News

Integration Through The Alchemy of Inner Mirroring

Mirroring, Sensei's thoughts
Published on

I appreciate everyone participating in this new format and welcome to everyone coming for the first time.  We are working to keep our regular class schedule going so it will be easier when we return to our training together.

Please share any comments, suggestions or questions.

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-The Heart of Aikido translated by John Stevens (pgs. 89-90).

Introduction

In our last on-line class we continued our series on experiencing a deeper, clearer level of mirroring as an act of creation.  We explored more deeply the alchemy of inner mirroring and how that can help us to create a clearer, fuller experience of identity and a correspondingly clearer relationship to the “outside” world.

As we heard in the passage from the Kojiki from our first class in this series, mirroring is a significant part of Shinto mythology.  This particular story is one that O Sensei referred to often-The Secret Teachings of Aikido translated by John Stevens (pg. 146). 

Here is a painting of the moment in the Kojiki when the stone door opened and the Sun Goddess returned light (wisdom) and warmth (compassion) to the world. 

When we think of mirroring we visualize an instantaneous occurrence in which what is in front of the mirror is reflected.  In this series of classes we will work to experience a deeper level of mirroring.  This deeper level will focus on mirroring as an alchemical act resulting in creation.  The creation occurs from the interaction of the mirror and what is being mirrored, resulting in a third newly created sense of beingness and integration. 

The connection that is created during the mirroring process goes through three steps according to O Sensei. 

These are:  generation (ikumusubi); expansion (tarumusubi); and fulfillment (tamatsume-taru).  The degree of creative perfection that occurs is based on the clarity of the mirror.

We will work both on O Sensei’s process and becoming a clearer mirror in this series of classes.   

Our Aikido technique will continue to be shomen-uchi ikkyo.

Let’s bow in and start with misogi breathing and a good full warm-up.

Five Principles for Ki Breathing

Breathing tip of the day

Our tip today on the misogi breathing is to experience how the inhalation and exhalation relate to each other and how that relationship contributes to a fuller center. 

  1. Breathe out with the sound of HA, don’t let your breath just leak out
  2. Breathe out as calmly and quietly as possible
  3. Breathe out the Ki of your head to the Ki of your toes
  4. Breathe in from the tip of your nose until your body is full of air
  5. Calm your mind infinitely smaller at the one point after inhaling  
  1. Let’s begin with a round of practice with the technique.
  • Begin with the practice of shomen-uchi ikkyo.
  • Get feedback on the technique to establish a baseline to use for comparison as the practice progresses.

                            

Integration Through The Alchemy of Inner Mirroring

  1. Let’s continue with the very basic mirroring practice we have been using in previous classes. Focusing on you and

your partner as uke and nage.  One of the most common sayings in the tradition of the Japanese martial arts is your opponent is a mirror of yourself.  This practice is the OUTER focus of mirroring including both you and your partner.  It represents the generation (ikumusubi) or first of the three steps in O Sensei’s process.    

Visualize yourself as being the mirror and your partner being reflected in you the mirror. This mirroring back and forth is similar to what we do with the parts of the I in our forging practice.

What is your experience of mirroring?

  • Go through the technique with this mirroring experience.

How does this experience of mirroring enhance your performance of the technique?

  1. Our practice will now shift the focus from OUTER to INNER mirroring. As a beginning, focus on internal mirroring between the front and back of your body.  You could also use right and left, upper and lower if that is more natural for you. 

Our question here is what does each part of your system-the front and back-contribute to the creative act of mirroring?  We are allowing the two parts to more fully express themselves which creates a better set of “ingredients” to contribute to the whole.

This represents the expansion (tarumusubi) or second of the three steps in O Sensei’s process.  This highlights a fundamental aspect of this practice that the mirror is you.

  • From this experience of an inner mirroring go through the technique with this inner mirroring experience as your base.

How does this experience of inner mirroring enhance your performance of the technique?

  1. From this experience let’s now go to an even deeper level of inner mirroring. This is where the alchemy and the process of mirroring as a creative act really come into play.

Focus on the interaction that is going on as you experience the inner mirroring.  As the two parts of the body continue to mirror each other they begin to integrate and come together in the fullness of their interaction as a new creation.

