, we get a good idea of taking action and don’t allow an experience of the other energies that make up the unit of that idea.  We may then run out of energy and can’t complete the task well or at all.  This can happen when the idea or one of the other energies of the unit is put in a position of carrying the whole task of performance.  A fully formed unit is much more likely to produce the outcome we envision. 

O Sensei laid out the parts of a fully integrated unit-Essence of Aikido (pgs. 32-33).  He called them the four souls and the eight powers. 

The four souls are:  the intelligent soul; the rough soul; the gentle soul and the optimistic soul. 

The eight powers are:  movement and calm; release and solidification; retraction and extension and unification and division.

These are high level examples of what makes up a fully functioning unit.  We are going to work with this four count model and apply it specifically to the units we experience.    

As stated earlier, the version of the four counts of the unit with which we will work in this series of classes is:  the idea; the structure; the intuitive element and the unifying principle.  The first two energies we refer to as the obvious ones.  They come up easily and often.  What is my goal and how will I achieve it?  The second two we call the not so obvious because they often need specific focus in order to be consciously experienced. 

One example of the four counts is the task of building a house.  Energy 1-the idea-is like the architect who does the design and provides the blueprint.  Energy 2-is the contractor who actually builds the house using the blueprint from the architect as a guide and a starting point.  Energy 3-is the interior designer who crafts the living space so the house is not only livable but a pleasure to live in.  Energy 4-is the overall manager who brings the other three together into a fully working unit. 

One very important principle throughout this series is that every unit has value!

We will use a kata like version of a basic Aikido technique as our physical reference.   

Before we begin to work with the unit, let’s bow in and start with misogi breathing and a good full warm-up.

Our tip today on the misogi breathing is to experience the out breath not as an exhalation but as a release; and the in breath as allowing the breath to come in rather than as an inhalation.  This can help the process to seem more natural and less forced.   

Dimensionality With the Unit

We will again use the basic Aikido technique shomen-uchi irimi nage as our practice technique.  Please refer to the video on our Facebook Group of the technique for a clear visual of the movement.

  1. Let’s begin with two rounds of shomen-uchi irimi nage. In order to make the practice more vivid, take a moment before we start to visualize your uke as someone you admire.  This could be a real person you like to practice with or a character you create with your imagination.  In this first round tailor your visualization as close to this admirable person as you can.   As we do it try and remember your experience so we can refer back to it as our practice progresses.  To make the experience of the uke more tangible let’s do the attacking movement a few times on each side.  Then let’s go through the shomen-uchi irimi nage technique working on each count of the energies of this unit-shomen-uchi irimi nage-in turn to directly experience what each adds to the fullness of the unit.  

At each point there is a sense in which you become a different person, there is a shift in identity as we quoted Nadeau Sensei in the previous classes.

    • Get feedback-what was your experience?  
  1. Now let’s change from your admirable uke to one that you find more difficult to practice with. This can be a real person-no names please-or someone from your imagination.  It could even be you.  Once again to make the experience of the uke more tangible let’s do the attacking movement a few times on each side.  How is the attack different with this different uke?    Once you have changed ukes, let’s advance the practice we did with the admirable uke, now with the difficult uke, by going through the four counts again.  Let’s also change the focus from shomen-uchi irimi nage as a technique from the art of Aikido into a physical metaphor from your daily life. Then repeat the four count practice we did on our first round.  Now let’s take a moment for reflection.  Which of the four counts do you feel is behind the others in fullness and ability to support the whole of the unit?  This is not meant as an exercise in self-criticism.  The goal is to give the count more time and attention to reach the same level as the other 3.  The ability to directly experience which part of our system needs some attention to create a more balanced whole is of great value in working through difficulties in performance.  The alternative of using force to push through the problem creates a high level of stress without getting to the root cause.   Once you identify the count a moment of full attention will usually allow an experience of what the count needs to “catchup.”  Give the count another moment of full attention to bring the insight to fruition.  Depending on the size of the unit and the amount of change needed this may not happen all at once but even a partial movement will be helpful.  Then repeat the shomen-uchi irimi nage technique again.  
    • Get feedback-how did this practice change your experience?
  1. We have arrived at a point where the unit is more fully integrated and functional than when we started. Let’s now work with dimensionality.  This time visualize your uke as being someone you believe can help you make a shift to a finer, deeper, fuller level of you as the unit, still from daily life.  It can be a real person a fictional character or someone created completely from your imagination.  Then using the circle center practice as a “travel vehicle”, allow your system to open, settle and experience a deeper, fuller center.  The question to ask here is what is the level 2 unit in this daily life lineage    Then repeat shomen-uchi irimi nage and see what is your experience as level 2 unit of practicing the technique, how is it different than being a level 1 unit?      
    • Get feedback-how did this practice of dimensionality change your experience?    

 Conclusion

In this class we advanced our practice of working with the energies of the unit.   This included identifying and experiencing, at a working level, the four basic energies that make up the unit and what they each contribute to a fuller experience and improved performance.  We then practiced with different “ukes” to experience the process of the unit adapting to differing circumstances.  In addition to focusing on the technique in the context of the art of Aikido we also used it as a physical metaphor for a unit on our daily lives.  We practiced to identify which part/s of the unit may need more time and attention to come into balance and fullness with the others.  We concluded with a practice of making dimensional shift from a level 1 unit to a level 2 unit.

Feedback on practice.

Practice before next class

Use the shomen-uchi irimi nage technique/unit and see if you can move through two levels of dimensional shift and see how that changes your experience. 

Chuck Norris provides an example of applying this principle to daily life-The Secret Power Within Zen Solutions to Real Problems (pgs. 97-98).

Internal Dialog With the Unit

Sensei's thoughts, Working with the Unit
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Introduction

In our last on-line class we practiced with the four basic energies of the unit:  idea; structure; intuitive principle and unifying energy.  We practiced with these four energies of the unit as they are manifested in the Aikido technique ten-chi nage, the heaven and earth throw.

Review

The unit is the part of ourselves that contains the skills and abilities necessary to accomplish the tasks for which that unit is created.  The energetic content of the unit is decided by the skills necessary to perform that particular function and therefore will vary from unit to unit.  Performing brain surgery is a very different unit than running a marathon.  Being a parent is very different than being the CEO of a company.  One of the most commonly asked questions in Aikido is, why is it so difficult to transfer the good feeling I get in class to other activities?  One response is the energies of Aikido are unique to Aikido.  The chemistry is the same but the chemicals (energies of the unit) are different in each situation.

The unit is the clothing we wear to accomplish particular tasks or assume particular roles.  O Sensei called the unit haku-Essence of Aikido (pg.27). 

This process as I of “inhabiting” particular units is often unconscious.  When we walk to our car to drive home, that is a unit, one to which we don’t generally give much attention.  Some basic units are much more a part of our identity than others.  Examples include your choice of work; your place in a family or other important social groups. 

The overall goal of this series of classes is to help create a more balanced and integrated unit that functions better and  allows a better forging to occur between the I and the unit resulting in better performance and more personal satisfaction. 

Our goal initially, is to experience the basic parts of the unit and their interaction with each other.  It is in this conscious interaction that a real opportunity for a balanced and integrated unit exists.  If the basic parts of the unit are not consciously experienced we may miss important elements of the unit and therefore start from a place of fragmentation rather than wholeness.  Our best experience is not available for the task at hand.  If that is not addressed we will experience the downstream negative effects of that fragmentation, in reduced performance and satisfaction. 

One way fragmentation occurs is when action is taken from only some of the energies of the unit that are the most readily available to our experience.  An example is, we get a good idea of taking action and don’t allow an experience of the other energies that make up the unit of that idea.  We may then run out of energy and can’t complete the task well or at all.  This can happen when the idea or one of the other energies of the unit is put in a position of carrying the whole task of performance.  A fully formed unit is much more likely to produce the outcome we envision. 

O Sensei laid out the parts of a fully integrated unit-Essence of Aikido (pgs. 32-33).  He called them the four souls and the eight powers. 

The four souls are:  the intelligent soul; the rough soul; the gentle soul and the optimistic soul. 

The eight powers are:  movement and calm; release and solidification; retraction and extension and unification and division.

These are high level examples of what makes up a fully functioning unit.  We are going to work with this four count model and apply it specifically to the units we experience.    

As stated earlier the version of the four counts of the unit with which we will work in this series of classes is:  the idea; the structure; the intuitive element and the unifying principle.  The first two energies we refer to as the obvious ones.  They come up easily and often.  What is my goal and how will I achieve it?  The second two we call the not so obvious because they often need specific focus in order to be consciously experienced. 

One example of the four counts is the task of building a house.  Energy 1-the idea-is like the architect who does the design and provides the blueprint.  Energy 2-is the contractor who actually builds the house using the blueprint from the architect as a guide and a starting point.  Energy 3-is the interior designer who crafts the living space so the house is not only livable but a pleasure to live in.  Energy 4-is the overall manager who brings the other three together into a fully working unit.

One very important principle throughout this series is that every unit has value!

We will use a kata like version of a basic Aikido technique as our physical reference.   

Before we begin to work with the unit, let’s bow in and start with misogi breathing and a good full warm-up.

A tip on the misogi breathing is to visualize as your breath goes out that it is a natural expression of openness and not something you have to force.  Use the pause after the exhalation to experience this openness to being filled by universal energies of health and wellbeing.  Then rather than a forceful inhalation your openness allows a soft inflowing of energy into your mind, body and spirit.  The pause after the in breath creates a natural readiness to feel your entire system; body, mind and spirit absorbing the energies of health and wellbeing.  As you repeat the cycle of breathing it is like filling a reservoir with energetic sustenance which feeds your entire system long after the breathing exercise has been completed.

Balancing the Unit Through Internal Dialog

We will use the basic Aikido technique shomen-uchi ikkyo as our practice technique.  Please refer to the video on our Facebook Group of the technique for a clear visual of the movement.

  • Let’s begin with two rounds of shomen-uchi ikkyo. As we do it try and remember your experience so we can refer back to it as our practice progresses.
  • Feedback on the first round of practice.

Now we will work on each count of the energies of this unit- shomen-uchi ikkyo-in turn to directly experience what each adds to create the fullness of the unit.

At each point there is a sense in which you become a different person, there is a shift in identity as we quoted Nadeau Sensei in the previous classes.

  1. As we do the shomen-uchi ikkyo practice, ask the question what is your idea of the technique? This is a way to get in touch with count 1 of this unit.  A moment or two of full presence will usually bring in a sense of what count 1 or the idea energy of this unit is.  Let’s move on to the second count of this unit which is the structure.  As we do the shomen-uchi ikkyo practice, ask the question what is your experience of the structure of the technique?  This is a way to get in touch with count 2 of this unit.  A moment or two of full presence will usually bring in a sense of what count 2 or the structure energy of this unit is.  
    • Get feedback-how did the focus on counts 1 and 2, the idea and structure of the technique change your experience?  
  1. Now let’s work on an internal dialog between count 1, the idea and count 2 the structure. Ask the question starting with either count 1 or 2 first, what is working well in our relationship and what could make the relationship work even better?  Then repeating the same process with the count you want to work with second.  Then practice shomen-uchi ikkyo.   
    • Get feedback-how did this internal dialog change your experience?
  1. We have experienced areas in which counts 1 and 2 are in agreement and areas where there are opportunities for improvement. You don’t have to know how to move to the level of greater harmony between counts 1 and 2.  Just maintain fullness and presence to allow the counts to absorb the experiences naturally, especially the insights for areas of improvement.  Then repeat shomen-uchi ikkyo.       
    • Get feedback-how did bringing the insights from this internal dialog to fruition change your experience?
  1. Then repeat the same process for count 3, the intuitive element and count 4 the unifying principle.
    • Repeat shomen-uchi ikkyo and get feedback-how did bringing the insights from this internal dialog to fruition with the not so obvious counts change your experience?

Conclusion

In this class we worked with the energies of the unit.   This included identifying and experiencing, at a working level, the four basic energies that make up the unit and what they each contribute to a fuller experience and improved performance.  We then practiced an interior dialog designed to allow a better balanced relationship between the energies of the unit.

Practice before next class

Pick a unit that you have had difficulty with in the past and work with the four counts and identify which of the count/s need additional attention in order to achieve a balance with the others, in other words which one or ones is a little behind.  Then give that one/ones the attention needed and see how it improves the overall experience of the unit.

The Heart of Aikido (pg. 111). 

Working With the Unit

Sensei's thoughts, Working with the Unit
Published on

Introduction

In our last on-line class we started a series of classes on the unit.

Review

The unit is the part of ourselves that contains the skills and abilities necessary to accomplish the tasks for which that unit is created.  The energetic content of the unit is decided by the skills necessary to perform that particular function and therefore will vary from unit to unit.  Performing brain surgery is a very different unit than running a marathon.  Being a parent is very different than being the CEO of a company.  One of the most commonly asked question in Aikido is, why is it so difficult to transfer the good feeling I get in class to other activities?  One response is that the energies of Aikido are unique to Aikido.  The chemistry is the same but the chemicals (energies of the unit) are different in each situation.

The unit is the clothing we wear to accomplish particular tasks or assume particular roles.  O Sensei called the unit haku-Essence of Aikido (pg.27). 

This process as I of “inhabiting” particular units is often unconscious.  When we walk to our car to drive home, that is a unit.  Some basic units are much more a part of our identity than others.  Your choice of work; your place in a family or other important social groups are examples. 

The overall goal of this series of classes is to help create a more balanced and integrated unit that functions better and  allows a better forging to occur between the I and the unit resulting in better performance and more personal satisfaction. 

Our goal initially, is to experience the basic parts of the unit and their interaction with each other.  It is in this conscious interaction that a real opportunity for a balanced and integrated unit exists.  If the basic parts of the unit are not consciously experienced we may miss important elements of the unit and therefore start from a place of fragmentation rather than wholeness.  Our best experience is not available for the task at hand and if it is not addressed we will experience the downstream negative effects of it, in reduced performance and satisfaction. 

One way fragmentation occurs is when action is taken from only some of the energies of the unit that are the most readily available to our experience.  An example is we get a good idea of taking action and without allowing a more complete experience of the other energies that make up the unit of that idea we run out of energy and can’t complete the task well or at all.  This can happen when the idea or one of the other energies of the unit is put in a position of carrying the whole task of performance.  A fully formed unit is much more likely to produce the outcome we envision. 

O Sensei laid out the parts of a fully integrated unit-Essence of Aikido (pgs. 32-33).  He called them the four souls and the eight powers. 

The four souls
  • The intelligent soul
  • The rough soul
  • The gentle soul
  • The optimistic soul. 
The eight powers
  • Movement and calm
  • Release and solidification
  • Retraction and extension
  • Unification and division.

These are high-level examples of what makes up a fully functioning unit.  We are going to work with his four-count model and apply it specifically to the units we experience.    

The version of the counts of the unit we will work within this series of classes is: 

Four Count Model

  • Obvious Counts

    • the idea
    • the structure;

  • Not so Obvious

    • the intuitive element and
    • the unifying principle. 

The first two energies we refer to as the obvious ones.  They come up easily and often.  What is my goal and how will I achieve it?  The second two we call the not so obvious because they often have to be focused on specifically in order to be consciously experienced. 

One example of the four counts is the task of building a house. 

  • Energy 1-the idea
    is like the architect who does the design and provides the blueprint. 
  • Energy 2- the contractor
    who actually builds the house using the blueprint from the architect as a guide and a starting point. 
  • Energy 3- the interior designer
    who crafts the living space so the house is not only livable but a pleasure to live in. 
  • Energy 4- the overall manager
    who brings the other three together into a fully working unit.

One very important principle throughout this series is that every unit has value!

We will use a kata like version of a basic Aikido technique as our physical reference.   

Before we begin to work with the unit, let’s bow in and start with misogi breathing and a good full warm-up.

A tip on the misogi breathing is to visualize as your breath goes out that you experience a state internal emptiness, which creates a readiness to be filled.  Use the pause after the exhalation to experience this openness to being filled by universal energies of health and wellbeing.  Then rather than a forceful inhalation relax and feel the life giving energies coming in with a relaxed inhalation.  The pause after the inhalation is a time to feel your entire system; body, mind and spirit absorbing the energies of health and wellbeing.  As you repeat the cycle of breathing it is like filling a reservoir with energetic sustenance.

Fullness of the Unit

We will use the basic Aikido technique ten-chi nage or heaven and earth throw as our practice technique.  Please refer to the video of the technique for a clear visual of the movement.

  • Let’s begin with two rounds of ten-chi nage. As we do it try and remember your experience so we can refer back to it as our practice progresses.
  • Feedback on the first round of practice.

Now we will work on each count of the energies of this unit- ten-chi nage-in turn to directly experience what each adds to create the fullness of the unit.

At each point there is a sense in which you become a different person, there is a shift in identity as we quoted Nadeau Sensei in the previous classes.