How does this integration occur?  Your focus on the mirroring experience activates the mountain echo principle from O Sensei bringing in the floating bridge of heaven.  In this case the floating bridge is a part of your system that can relate to both the front and back aspects or any two parts of your system that are mirroring each other. This helps them to integrate into the clearer identity that is the creation resulting from mirroring.    

This new creation is an identity capable of mirroring in a way that transforms both your sense of identity and how you experience the world-The Heart of Aikido translated by John Stevens (pg. 67).

What is your experience of this creative inner mirroring?  How does it enhance your sense of personal identity?       

  • From this experience of an inner mirroring go through the technique with this inner mirroring experience as your base.

How does this experience of inner mirroring enhance your performance of the technique?

  1. Let’s shift our practice back to our partner.

The inner mirroring practice we just completed in addition to giving us a fuller experience of our identity, also will help us to be clearer as we interact with our partner in comparison with our first round of outer mirroring. 

This process of inner mirroring can help us to have a much deeper and fuller connection with our partner. 

It represents the third and final step in O Sensei’s process-fulfillment (tamatsume-taru).

The deeper inner mirroring results in this closer, clearer relationship with our partner, and the world in general. It occurs through the connecting action of the floating bridge which has the ability to relate to both you and your partner as well as whatever outer world experiences you may have.  This is a basic principle of alchemists in all ages and cultures.

How is this second round of OUTER mirroring different than the first one in terms of a connection between you and your partner?

  • Go through the technique with this deeper relationship.

How does this experience enhance your performance of the technique?

Conclusion

This series of classes is focused on a deeper experience of mirroring as a creative act. 

Our goal is to qualitatively enhance our ability to mirror.  The result is to directly experience our deeper self, as the Sun Goddess did, from this creative act of mirroring. 

In this class we worked on a practice of outer mirroring followed by an alchemical process of inner mirroring. 

We followed O Sensei’s three step process of generation (ikumusubi); expansion (tarumusubi); and fulfillment (tamatsume-taru).

We then worked to deepen our practice further by focusing on what each part of our system contributes to the creative act of mirroring.  What do the front and the back each contribute?  We also explored the integrating function of the floating bridge to bring parts of your system together joining our inner experience with our outer interaction with the partner and the world at large.     

 In our next class we will deepen our focus further by exploring mirroring in the hidden and divine dimensions in addition to our current focus on the manifest.     

Feedback and discussion.

Jung on Alchemy Selected and Introduced by Nathan Schwartz-Salant (pgs. 8-9).

Practice before next class

Take a few minutes before a daily life task and set up a mirroring practice of both inner and outer mirroring between you and the task.  Allow the inner mirroring to come to fruition in the creation of a more integrated identity using the mountain echo experience to bring them together.   

See how it enhances your ability to perform the task you selected. 

Finish with misogi breathing and bowing out.

Mixing a Functioning Unit

Mixing a Functioning Unit, Series Title
Published on

About Class Series

Aikido of Petaluma Series are a set of in sequence classes that focus on a particular aspect or subject within the practice to understand, experience, and embody, to a greater depth, the principals of art.

To see the other Series and class notes please “Click Here” (to be added later).

About this Series

This series of classes is based on two of O Sensei’s teachings.

The dual nature of human beings and Takemusu

Dual Nature

First, he said human beings have a dual nature. He called the parts of this dual nature Kon and Haku.  Kon he called the conscious soul and Haku the corporeal soul.  O Sensei taught that a proper balance between these two parts of our nature is needed for human existence (The Essence of Aikido by John Stevens Pg. 27).  For ease of communication we are calling the Kon or conscious soul the “I” and the Haku of corporeal soul the unit.  The “I” represents our sense of personal identity and the unit our functional capacity to meet our daily life challenges.  The unit is made up of the energies of our system that respond to the situation of the moment. 

Takemusu

The second of O Sensei’s teachings is Takemusu. This refers to the spontaneous creation of techniques, fresh in every moment (The Heart of Aikido translated by John Stevens pg. 141).  In addition to Aikido techniques we will apply the principle of Takemusu to other situations in our daily lives, not just the practice of Aikido. 