  1. As we do the ten-chi nage practice, ask the question what is your idea of the technique? This is a way to get in touch with count 1 of this unit.  A moment or two of full presence will usually bring in a sense of what count 1 or the idea energy of this unit is. 
    • Get feedback-how did the focus on count 1, the idea of the technique change your experience?  
  1. Let’s move on to the second count of this unit which is the structure. As we do the ten-chi nage practice, ask the question what is your experience of the structure of the technique?  This is a way to get in touch with count 2 of this unit.  A moment or two of full presence will usually bring in a sense of what count 2 or the structure energy of this unit is. 
    • Get feedback-how did the focus on count 2, the structure of the technique change your experience?
  1. Now working on the third count of this unit which is the intuitive. As we do the ten-chi nage practice, ask the question what is your experience of the intuitive energy of the technique?  This is a way to get in touch with count 3 of this unit.  A moment or two of full presence will usually bring in a sense of what count 3 or the intuitive energy of this unit is.  What is the beauty, the poetry of this technique?  Often the first of the not so obvious counts will feel bigger spatially than the first two counts.
    • Get feedback-how did the focus on count 3, the intuitive energy of the technique change your experience?
  1. Let’s move on to the fourth count of this unit which is the unifying energy. As we do the ten-chi nage practice, ask the question what is your experience of the unifying energy of the technique?  This is a way to get in touch with count 4 of this unit.  A moment or two of full presence will usually bring in a sense of what count 4 or the unifying energy of this unit is. 
    • Get feedback-how did the focus on count 4, the unifying energy of the technique change your experience?
  1. There are milestones of fullness in units moving to a deeper level of consciousness with which we can then identify as our center of gravity, just as we experienced with the I. Nadeau Sensei uses the analogy of starting out as tourist in a new place; then becoming a resident and then a citizen.  Using the larger context from Saotome Sensei’s perspective on the connection between the personal and universal-A Light on Transmission Mitsugi Saotome (pg. 23), let’s go through one more round of ten-chi nage practice as our reference, and begin to experience the movement from this more universal perspective.  Let’s do a round of the circle center practice and allow a moment for the energies of the unit to adjust.  This adjustment will often create a disruption through which we must relax and open to the larger version of the energies of the unit.
    • Repeat ten-chi nage and get feedback-how did working with the technique from a more universal perspective change your experience?

Conclusion

In this class we worked with the energies of the unit.   This included identifying and experiencing, at a working level, the four basic energies that make up the unit and what they each contribute to a fuller experience and improved performance.  We then started a process of shifting dimensions from the personal to the universal and worked with the energies of the unit at that level.

Practice before next class

Pick a unit that you have had difficulty with in the past and work with the four counts of that unit repeating three times and note any insights or changes you experience.

Journey to the Heart of Aikido Linda Holiday (pg. 188).   

Working With the Unit

Blog, Sensei's thoughts, Working with the Unit
Published on

Introduction

In our last on-line class we completed the series on integrating and upgrading the I.  Today we are starting a series of classes on the unit.

Overview of the Unit

The unit is the part of ourselves that contains the skills and abilities necessary to accomplish the tasks for which that unit is created.  The energetic content of the unit is decided by the skills necessary to perform that particular function and therefore will vary from unit to unit.  Performing brain surgery is a very different unit than running a marathon.  Being a parent is very different than being the CEO of a company.  One of the questions asked most often in Aikido is, why is it so difficult to transfer the good feeling I get in class to other activities?  One way to respond is that the energies of Aikido are unique to Aikido.  The chemistry is the same but the chemicals (energies of the unit) are different in each situation.

The unit is the clothing we wear to accomplish particular tasks or assume particular roles.  O Sensei called the unit haku-Essence of Aikido (pg.27). 

This process as I of “inhabiting” particular units is often unconscious.  When we walk to our car to drive home, that is a unit.  Some basic units are much more a part of our identity than others.  Your choice of work; your place in a family or other important social groups are examples.  

The overall goal of this series of classes is to help create a more balanced and integrated unit that functions better and  allows a better forging to occur between the I and the unit resulting in better performance and more personal satisfaction. 

Our goal initially, is to experience the basic parts of the unit and their interaction with each other.  It is in this interaction that a real opportunity for growth and development resulting in the improved performance of the unit exists.  If the basic parts of the unit are not consciously experienced we are starting from a place of fragmentation rather than wholeness.  Our best experience is not available for the task at hand and if it is not addressed we will experience the downstream negative effects of it, in reduced satisfaction and performance. 

One way fragmentation occurs is action is taken from only some of the energies of the unit that are the most readily available to our experience.  An example is we get a good idea of taking action and without allowing a more complete experience of the other energies that make up the unit of that idea we run out of energy and can’t complete the task well or at all.  This can happen when the idea or one of the energies of the unit is put in a position of carrying the whole task of performance.  A fully formed unit is much more likely to produce the outcome we envisioned. 

O Sensei laid out the parts of a fully integrated unit-Essence of Aikido (pgs. 32-33).  He called them the four souls and the eight powers. 

The four souls are: 

  • The intelligent soul
  • The rough soul
  • The gentle soul
  • The optimistic soul

The eight powers are:  movement and calm; release and solidification; retraction and extension and unification and division.

These are high level examples of what makes up a fully functioning unit.  We are going to work with his four count model and apply it specifically to the units we experience.    

The version of the unit we will work with in this series of classes is:  the idea; the structure; the intuitive element and the unifying principle.  The first two energies we refer to as the obvious ones.  They come up easily and often.  What is my goal and how will I achieve it?  The second two we call the not so obvious because they often have to be called up specifically in order to be consciously experienced. 

One example is the task of building a house.  Energy 1-the idea-is like the architect who does the design.  Energy 2-is the contractor who actually builds the house using the blueprint from the architect as a guide.  Energy 3-is the interior designer who designs the living space so the house is not only livable but a pleasure to live in.  Energy 4-the overall manager who brings the other three together into a fully working unit.

One very important principle throughout this series is that every unit has value!

We will use a kata like version of a basic Aikido technique as our physical reference.   

Before we begin to work with the unit, let’s bow in and start with misogi breathing a good full warm-up.

A tip on the misogi breathing is to visualize your breath going out to the ends of the universe and bringing back life affirming energies that fill your system from all corners of creation.

Fullness of the Unit

We will use the basic Aikido technique morote-dori kokyu nage as our practice technique. 

  • Let’s begin with two rounds of morote-dori kokyu nage. As we do it try and remember your experience so we can refer back to it as our practice progresses.
  • Feedback on the first round of practice.

Now we will work on each count of the energies of this unit- morote-dori kokyu nage-in turn to directly experience what each adds to create the fullness of the unit.

At each point there is a sense in which you become a different person, there is a shift in identity as we quoted Nadeau Sensei in the previous classes.

  1. As we do the morote-dori kokyu nage practice, ask the question what is your idea of the technique? This is a way to get in touch with count 1 of this unit.  A moment or two of full presence will usually bring in a sense of what count 1 or the idea energy of this unit is. 
    • How did the focus on count 1, the idea of the technique change your experience?  
  1. Let’s move on to the second count of this unit which is the structure. As we do the morote-dori kokyu nage practice, ask the what is your experience of the structure of the technique?  This is a way to get in touch with count 2 of this unit.  A moment or two of full presence will usually bring in a sense of what count 2 or the structure energy of this unit is. 
    • How did the focus on count 2, the structure of the technique change your experience?
  1. Now working on the third count of this unit which is the intuitive. As we do the morote-dori kokyu nage practice, ask the question what is your experience of the intuitive energy of the technique?  This is a way to get in touch with count 3 of this unit.  A moment or two of full presence will usually bring in a sense of what count 3 or the intuitive energy of this unit is. 
    • How did the focus on count 3, the intuitive energy of the technique change your experience?
  1. Let’s move on to the fourth count of this unit which is the unifying energy. As we do the morote-dori kokyu nage practice, ask the question what is your experience of the unifying energy of the technique?  This is a way to get in touch with count 4 of this unit.  A moment or two of full presence will usually bring in a sense of what count 4 or the unifying energy of this unit is. 
    • How did the focus on count 4, the unifying energy of the technique change your experience?
  1. There are milestones of fullness in units moving to a deeper level of consciousness with which we can then identify as our center of gravity just as we experienced with the I. Nadeau Sensei uses the analogy of starting out as tourist in a new place; then becoming a resident and then a citizen.  Let’s go through one more round with morote-dori kokyu nage practice as our reference, and visualize instead of being held by a regular size person we are being held by a giant.  Allow a moment for the energies of the unit to adjust.  This will often create a disruption through which we must relax and open to the larger version of the energies of the unit.
    • Repeat morote-dori kokyu nage.  How did working with the technique with a giant as a partner change your experience?

Conclusion

In this class we began working with the experience of the unit.   This included identifying and experiencing, at a working level, the four basic energies that make up the unit and what they each contribute to a fuller experience and improved performance.  We then made one shift in dimensions and worked with the energies of the unit at that level.

Practice before next class

Pick a unit of your choice and work with the four counts of that unit and make one dimensional shift.

Vibration and Connection The Aikido That I Pursue Seishiro Endo (pg. 141). 

Moving Toward the Most Original I

Blog, Sensei's thoughts, Working with the I
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Introduction

We practiced in our last on-line class in this series integrating and then upgrading the I.  The I is the center of our experience of personal identity.  We used the basic Aikido exercise kokyu-ho undo.

Today, we will conclude our series of classes on working to deepen our experience of growth and development as I.  Our goal is to experience as close as possible what O Sensei described as the most original I or the original soul.  In today’s class we will use the Aiki Taiso tekubi-kosa undo or the hold from the rear exercise as our physical reference-The Secret Teachings of Aikido (pg. 97). 

Review

The I is the part of us that is the center of personal identity.  The experience of I is always present regardless of which persona or unit we are currently adopting.  When we are weeding the backyard there is I.  If we go to a state dinner at the White House there is I.  The unit is the clothing we wear to accomplish particular tasks or assume particular roles.  O Sensei called them kon (I) and haku (unit)-Essence of Aikido (pg.27).  One term he used to refer to the I as a whole is nen-The Secret Teachings of Aikido (pgs. 80-81).

This process as I of “inhabiting” particular units is often unconscious.  When we walk to our car to drive home, that is a unit.  Some basic units are much more a part of our identity than others.  Your choice of work; your place in a family or other important social groups are examples. 

The unit is the part of ourselves that contains the skills and abilities necessary to accomplish the tasks for which that unit is created.  The energetic content of the unit is decided by the skills necessary to perform that particular function and therefore will vary from unit to unit.  Performing brain surgery is a very different unit than running a marathon.  Being a parent is very different than being the CEO of a company.

The I is the part of our system, at a basic level, that provides a qualitative experience of satisfaction and meaning to our activities.  It is the source of our perspective on our lives and our world in both an immediate and overall sense.

The health of the I is a big factor in how well we forge with the units that are important to us both in the sense of personal satisfaction and wellbeing and our functional performance in those roles. 

The overall goal of these classes is to help create a more balanced and integrated I and to experience the potential for growth inherent in the I.  We will do some similar practices to experience a more balanced and integrated unit.  This allows a better forging to occur between the I and the unit resulting in more personal satisfaction and better performance. 

The two parts of the I are, as outlined by O Sensei and many other traditions, the part that is more awareness oriented and the other that is more experientially oriented.  Our shorthand for these is the mind of I (awareness/thinking) and the body of I (feeling/experience).

Our goal initially, is to experience these parts of the I and their interaction with each other.  It is in this interaction that a real opportunity for growth and development of the I exists.  When there is a lack of connection or even conflict between the parts of the I, we are starting from a place of fragmentation rather than wholeness.  If the lack of integration is not addressed we will experience the downstream negative effects of it, in reduced satisfaction and performance. 

One way fragmentation occurs is that a part of the I ranges out and tries to obtain wholeness and satisfaction from outside itself.  An example is when the mind of I tries to direct and take over the unit, this results in both maintaining the fragmentation of the I within itself (less of an experience of personal satisfaction) and interferes with the unit’s ability to perform.  

Everyone has had occasions when they noticed the harder they try to accomplish something the more frustrated they get (I) and the worse their performance becomes (unit).  The image of the kitten trying to extricate itself from a ball of yarn comes to mind, the harder it tries, the more entangled it becomes.  From O Sensei’s perspective, this tendency toward entanglement and its results forms a key part of the difficulty of the human condition-The Secret Teachings of Aikido (pg. 53).

Bringing the two parts of the I into a more whole experience with each other is a big step toward reducing entanglement and its resulting negative effects.

Before we go on, let’s look at how O Sensei and others describe the I-The Secret Teachings of Aikido (pgs. 80-82) and Essence of Aikido (pg. 27). 

Here is another perspective from Alex Bennett in his book on Kendo (pgs. xxxii-xxxiii).

Here is another perspective from Prof. Cheng Man-ching-Cheng Tzu’s Thirteen Treatises on T’ai-chi Ch’uan (pg. 34) and Essays on Man and Culture (pgs. 32-33).

We need both the experience of all the basic states of consciousness and a healthy psychology of the I for this to happen.  Ken Wilbur in his book Integral Meditation calls these two types of development waking up (refined state experience) and growing up (psychological health).  The book Zen at War is an example where waking up was not matched with growing up.  

Before we begin to work with the I, let’s bow in and start with a little bit of stretching and then misogi breathing.

 

Moving Toward the Most Original I

We will use the tekubi-kosa undo or hold from the rear exercise as our focus to experience the I and to realize the potential growth inherent in us as I.  This exercise, because it doesn’t involve moving the feet, is a good physical manifestation of the fact this deepest experience of the I is right here and right now-Lao-tzu My Words are Very Easy to Understand Prof. Cheng Man-ching (pg. 192)-The Heart of Aikido (pgs.93-94).

  • Let’s begin with two rounds of tekubi-kosa undo. As we do it try and remember your experience so we can refer back to it as our practice progresses.
  • Feedback on the first round of practice.

Now we will review the experience of the two parts of the I, mind of I and body of I mirroring each other, and a practice of the internal dialog and integration we worked on in our last class, then practice tekubi-kosa undo.

At each point there is a sense in which you become a different person, there is a shift in identity as we quoted Nadeau Sensei in the previous classes.

  1. Let’s begin with the practice of mirroring. The mind of I, using its capability of mirroring and turning inwardly, allows an image of the body of I to form in you as the mind of I.  Then making a shift in perspective from mind of I to body of I, as body of I, use your unique capability to mirror the mind of I.  We now have these two parts of the I mirroring each other.  Through this mutual experience there is a greater sense of alignment, integration and wholeness in the experience of yourself as I.  From this experience, your interaction with the unit and the rest of creation comes from a place of wholeness rather than fragmentation.  Let’s now focus on an experience of further integration.  Start the practice with either mind or body of I first.  Our question is what is going well in the relationship with the other and what would you like more of?  This is a way to experience and reinforce what is going well and work to improve the areas that are not going so well.  In the areas not going so well, a moment or two of full presence will usually bring in a sense of what will help to improve the relationship.  Then repeat the process with the other part of the I.  From the experience you have from this part of the practice let’s move to bring the insights obtained from the dialog to fruition.  This starts not by straining to bring about greater integration or even knowing where to start.  It begins by maintaining a sense of active presence and allowing the “answer” to materialize organically and naturally.  Once the process of integration starts, maintain that same sense of active presence rather than trying to hurry it or make it happen.  Here we have arrived at a good level 1.  One way to differentiate levels is to give yourself a name.  What is your name at level 1?
  • Repeat tekubi-kosa undo and get feedback-how did the focus on the mind and body of I mirroring and feeding each other change your experience?  

 

  1. We have arrived at a state of being that is more balanced and integrated then when we started. It doesn’t have to be perfect!  From this more balanced state we can practice to experience the potential for growth to the next level of I.  Nadeau Sensei called this dimensionality.  Let’s begin with the circle center practice.  From the starting point of the balanced integrated I we open the system further.  Then we center the system further.  From that fuller experience we ask the question what is our next level of I?  As we did with the dialog process in the practice we just completed, don’t strain to get the “answer.”  Stay relaxed and maintain a fullness of presence and allow the experience of the next level of I to emerge naturally and organically.  What is your name at level 2?  Feedback on the practice.
  • Repeat tekubi-kosa undo and get feedback-how is the exercise different from this fuller experience of I?

There are milestones of fullness in moving to a deeper level of consciousness with which we can then identify as our center of gravity.  Nadeau Sensei uses the analogy of starting out as tourist in a new place; then becoming a resident and then a citizen and even more.  Here is an example from O Sensei Sensei- The Secret Teachings of Aikido (pg. 21). 

  1. Our last practice provided an initial experience of a fuller level of I. Let’s repeat the practice we just worked on to make the transition from a level 1 I to a more complete or original level of I/soul.  This is a big jump but only meant to provide a glimpse of what this most original level experience is like-The Essence of Aikido (pg. 21).  Did your name for you at this most level change?
  • Repeat tekubi-kosa undo and get feedback-how is the exercise different as we get more fully present, take up residence, at this fuller level of I-A Life in Aikido (pgs. 178-180)?

 

Conclusion

In this class we deepened our experience of the I and used that deeper experience to get a glimmering of an even more refined most original level of I/soul.   This is the practice of dimensionality Shinki Aikido With Nobuyuki Watanabe (pg. 26). 

Practice before the next class

Three rounds of dimensional shifts with one of the Aiki Taiso in-between.  Pay close attention to the feedback as you get closer to that most original level of I/soul.

Deepening Our Dimensionality With the I

Blog, Sensei's thoughts, Working with the I
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This difficult time; while we wish it was not going on, is an opportunity to deepen our practice by appreciating what is really important to us and what we can let go of.  Journey to the Heart of Aikido Linda Holiday (pgs. 142-143). 

Introduction

We practiced in our last on-line class in this series integrating and then upgrading the I.  The I is the center of our experience of personal identity.  We used the basic Aikido exercise ude-furi undo.

Today, we will continue working to deepen our experience of growth and development as I.  Our goal is to experience the potential the I has for greater wholeness and reducing even further the potential for entanglement.  In today’s class we will return to the exercise kokyu-ho undo or the blending exercise, we used previously, as our physical reference. 

Review

The I is the part of us that is the center of personal identity.  The experience of I is always present regardless of which persona or unit we are currently adopting.  When we are weeding the backyard there is I.  If we go to a state dinner at the White House there is I.  The unit is the clothing we wear to accomplish particular tasks or assume particular roles.  O Sensei called them kon (I) and haku (unit)-Essence of Aikido (pg.27).  One term he used to refer to the I as a whole is nen-The Secret Teachings of Aikido (pgs. 80-81).

This process as I of “inhabiting” particular units is often unconscious.  When we walk to our car to drive home, that is a unit.  Some basic units are much more a part of our identity than others.  Your choice of work; your place in a family or other important social groups are examples. 