Our practices of mixing of the unit will apply the principle of Takemusu to our daily life activities.  Our goal is to mix a unit from the energies of our system with the skills and abilities required by our daily life activities to achieve a high level of sustainable functionality.  

The Experience of Center in Manifest, Hidden and Divine

Developing the Center, Sensei's thoughts
Published on

I appreciate everyone participating in this new format and welcome to everyone coming for the first time.  We are working to keep our regular class schedule going so it will be easier when we return to our training together.

Please share any comments, suggestions or questions.

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-The Art of Peace translated by John Stevens (pg. 87).

Introduction

In our last on-line class we continued our series focusing on center.  We worked again with a deeper practice of chinkon kishin by adding alchemical imagery of fire/water steam from O Sensei.  Chinkon kishin refers to calming the spirit and returning to the divine or the source.  The breathing practices related to chinkon kishin O Sensei called the Breath of Heaven; Breath of Earth and the Breath of Human Beings-The Secret Teachings of Aikido translated by John Stevens (pg. 108). 

We also continued our work with an alchemical practice which focused on fire-water-steam at center.  O Sensei referred to this but did not, as far as we know, leave a detailed outline of the process.  We used a practice of fire/water steam at center from T’ai-chi, an art closely related to Aikido and with similar connections to Taoism.  The practice is described in detail in the book Cheng Tzu’s Thirteen Treatises on Tai Chi Ch’uan by Professor Cheng Man-ching (Treatise Three pgs. 30-33).  Due to our limited class time we will not be repeating this practice today.

These energy oriented practices are a good beginning on our transition from a centered experience of the manifest or physical dimension to a centered experience of the hidden dimension of subtle energies.  They are a good start because they give us a basic experience of the energy body formed by the circulation of refined energy from center throughout the body.

Today we will add a practice to help us achieve a centered experience in the divine dimension of consciousness.  The divine dimension is a place of primal emptiness but full of the potential energy that takes form in the hidden and manifest dimensions.  

Prof. Cheng in Thirteen Treatises calls this the Heavenly Dimension, the place of perfect clarity.  Shankara calls it the Causal Dimension.  It is place of total emptiness and freedom in which all possibilities reside. 

The Tibetan Book of the Dead calls it the place of Pure Light. 

O Sensei’s last calligraphy before his passing was Hikari or Pure Light.

O Sensei describes an experience of the Divine Dimension:  Above all, you must find the exact place where the void (shinku no ki) and emptiness (ku no ki) reside. (Page 53 The Secret Teachings of Aikido translated by John Stevens).

The divine dimension practice will come after we work with the manifest and hidden dimension practices of centered experience.

Our Aikido technique will be for today and Thursday katate-dori kokyu nage.

Let’s bow in and start with misogi breathing and a good full warm-up.

Five Principles for Ki Breathing

Breathing tip of the day

Our tip today on the misogi breathing is to experience inner quiet during the pause after both the inhalation and exhalation.  

  1. Breathe out with the sound of HA, don’t let your breath just leak out
  2. Breathe out as calmly and quietly as possible
  3. Breathe out the Ki of your head to the Ki of your toes
  4. Breathe in from the tip of your nose until your body is full of air
  5. Calm your mind infinitely smaller at the one point after inhaling

  

  1. Let’s begin with a round of practice with the technique.
  • Begin with the practice on katate-dori kokyu nage.
  • Get feedback on the technique to establish a baseline to use for comparison as the practice progresses.

The Experience of Center in Manifest, Hidden and Divine

  1. Let’s begin where we started on in our last on-line class with the rowing exercise (kogi-fune undo). Place particular emphasis on the hips moving first before the hands and arms.  The rowing exercise is an ancient Shinto practice from the yamabushi, the mountain ascetics. 

O Sensei’s version came from a famous teacher, Bonji Kawatsura, who reputedly learned from a mountain wizard who was 697 years old.

Our goal with the rowing exercise practice today is to focus on the experience of center in the manifest dimension of consciousness.   

  • Let’s return to the technique to see how this round of the rowing exercise has enhanced our performance of the technique in the manifest dimension.
  1. The rowing exercise has given us a good basic center from which we can move from the manifest/physical to the hidden dimension of subtle energies. Now let’s work with the chinkon kishin breathing exercises, the Breath of Heaven, Earth and Human as a hidden dimension practice.

Breath of Heaven

Breath of Heaven starts with the hands resting on your legs.  Then the hands move in front of your center and up the center line of your body as you inhale.  Then the palms turn outward and circle down back to your center with the hands crossed over each other as you exhale. 

Visualize the movement of heavenly energy as water circulating throughout your body, emanating from your center and spine.  

The goal of the practice is to touch the hidden dimension energy and bring it into your own center. 

The practice is described in detail in Aikido the Way of Harmony by John Stevens (pgs. 31-33).  It is also illustrated on our Group Facebook Page.

Breath of Earth

Then let’s move on to the Breath of Earth.  This produces fire energy as a complement to the water energy of the Breath of Heaven.  This practice starts with your hands one on top of the other in front of your center, palms up with the thumbs pointing toward each other. 

There is a starting exhalation which focuses on aligning the shoulders and upper body with the hips.  Next is an inhalation with the shoulders rising slightly.  Then an exhalation with the breath focused on center and the shoulders relaxing. 

Visualize the movement of grounded earth energy as fire-water-steam, from the interaction with the water energy of the breath of heaven and the fire energy of the breath of earth circulating from your center and spine throughout your body, connecting you deeply to the earth.  

The goal of the practice is to touch the life giving fecundity (O Sensei word) of the earth and bring it into your center. 

The practice is described in detail in Aikido the Way of Harmony by John Stevens (pg. 34). 

Then let’s move on to the Breath of Human Being. 

Breath of Human Being

This practice starts with hands in front of your center palms up with the thumbs pointing toward each other as in the Breath of Earth.  Then visualize the energies of heaven and earth coming together in you center. There is no special breathing pattern with this practice.

Visualize the energies of the breath of heaven and the breath of earth giving birth to you as an energy being in an energy dimension of consciousness, through the life-giving steam like energy,-The Heart of Aikido translated by John Stevens  (pg. 48 and pg. 103).

Our goal is to experience through your center the fullness of our humanity as the blending of heaven and earth in the hidden dimension. 

The practice is described in detail in Aikido the Way of Harmony by John Stevens (pg. 35).

  • Let’s return to the technique to see how this chinkon kishin breathing practice has enhanced our performance of the technique in the hidden dimension.
  1. Using the foundation from the rowing exercise in the manifest and these breathing practices in the hidden let’s move our practice to the divine dimension of consciousness.

Our practice for the divine is a breathing practice from Koichi Tohei Sensei. 

He calls it the Breathing Method That Transcends Breathing-Aikido in Daily Life (pgs. 36-37).

The practice starts with a very slow and quiet inhalation through the nose and then focusing your attention on your center.  This allows your attention to rest comfortably and gently on your center.  From this gentle focus on center move the hands into the same position we use in the Breath of Earth and Breath of Human Being Practice.

This part of the practice is added to Tohei Sensei’s.  Visualize the circle formed by your hands as an opening to the divine dimension of great, great quiet.  In this place of great, great quiet your divine body is present in a potential form.  It is like a silhouette waiting to be filled in.  This potential body has the ability to experience itself as a centered divine being in a divine world.

Maintaining the experience of center is crucial at all times but especially in the divine.  The divine is a place with few external references.  If you reach outside of yourself for external references you push yourself out of the divine realm of consciousness completely.    

  • Let’s return to the technique to see how this practice of center in the divine dimension has enhanced your performance of the technique.

Conclusion

This series of classes is designed to offer a deeper and multi-dimensional experience of center.  The more vibrant, alive and comprehensive the experience of center, the easier it is to maintain center as we go through our regular daily activities.  It is especially valuable when we are confronted by difficult or challenging situations.  Today we added a practice of center in the divine dimension to our previous practice in the hidden and manifest dimensions.

Feedback and discussion.

Kinoremma A Collection of Photos of Master Tada Hiroshi (pg. 100).

Practice before next class

Add to your practice an experience of the divine dimension from center before a daily life activity and see how it enhances your ability to maintain the experience of center as you go through the task you selected. 