The unit is the part of ourselves that contains the skills and abilities necessary to accomplish the tasks for which that unit is created.  The energetic content of the unit is decided by the skills necessary to perform that particular function and therefore will vary from unit to unit.  Performing brain surgery is a very different unit than running a marathon.  Being a parent is very different than being the CEO of a company.

The I is the part of our system, at a basic level, that provides a qualitative experience of satisfaction and meaning to our activities.  It is the source of our perspective on our lives and our world in both an immediate and overall sense.

The health of the I is a big factor in how well we forge with the units that are important to us both in the sense of personal satisfaction and wellbeing and our functional performance in those roles. 

The overall goal of these classes is to help create a more balanced and integrated I and to experience the potential for growth inherent in the I.  We will do some similar practices to experience a more balanced and integrated unit.  This allows a better forging to occur between the I and the unit resulting in more personal satisfaction and better performance. 

The two parts of the I are, as outlined by O Sensei and many other traditions, the part that is more awareness oriented and the other that is more experientially oriented.  Our shorthand for these is the mind of I (awareness/thinking) and the body of I (feeling/experience).

Our goal initially, is to experience these parts of the I and their interaction with each other.  It is in this interaction that a real opportunity for growth and development of the I exists.  When there is a lack of connection or even conflict between the parts of the I, we are starting from a place of fragmentation rather than wholeness.  If the lack of integration is not addressed we will experience the downstream negative effects of it, in reduced satisfaction and performance. 

One way fragmentation occurs is that a part of the I ranges out and tries to obtain wholeness and satisfaction from outside itself.  An example is when the mind of I tries to direct and take over the unit, this results in both maintaining the fragmentation of the I within itself (less of an experience of personal satisfaction) and interferes with the unit’s ability to perform. 

Everyone has had occasions when they noticed the harder they try to accomplish something the more frustrated they get (I) and the worse their performance becomes (unit).  The image of the kitten trying to extricate itself from a ball of yarn comes to mind, the harder it tries, the more entangled it becomes.  From O Sensei’s perspective this tendency toward entanglement and its results, forms a key part of the difficulty of the human condition-The Secret Teachings of Aikido (pg. 53).

Bringing the two parts of the I into a more whole experience with each other is a big step toward reducing entanglement and its resulting negative effects.

Before we go on, let’s look at how O Sensei and others describe the I-The Secret Teachings of Aikido (pgs. 80-82) and Essence of Aikido (pg. 27). 

Here is another perspective from Alex Bennett in his book on Kendo (pgs. xxxii-xxxiii).

Here is another perspective from Prof. Cheng Man-ching-Cheng Tzu’s Thirteen Treatises on T’ai-chi Ch’uan (pg. 34) and Essays on Man and Culture (pgs. 32-33).

We need both the experience of all the basic states of consciousness and a healthy psychology of the I for this to happen.  Ken Wilbur in his book Integral Meditation calls these two types of development waking up (refined state experience) and growing up (psychological health).  The book Zen at War is an example where waking up was not matched with growing up.  

Before we begin to work with the I, let’s bow in and start with a little bit of stretching and then misogi breathing.

Deepening Dimensionality With the I

We will use the kokyu-ho undo or blending exercise as our focus to experience the I and to realize the potential growth inherent in us as I. 

  • Let’s begin with two rounds of kokyu-ho undo. As we do it try and remember your experience so we can refer back to it as our practice progresses.

Now we will review the experience of the two parts of the I, mind of I and body of I mirroring each other, and a practice of the internal dialog and integration we worked on in our last class, then practice kokyu-ho undo.

At each point there is a sense in which you become a different person, there is a shift in identity as we quoted Nadeau Sensei in the previous classes.

  1. Using the kokyu-ho undo practice as our reference; ask the question when you think about the kokyu-ho undo practice, what thoughts attract your attention? This is a way to get in touch with the mind of I.  Then moving the arms and hands from the feet up, let’s work with a similar question.  What are your feelings about kokyu-ho undo?  What feelings attract your attention?  This is a way to get in touch with the body of I.  How are these two perspectives different from each other?  Then let’s continue with a practice of interaction and integration between them.  The mind of I has the capability of mirroring.  It is aware through mirroring what is going on outside the I, and evaluates it.  Turn the mirroring capability of the mind of I inward and allow an image of the body of I to form in you as the mind of I.  Then making a shift in perspective from mind of I to body of I, as body of I, use your unique capability to mirror the mind of I.  We now have these two parts of the I mirroring each other.  Through this mutual experience there is a greater sense of alignment, integration and wholeness in the experience of yourself as I.  From this experience your interaction with the unit and the rest of creation comes from a place of wholeness rather than fragmentation.  Let’s now focus on an experience of further integration.  Start the practice with either mind or body of I first.  Our question is what is going well in the relationship with the other and what would you like more of?  This is a way to experience and reinforce what is going well and work to improve the areas that are not going so well.  In the areas not going so well, a moment or two of full presence will usually bring in a sense of what will help to improve the relationship.  Then repeat the process with the other part of the I.  From the experience you have from this part of the practice let’s move to bring the insights obtained from the dialog to fruition.  This starts not by straining to bring about greater integration or even knowing where to start.  It begins by maintaining a sense of active presence and allowing the “answer” to materialize organically and naturally.  Once the process of integration starts, maintain that same sense of active presence rather than trying to hurry it or make it happen.  Here we have arrived at a good level 1.  One way to differentiate levels is to give yourself a name.  What is your name at level 1?
    • Repeat kokyu-ho undo and get feedback-how did the focus on the mind and body of I mirroring and feeding each other change your experience?  
  1. We have arrived at a state of being that is more balanced and integrated then when we started. It doesn’t have to be perfect!  From this more balanced state we can practice to experience the potential for growth to the next level of I.  Nadeau Sensei called this dimensionality.  Let’s begin with the circle center practice.  From the starting point of the balanced integrated I we open the system further.  Then we center the system further.  From that fuller experience we ask the question what is our next level of I?  As we did with the dialog process in the practice we just completed, don’t strain to get the “answer.”  Stay relaxed and maintain a fullness of presence and allow the experience of the next level of I to emerge naturally and organically.  What is your name at level 2?  Feedback on the practice.
    • Repeat kokyu-ho undo and get feedback-how is the exercise different from this fuller experience of I?

There are milestones of fullness in moving to a deeper level of consciousness with which we can then identify as our center of gravity.  Nadeau Sensei uses the analogy of starting out as tourist in a new place; then becoming a resident and then a citizen.  Here is an example from O Sensei Sensei- The Secret Teachings of Aikido (pg. 21). 

  1. Our last practice provided an initial experience of a fuller level of I. Let’s repeat the practice we just completed to make the transition from a level 1 I to a level 2 I more complete.  Did your name for you at level 2 change?
    • Repeat kokyu-ho undo and get feedback-how is the exercise different as we get more fully present, take up residence, at this fuller level of I?

Conclusion

In this class we deepened our experience of the two basic aspects of the I and used that deeper experience to move to an even more refined level of I and to get more fully resident as the level 2 I.   This is the practice of dimensionality Shinki Aikido With Nobuyuki Watanabe (pg. 26). 

 

Practice before the next class: 

three rounds of dimensional shifts with one of the Aiki Taiso in-between.  Pay close attention to the feedback as you get fuller in the level 2 I.

Dimensionality With the I

Blog, Sensei's thoughts, Working with the I
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Introduction

We practiced in our last on-line class in this series integrating and then upgrading the I.  The I is the center of our experience of personal identity.  We used the basic Aikido exercise fune-kogi undo.

Today, we will continue working to deepen our experience of growth and development as I.  Our goal is to experience the potential the I has for greater wholeness and reducing even further the potential for entanglement.  In today’s class we will return to the exercise ude-furi undo or the two step exercise, we used previously, as our physical reference. 

Review

The I is the part of us that is the center of personal identity.  The experience of I is always present regardless of which persona or unit we are currently adopting.  When we are weeding the backyard there is I.  If we go to a state dinner at the White House there is I.  The unit is the clothing we wear to accomplish particular tasks or assume particular roles.  O Sensei called them kon (I) and haku (unit)-Essence of Aikido (pg.27).  One term he used to refer to the I as a whole is nen-The Secret Teachings of Aikido (pgs. 80-81).

This process as I of “inhabiting” particular units is often unconscious.  When we walk to our car to drive home, that is a unit.  Some basic units are much more a part of our identity than others.  Your choice of work; your place in a family or other important social groups are examples. 

The unit is the part of ourselves that contains the skills and abilities necessary to accomplish the tasks for which that unit is created.  The energetic content of the unit is decided by the skills necessary to perform that particular function and therefore will vary from unit to unit.  Performing brain surgery is a very different unit than running a marathon.  Being a parent is very different than being the CEO of a company.

The I is the part of our system, at a basic level, that provides a qualitative experience of satisfaction and meaning to our activities.  It is the source of our perspective on our lives and our world in both an immediate and overall sense.

The health of the I is a big factor in how well we forge with the units that are important to us both in the sense of personal satisfaction and wellbeing and our functional performance in those roles. 

The overall goal of these classes is to help create a more balanced and integrated I and to experience the potential for growth inherent in the I.  We will do some similar practices to experience a more balanced and integrated unit.  This allows a better forging to occur between the I and the unit resulting in more personal satisfaction and better performance. 