Finish with misogi breathing and bowing out.

 

Center From Manifest to Hidden

Developing the Center, Sensei's thoughts
Published on

I appreciate everyone participating in this new format and welcome to everyone coming for the first time.  We are working to keep our regular class schedule going so it will be easier to return to our training together.

Please share any comments, suggestions or questions.

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-A Light on Transmission by Mitsugi Saotome (pg. 63).

Introduction

In our last on-line class we continued our series of classes focusing on center.  We worked with a deeper practice of  chinkon kishin by adding alchemical imagery of fire/water steam from O Sensei.    Chinkon kishin refers to calming the spirit and returning to the divine or the source.  The breathing practices related to chinkon kishin O Sensei called the Breath of Heaven; Breath of Earth and the Breath of Human Beings-The Secret Teachings of Aikido translated by John Stevens (pg. 108).

In today’s class we will work more directly with the alchemical imager of fire-water-steam at center.  O Sensei referred to this but did not as far as we know leave a detailed outline of the process.  We will use a practice of fire/water steam at center from T’ai-chi, an art closely related to Aikido and with similar connections to Taoism.  The practice is described in detail the book Cheng Tzu’s Thirteen Treatises on Tai Chi Ch’uan by Professor Cheng Man-ching (Treatise Three pgs. 30-33).

Our Aikido technique will be katate-dori irimi nage.

Let’s bow in and start with misogi breathing and a good full warm-up.

Five Principles for Ki Breathing

Breathing tip of the day

Our tip today on the misogi breathing is to visualize your exhalation as not only cleansing your body but also the space around you.  Then with the inhalation and pause visualize the space around you as well as your body is filled with life-giving energy. 

  1. Breathe out with the sound of HA, don’t let your breath just leak out
  2. Breathe out as calmly and quietly as possible
  3. Breathe out the Ki of your head to the Ki of your toes
  4. Breathe in from the tip of your nose until your body is full of air
  5. Calm your mind infinitely smaller at the one point after inhaling

  

  1. Let’s begin with a round of practice with the technique.
  • Begin with the practice on katate-dori irimi nage.
  • Get feedback on the technique to establish a baseline to use for comparison as the practice progresses.

Creative Aliveness of Center

  1. Let’s begin where we left off on Saturday with the rowing exercise (kogi-fune undo). Place particular emphasis on the hips moving first before the hands and arms.  The rowing exercise is an ancient Shinto practice from the yamabushi, the mountain ascetics.  O Sensei’s version came from a famous teacher, Bonji Kawatsura, who reputedly learned from a mountain wizard who was 697 years old. 
  • Let’s return to the technique to see how this round of the rowing exercise has enhanced our performance of the technique.
  1. The rowing exercise has given us a good basic center from which the rest of our practices can build. Now let’s work with the chinkon kishin breathing exercises, the Breath of Heaven, Earth and Human.

Breaths Practice

Breath of Heaven

Breath of Heaven starts with the hands resting on your legs.  Then the hands move in front of your center and up the center line of your body as you inhale. 

Then the palms turn outward and circle down back to your center with the hands crossed over each other as you exhale.  Visualize the movement of heavenly energy as water circulating throughout your body, emanating from your center and spine.  

The goal of the practice is to touch the divine source and bring it into your own center. 

The practice is described in detail in Aikido the Way of Harmony by John Stevens (pgs. 31-33).  It is also illustrated on our Group Facebook Page.

Breath of Earth

Then let’s move on to the Breath of Earth.  This practice starts with your hands in front of your center palms up with the thumbs pointing toward each other. 

There is a starting exhalation which focuses on aligning the shoulders and upper body with the hips.  Next is an inhalation with the shoulders rising slightly.  Then an exhalation with the breath focused on center and the shoulders relaxing.  Visualize the movement of grounded earth energy as fire-water-steam, from the interaction with the water energy of the breath of heaven and the fire energy of the earth circulating from your center and spine throughout your body, connecting you deeply to the earth.  

The goal of the practice is to touch the life giving fecundity of the earth and bring it into your center. 

The practice is described in detail in Aikido the Way of Harmony by John Stevens (pg. 34). 