The two parts of the I are, as outlined by O Sensei and many other traditions, the part that is more awareness oriented and the other that is more experientially oriented.  Our shorthand for these is the mind of I (awareness/thinking) and the body of I (feeling/experience).

Our goal initially, is to experience these parts of the I and their interaction with each other.  It is in this interaction that a real opportunity for growth and development of the I exists.  When there is a lack of connection or even conflict between the parts of the I, we are starting from a place of fragmentation rather than wholeness.  If the lack of integration is not addressed we will experience the downstream negative effects of it, in reduced satisfaction and performance. 

One way fragmentation occurs is that a part of the I ranges out and tries to obtain wholeness and satisfaction from outside itself.  One example is when the mind of I tries to direct and take over the unit, it results in both maintaining the fragmentation of the I within itself (less of an experience of personal satisfaction) and interferes with the unit’s ability to perform. 

Everyone has had occasions when they noticed the harder they try to accomplish something the more frustrated they get (I) and the worse their performance becomes (unit).  The image of the kitten trying to extricate itself from a ball of yarn comes to mind, the harder it tries, the more entangled it becomes.  From O Sensei’s perspective this tendency toward entanglement and its results, forms a key part of the difficulty of the human condition-The Secret Teachings of Aikido (pg. 53).

Bringing the two parts of the I into a more whole experience with each other is a big step toward reducing entanglement and its resulting negative effects.

Before we go on, let’s look at how O Sensei and others describe the I-The Secret Teachings of Aikido (pgs. 80-82) and Essence of Aikido (pg. 27). 

Here is another perspective from Alex Bennett in his book on Kendo (pgs. xxxii-xxxiii).

Here is another perspective from Prof. Cheng Man-ching-Cheng Tzu’s Thirteen Treatises on T’ai-chi Ch’uan (pg. 34) and Essays on Man and Culture (pgs. 32-33).

We need both the experience of all the basic states of consciousness and a healthy psychology of the I for this to happen.  Ken Wilbur in his book Integral Meditation calls these two types of development waking up (refined state experience) and growing up (psychological health).  The book Zen at War is an example where waking up was not matched with growing up.  

Before we begin to work with the I, let’s bow in and start with a little bit of stretching and then misogi breathing.

Dimensionality With the I

We will use the ude-furi undo or two step exercise as our focus to experience the I and to realize the potential growth inherent in us as I. 

  • Let’s begin with two rounds of ude-furi undo. As we do it try and remember your experience so we can refer back to it as our practice progresses.

Now we will review the experience of the two parts of the I, mind of I and body of I mirroring each other, and a practice of the internal dialog we worked on in our last class, then practice ude-furi undo.

At each point there is a sense in which you become a different person, there is a shift in identity as we quoted Nadeau Sensei in the previous classes.

  1. Using ude-furi undo practice as our reference, ask the question when you think about the ude-furi undo practice, what thoughts attract your attention? This is a way to get in touch with the mind of I.  Then moving the arms and hands from the feet up, let’s work with a similar question.  What are your feelings about ude-furi undo?  What feelings attract your attention?  This is a way to get in touch with the body of I.  How are these two perspectives different from each other?  Then let’s continue with a practice of interaction between them.  The mind of I has the capability of mirroring.  It is aware through mirroring what is going on outside the I, and evaluates it.  Turn the mirroring capability of the mind of I inward and allow an image of the body of I to form in you as the mind of I.  Then making a shift in perspective from mind of I to body of I, as body of I, use your unique capability to mirror the mind of I.  We now have these two parts of the I mirroring each other.  Through this mutual experience there is a greater sense of alignment, integration and wholeness in the experience of yourself as I.  From this experience your interaction with the unit and the rest of creation comes from a place of wholeness rather than fragmentation.  Let’s now focus on an experience of further integration.  Start the practice with either mind or body of I first.  Our question is what is going well in the relationship with the other and what would you like more of?  This is a way to experience and reinforce what is going well and work to improve the areas that are not going so well.  In the areas not going so well, a moment or two of full presence will usually bring in a sense of what will help to improve the relationship.  Then repeat the process with the other part of the I.  From the experience you have from this part of the practice let’s move to bring the insights obtained from the dialog to fruition.  This starts not by straining to bring about greater integration or even knowing where to start.  It begins by maintaining a sense of active presence and allowing the “answer” to materialize organically and naturally.  Once the process of integration starts, maintain that same sense of active presence rather than trying to hurry it or make it happen.  Here we have arrived at a good level 1.  One way to differentiate levels is to give yourself a name.  What is your name at level 1?
    • Repeat ude-furi undo and get feedback-how did the focus on the mind and body of I mirroring and feeding each other change your experience?  

 

  1. We have arrived at a state of being that is more balanced and integrated then when we started. It doesn’t have to be perfect!  From this more balanced state we can practice to experience the potential for growth to the next level of I.  Nadeau Sensei called this dimensionality.  Let’s begin with the circle center practice.  From the starting point of the balanced integrated I we open the system further.  Then we center the system further.  From that fuller experience we ask the question what is our next level of I?  As we did with the dialog process in the practice we just completed, don’t strain to get the “answer.”  Stay relaxed and maintain a fullness of presence and allow the experience of the next level of I to emerge naturally and organically.  What is your name at level 2?  Feedback on the practice.
    • Repeat ude-furi undo and get feedback-how is the exercise different from this fuller experience of I?

There are milestones of fullness in moving to a deeper level of consciousness with which we can then identify as our center of gravity.  Nadeau Sensei uses the analogy of starting out as tourist in a new place; then becoming a resident and then a citizen.  Here is an example from O Sensei The Heart of Aikido (pgs. 101-102) Our last practice provided an initial experience of a fuller level of I. 

Conclusion

In this class we deepened our experience of the two basic aspects of the I and used that deeper experience to move to an even more refined level of I and to get more fully resident as the level 2 I.   This is the practice of dimensionality The Philosophy of Aikido John Stevens (pg. 7). 

Growth With the I

Blog, Sensei's thoughts, Working with the I
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Introduction

We practiced in our last on-line class in this series Integrating the I.  The I is the center of our experience of personal identity.  We used the basic Aikido exercise zengo undo.

Today, we will continue working to deepen our experience as  I.  Our goal is to experience the potential the I has for greater wholeness and reducing even further the potential for entanglement.  In today’s class we will return to the exercise fune-kogi undo or the rowing exercise, we used previously, as our physical reference. 

Review

The I is the part of us that is the center of personal identity.  The experience of I is always present regardless of which persona or unit we are currently adopting.  When we are weeding the backyard there is I.  If we go to a state dinner at the White House there is I.  The unit is the clothing we wear to accomplish particular tasks or assume particular roles.  O Sensei called them kon (I) and haku (unit)-Essence of Aikido (pg.27).  One term he used to refer to the I as a whole is nen-The Secret Teachings of Aikido (pgs. 80-81).

This process as I of “inhabiting” particular units is often unconscious.  When we walk to our car to drive home, that is a unit.  Some basic units are much more a part of our identity than others.  Your choice of work; your place in a family or other important social groups are examples. 

The unit is the part of our selves that contains the skills and abilities necessary to accomplish the tasks for which that unit is created.  The energetic content of the unit is decided by the skills necessary to perform that particular function and therefore will vary from unit to unit.  Performing brain surgery is a very different unit than running a marathon.  Being a parent is very different than being the CEO of a company.

The I is the part of our system, at a basic level, that provides a qualitative experience of satisfaction and meaning to our activities.  It is the source of our perspective on our lives and our world in both an immediate and overall sense.

The health of the I is a big factor in how well we forge with the units that are important to us both in the sense of personal satisfaction and wellbeing and our functional performance in those roles. 

The overall goal of these classes is to help create a more balanced and integrated I and with some similar practices, a more balanced and integrated unit.  This allows a better forging to occur between the I and the unit resulting in more personal satisfaction and better performance. 

The two parts of the I are, as outlined by O Sensei and many other traditions, the part that is more awareness oriented and the other that is more experientially oriented.  Our shorthand for these is the mind of I (awareness/thinking) and the body of I (feeling/experience).

Our goal initially, is to experience these parts of the I and their interaction with each other.  It is in this interaction that a real  opportunity for growth and development of the I exists.  When there is a lack of connection or even conflict between the parts of the I, we are starting out from a place of fragmentation rather than wholeness.  If the lack of integration is not addressed we will experience the downstream effects of it, in reduced satisfaction and performance. 

One way fragmentation occurs is that a part of the I ranges out and tries to obtain wholeness and satisfaction from outside itself.  An example is when the mind of I tries to direct and take over the unit, it results in both maintaining the fragmentation of the I within itself (less of an experience of personal satisfaction) and interferes with the unit’s ability to perform. 

Everyone has had occasions when they noticed the harder they try to accomplish something the more frustrated they get (I) and the worse their performance becomes (unit).  The image of the kitten trying to extricate itself from a ball of yarn comes to mind, the harder it tries, the more entangled it becomes.  From O Sensei’s perspective this tendency toward entanglement and its results, forms a key part of the difficulty of the human condition-The Secret Teachings of Aikido (pg. 53).

Bringing the two parts of the I into a more whole experience with each other is a big step toward reducing entanglement and its resulting negative effects.

Before we go on, let’s look at how O Sensei and others describe the I-The Secret Teachings of Aikido (pgs. 80-82) and Essence of Aikido (pg. 27). 

Here is another perspective from Alex Bennett in his book on Kendo (pgs. xxxii-xxxiii).

Here is another perspective from Prof. Cheng Man-ching-Cheng Tzu’s Thirteen Treatises on T’ai-chi Ch’uan (pg. 34) and Essays on Man and Culture (pgs. 32-33).

We need both the experience of all the basic states of consciousness and a healthy psychology of the I for this to happen.  Ken Wilbur in his book Integral Meditation calls these two types of development waking up (refined state experience) and growing up (psychological health).  The book Zen at War is an example where waking up was not matched with growing up.  

Growth With the I

We will use the fune-kogi undo or rowing exercise as our focus to experience the I and to realize the potential growth inherent in us as I. 

  • Let’s begin with two rounds of fune-kogi undo. As we do it try and remember your experience so we can refer back to it as our practice progresses.

Now we will review the experience of the two parts of the I, mind of I and body of I, and a brief practice of the internal dialog we worked on in our last class, then practice fune-kogi undo.

At each point there is a sense in which you become a different person, there is a shift in identity as we quoted Nadeau Sensei in the previous classes.

  1. Stand and move the arms and hands from the top down. Let’s now focus on an experience of awareness using the fune-kogi undo practice as our reference.  Asking the question when you think about the fune-kogi undo practice, what thoughts attract your attention?  This is a way to get in touch with the mind of I.  Then moving the arms and hands from the feet up, let’s work with a similar question.  What are your feelings about fune-kogi undo?  What feelings attract your attention?  This is a way to get in touch with the body of I.  How are these two perspectives different from each other?  Then let’s continue with a practice of interaction between them.  The mind of I has the capability of mirroring.  It is aware through mirroring what is going on outside the I, and evaluates it.  Turn the mirroring capability of the mind of I inward and allow an image of the body of I to form in you as the mind of I.  Then making a shift in perspective from mind of I to body of I, as body of I use your unique capability to mirror the mind of I.  We now have these two parts of the I mirroring each other.  Through this mutual experience there is a greater sense of alignment, integration and wholeness in the experience of yourself as I.  From this experience your interaction with the unit and the rest of creation comes from a place of wholeness rather than fragmentation.
    • Repeat fune-kogi undo and get feedback-how did the focus on the mind and body of I mirroring each other change your experience?  
  1. Let’s spend more time on allowing this process of integration to begin by working with the experience of inner dialog between the parts of the I. Start the practice with either mind or body of I first. Our question is, what is going well in the relationship with the other and what would you like more of?  This is a way to experience and reinforce what is going well and work to improve the areas that are not going so well.  In the areas not going so well, a moment or two of full presence will usually bring in a sense of what will help to improve the relationship.  Then repeat the process with the other part of the I.  From the experience you have from this part of the practice let’s move to bring the information obtained from the dialog to fruition.  This starts not by straining to bring about greater integration or even to knowing where to start.  It begins by maintaining a sense of active presence and allowing the “answer” to materialize organically and naturally.  Once the process of integration starts, maintain that same sense of active presence rather than trying to hurry it or make it happen.
    • Repeat fune-kogi undo and get feedback-how did the focus on the mind and body of I integration change your experience?
  1. We have arrived at a state of being that is more balanced and integrated than when we started. It doesn’t have to be perfect!  From this more balanced state we can practice to experience the potential for growth to the next level of I.  Nadeau Sensei called this dimensionality.  Let’s begin with the circle center practice.  From the starting point of the balanced integrated I we open the system further.  Then we center the system further.  From that fuller experience we ask the question what is our next level of I?  As we did with the dialog process in the practice we just completed, don’t strain to get the “answer.”  Stay relaxed and maintain a fullness of presence and allow the experience of the next level of I to emerge naturally and organically.  Feedback on the practice.
    • Repeat fune-kogi undo and get feedback-how is the exercise different from this fuller experience of I?

Conclusion

In this class we deepened our experience of the two basic aspects of the I and used that deeper experience to move to an even more refined level of I.   This is the beginning of dimensionality Mitsugi Saotome Aikido and the Harmony of Nature (pg. 49). 

Integrating the I

Blog, Sensei's thoughts, Working with the I
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Introduction

We practiced in the first on-line class in this series Working With the I.  The I is the center of our experience of personal identity.  We used the basic Aikido exercise ushiro-tori undo.

Today, we will continue working with the I to deepen our dialog and integration of the two parts of the I. Our goal is to move toward an experience of greater wholeness and reducing the potential for entanglement.  In today’s class we will return to the exercise zengo undo or two direction ikkyo undo, we used previously, as our physical reference. 

Review

The I is the part of us that is the center of personal identity.  The experience of I is always present regardless of which persona or unit we are currently adopting.  When we are weeding the backyard there is I.  If we go to a state dinner at the White House there is I.  The unit is the clothing we wear to accomplish particular tasks or assume particular roles.  O Sensei called them kon (I) and haku (unit)-Essence of Aikido (pg.27).  One term he used to refer to the I as a whole is nen-The Secret Teachings of Aikido (pgs. 80-81).

This process as I of “inhabiting” particular units is often unconscious.  When we walk to our car to drive home, that is a unit.  Some basic units are much more a part of our identity than others.  Your choice of work; your place in a family or other important social groups are examples. 

The unit is the part of our selves that contains the skills and abilities necessary to accomplish the tasks for which that unit is created.  The energetic content of the unit is decided by the skills necessary to perform that particular function and therefore will vary from unit to unit.  Performing brain surgery is a very different unit than running a marathon.  Being a parent is very different than being the CEO of a company.

The I is the part of our system, at a basic level, that provides a qualitative experience of satisfaction and meaning to our activities.  It is the source of our perspective on our lives and our world in both an immediate and overall sense.

The health of the I is a big factor in how well we forge with the units that are important to us both in the sense of personal satisfaction and wellbeing and our functional performance in those roles. 

The overall goal of these classes is to help create a more balanced and integrated I and with some similar practices, a more balanced and integrated unit.  This allows a better forging to occur between the I and the unit resulting in more personal satisfaction and better performance. 

We will use the zengo undo exercise as our focus to experience the two parts of the I and how they relate to each other. 

The two parts of the I are, as outlined by O Sensei and many other traditions, the part that is more awareness oriented and the other that is more experientially oriented.  Our shorthand for these is the mind of I (awareness/thinking) and the body of I (feeling/experience).

Our goal initially, is to experience these parts of the I and their interaction with each other.  It is in this interaction that a real  opportunity for growth and development of the I exists.  When there is a lack of connection or even conflict between the parts of the I, we are starting out from a place of fragmentation rather than wholeness.  If the lack of integration is not addressed we will experience the downstream effects of it, in reduced satisfaction and performance. 

One way fragmentation occurs is that a part of the I ranges out and tries to obtain wholeness and satisfaction from outside itself.  An example is when the mind of I tries to direct the unit, it results in both maintaining the fragmentation of the I within itself (less of an experience of personal satisfaction) and interferes with the unit’s ability to perform. 

Everyone has had occasions when they noticed the harder they try to accomplish something the more frustrated they get (I) and the worse their performance becomes (unit).  The image of the kitten trying to extricate itself from a ball of yarn comes to mind, the harder it tries, the more entangled it becomes.  From O Sensei’s perspective this tendency toward entanglement and its results forms a key part of the difficulty of the human condition-The Secret Teachings of Aikido (pg. 53).

Bringing the two parts of the I into a more whole experience with each other is a big step toward reducing entanglement and its resulting negative effects.

Before we go on, let’s look at how O Sensei and others describe the I-The Secret Teachings of Aikido (pgs. 80-82) and Essence of Aikido (pg. 27). 

Here is another perspective from Alex Bennett in his book on Kendo (pgs. xxxii-xxxiii).

Here is another perspective from Prof. Cheng Man-ching-Cheng Tzu’s Thirteen Treatises on T’ai-chi Ch’uan (pg. 34) and Essays on Man and Culture (pgs. 32-33).

We need both the experience of all the basic states of consciousness and a healthy psychology of the I for this to happen.  Ken Wilbur in his book Integral Meditation calls these two types of development waking up (refined state experience) and growing up (psychological health).  The book Zen at War is an example where waking up was not matched with growing up.  

Before we begin to work with the I, let’s bow in and start with a little bit of stretching and then misogi breathing.

Dialoging and Integrating the I

Let’s begin with two rounds of zengo undo.  As we do it try and remember your experience so we can refer back to it as our practice progresses. We want to focus specifically on the two direction movements and how we feel facing in the two different directions.

Now we will review the experience of the two parts of the I, mind of I and body of I, and then practice zengo undo.

At each point there is a sense in which you become a different person, there is a shift in identity as we quoted Nadeau Sensei in the previous classes.

  1. Stand and move the arms and hands from the top down. Let’s now focus on an experience of awareness using the zengo undo practice as our focus.  Asking the question when you think about the zengo undo practice, what thoughts attract your attention?  This is a way to get in touch with the mind of I.  Then moving the arms and hands from the feet up, let’s work with a similar question.  What are your feelings about zengo undo?  What feelings attract your attention?  This is a way to get in touch with the body of I.
    • Repeat zengo undo and get feedback-how did the focus on the mind and body of I change your experience?
  1. Now that we have a basic experience of mind and body of I, let’s continue with a practice of interaction between them. The mind of I has the capability of mirroring.  It is aware through mirroring what is going on outside the I, and evaluates it.  Turn the mirroring capability of the mind of I inward and allow an image of the body of I form in you as the mind of I.  Then making a shift in perspective from mind of I to body of I, as body of I use your unique capability to mirror the mind of I.  We now have these two parts of the I mirroring each other.  Through this mutual experience there is a greater sense of alignment, integration and wholeness in your experience of yourself as I.  From this experience your interaction with the unit and the rest of creation comes from a place of wholeness rather than fragmentation.
    • Repeat zengo undo and get feedback-how did the interactive practice change your experience? Which movement do you identify with what part of the I?
  1. Let’s continue the class with a practice of inner dialog between the parts of the I. Start the practice with either mind or body of I first.  Our question is, what is going well in the relationship with the other and what would you like more of?  This is a way to experience and reinforce what is going well and work to improve the areas that are not going so well.  In the areas not going so well, a moment or two of full presence will usually bring in a sense of how to resolve the issue.  Then repeat the process with the other part of the I. 
  • Repeat zengo undo and get feedback-how did the inner dialog between mind and body of I change your experience?
  1. Let’s spend more time on allowing this process of resolution to begin by returning to the experience of dialog we just worked on. It begins not by straining to bring greater integration about or even to know where to start.  It begins by maintaining a sense of active presence and allowing the “answer” to materialize organically and naturally.  Once the process of integration starts, maintain that same sense of active presence rather than trying to hurry it or make it happen.
    • Repeat zengo undo and get feedback-how did this deeper experience of inner dialog and harmony between mind and body of I change your experience?

Conclusion

In this class we deepened our experience of the two basic aspects of the I.  Today, we focused on a fuller dialog between the two parts of the I and how than can lead to an experience of greater integration and wholeness.  The practical benefit provided by this kind of practice is we can experience the root cause of inner conflict and have some success in resolving it-The Spirit of Aikido (pgs. 46-49).

Training With the “I”

Blog, Sensei's thoughts, Working with the I
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Introduction

We worked in the first series of on-line classes on experiencing the fundamental states of consciousness as outlined by O Sensei and many other spiritual traditions, using some basic Aikido exercises.

Today, we will begin a series of classes on working with the I and later in the series, the unit.  In today’s class we will use the ushiro-tori undo exercise as our reference. 

Review

The “I” is the part of us that is the center of personal identity.  The experience of I is always present regardless of which persona or unit we are currently adopting.  When we are weeding the backyard there is I.  If we go to a state dinner at the White House there is I.  The unit is the clothing we wear to accomplish particular tasks or assume particular roles. 

This process as I of “inhabiting” particular units is often unconsciousness.  When we walk to our car to drive home, that is a unit.  Some basic units are much more a part of our identity than others.  Your choice of work; your place in a family or other important social groups are examples. 

The unit is the part of our selves that contains the skills and abilities necessary to accomplish the tasks for which that unit is created.  The content of the unit is decided by the skills necessary to perform that particular function and therefore will vary from unit to unit.  Performing brain surgery is a very different unit than running a marathon.  Being a parent is very different than being the CEO of a company.

The I is the part of our system, at a basic level, that provides a qualitative experience of satisfaction and meaning to our activities.  It is the source of our perspective on our lives and our world in both an immediate and overall sense.

The health of the I is a big factor in how well we forge with the units that are important to us both in the sense of personal satisfaction and wellbeing and our functional performance in those roles. 

The overall goal of these classes is to help create a more balanced and integrated I and with some similar practices, a more balanced and integrated unit.  This allows a better forging to occur between the I and the unit resulting in more personal satisfaction and better performance. 

We will use the ushiro-tori undo exercise as our focus to experience the two parts of the I.  Then we will move on to  experience the relationship between these two parts of the I and how they can be further developed.

The two parts of the I are, as outlined by O Sensei and many other traditions, the part that is more awareness oriented and the other that is more experientially oriented.  Our shorthand for these is the mind of I (awareness/thinking) and the body of I (feeling/experience).

Our goal initially, is to experience these parts of the I and their interaction with each other.  It is in this interaction that a real  opportunity for growth and development of the I exists.  When there is a lack of connection or even conflict between the parts of the I we are starting out from a place of fragmentation rather than wholeness.  If the lack of integration is not experienced we will experience the effects of it in reduced satisfaction and performance. 

One way this happens is that part of the I ranges out and tries to obtain satisfaction from outside itself.  One example is when the I tries to direct the unit, it results in both maintaining the fragmentation of the I with itself and interferes with the unit’s ability to perform. 

Everyone has had occasions when they noticed the harder they try to accomplish something the more frustrated they get (I) and the worse their performance becomes (unit).  The image of the kitten trying to extricate itself from a ball of yarn comes to mind, the harder it tries the more entangled it becomes.  From O Sensei’s perspective this tendency toward entanglement and its results is a key part of the difficulty of the human condition.

Bringing the two parts of the I into a more whole experience with each other is a big step toward reducing entanglement and its resulting negative effects.

Before we go on, let’s look at how O Sensei and others describe the I-The Secret Teachings of Aikido (pgs. 80-82) and Essence of Aikido (pg. 27). 

Here is another perspective from Alex Bennett in his book on Kendo (pgs. xxxii-xxxiii).

Here is another perspective from Prof. Cheng Man-ching-Essays on Man and Culture (pgs. 32-33).

We need both the experience of all the basic states of consciousness and a healthy psychology for this to happen.  Ken Wilbur in his book Integral Meditation calls these two types of development waking up (refined state experience) and growing up (psychological health).  The book Zen at War is an example where waking up was not matched with growing up.  

Before we begin to work with the I, let’s bow in and start with a little bit of stretching and then misogi breathing.

Training With the I

Let’s begin with two rounds of ushiro-tori undo.  As we do it try and remember your experience so we can refer back to it as our practice progresses. We want to specifically focus on the two movements the feeling of opening the back and extending the arms and stepping forward and turning.

  • Feedback on the first round of practice.

Now we will go through a process of experiencing the two parts of the I, mind of I and body of I, and then practice ushiro-tori undo.

At each point there is a sense in which you become a different person, there is a shift in identity as we quoted Nadeau Sensei in the previous classes.

  1. Stand and move the arms and hands from the top down. Let’s now focus on an experience of awareness using the ushiro-tori undo practice as our focus.  Asking the question when you think about the ushiro-tori undo practice, what thoughts attract your attention?  This is a way to get in touch with the mind of I.  Then moving the arms and hands from the feet up, let’s work with a similar question.  What are your feelings about ushiro-tori undo?  What feelings attract your attention?  This is a way to get in touch with the body of I.
    • Repeat ushiro-tori undo and get feedback-how did the focus on the mind and body of I change your experience?

 

  1. Now that we have a basic experience of mind and body of I, let’s continue with a practice of interaction between them. The mind of I has the capability of mirroring.  It is aware through mirroring what is going on outside the I, and evaluates it.  Turn the mirroring capability of the mind of I inward and allow an image of the body of I form in you as the mind of I.  Then making a shift in perspective from mind of I to body of I, as body of I use your unique capability to mirror the mind of I.  We now have these two parts of the I mirroring each other.  Through this mutual experience there is a greater sense of alignment, integration and wholeness in your experience of yourself as I.  From this experience your interaction with the unit and the rest of creation comes from a place of wholeness rather than fragmentation.
    • Repeat ushiro-tori undo and get feedback-how did the interactive practice change your experience? Which movement do you identify with what part of the I?

 

  1. Let’s conclude the class with a practice of inner dialog between the parts of the I. Start the practice with either mind or body of I first.  Our question is, what is going well in the relationship with the other and what would you like more of?  This is a way to experience and reinforce what is going well and work to improve the areas that are not going so well.  In the areas not going so well, a moment or two of full presence will usually bring in a sense of how to resolve the issue.  Then repeat the process with the other part of the I.
    • Repeat ushiro-tori undo and get feedback-how did the inner dialog between mind and body of I change your experience?

Conclusion

In this class we have looked at two basic aspects of our identity, I and unit.  Today we focused on the I and experienced its two parts; how they may interact with each other and an exercise of inner dialog to help improve their relationship.  The practical benefit this kind of practice provides, is that we can  experience the root cause of inner conflict and work to resolve it.  This allows us to approach life with less fragmentation and entanglement and a greater experience of wholeness-Secret Teachings of Aikido (pg. 53)