Breath of Human Being

Then let’s move on to the Breath of Human Being.  This practice starts with hands in front of your center palms up with the thumbs pointing toward each other.  Then visualize the energies of heaven and earth coming together in you center. 

Visualize the energies of the breath of heaven and the breath of earth giving birth to you the human being, through the life-giving steam like energy,-The Heart of Aikido translated by John Stevens  (pg. 48 and pg. 103).

Our goal is to experience through your center the fullness of our humanity as the blending of heaven and earth. 

The practice is described in detail in Aikido the Way of Harmony by John Stevens (pg. 35).

  • Let’s return to the technique to see how this chinkon kishin breathing practice has enhanced our performance of the technique.
  1. Using the foundation from the rowing exercise and these breathing practices let’s go more deeply into the alchemy of center. The center is like an alchemical furnace that can generate a very refined energy to feed the entire body, mind and spirit.  This helps to create a sustainable experience of center because it is a constant source of this refined energy which can aid in the development of physical health, emotional strength and spiritual stability and growth.

Combining and Refining

We will use a practice of fire/water steam at center from T’ai-chi, an art closely related to Aikido and with similar connections to Taoism.  The practice is described in detail the book Cheng Tzu’s Thirteen Treatises on Tai Chi Ch’uan by Professor Cheng Man-ching (Treatise Three pgs. 30-33).

The position of the hands will be explained during the class.  Begin by placing your attention at the heart/solar plexus area in the front of the body.  As your attention rests gently in this area you will notice an increase in the level of energetic activity.  As you maintain your attention in the heart solar/solar plexus area the build-up of energy will cause the energy to overflow and travel down the front of your body to the lower part of your center.  This is the fire energy of the heart mind.

Next, shift your attention to the kidney area in the back.  Once again as your attention rest gently in the kidney area you will notice an increase in energetic activity.  As with the heart solar/plexus area, maintaining your attention on the kidney area will cause the water energy of the kidneys to rise from the bubbling well-spring area in the front of your feet and move up the legs and travel to the upper half of your center. 

This creates a balanced state at center, in which the fire energy is below and the water energy is above.  As the fire heats the water a very refined steam like energy is generated that moves to the base of the spine and then up the spine to the top of the head.  As the energy moves to the top of the head.  Place the tip of your tongue at the point where your two front teeth come together.

 The energy moves down the front of the body back to the heart/ solar plexus area and the cycle is complete.

It is most important to keep your mind focused on your center throughout the practice once your fire and water energies are positioned in your center.  If your attention wanders the interaction between fire and water will slow down and eventually stop.  It will resume when your attention returns to your center.

The goal of this practice is to feed your entire system with this highly refined life giving energy from a place of centered balance.

  • Let’s return to the technique to see how this practice of fire/water steam has enhanced your performance of the technique.

Conclusion

This series of classes is designed to offer a deeper and multi-dimensional experience of center.  The more vibrant and alive the experience of center, the easier it is to maintain center as we go through our regular daily activities.  Today we worked to create the experience of a deeper fuller center by adding a practice of fire/water steam alchemy to the breathing practices from our previous classes.

Feedback and discussion.

Cheng Man-ching Master of Five Excellences translated by Mark Hennessy (pg. 59).

Practice before next class

Practice the alchemical fire/water steam practice before a daily life activity and see how it enhances your ability to accomplish the task you selected. 

Finish with misogi breathing and bowing out.

The Creative Aliveness of Center

Developing the Center, Sensei's thoughts
Published on

I appreciate everyone participating in this new format and welcome to everyone coming for the first time.  We are working to keep our regular class schedule going so it will be easier to return to our training together.

Please share any comments, suggestions or questions.

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-A Light on Transmission by Mitsugi Saotome (pg. 63).

Introduction

In our last on-line class we continued our series of classes focusing on center.  We worked with a deeper practice of  chinkon kishin by adding alchemical imagery of fire/water steam from O Sensei.    Chinkon kishin refers to calming the spirit and returning to the divine or the source.  The breathing practices related to chinkon kishin O Sensei called the Breath of Heaven; Breath of Earth and the Breath of Human Beings-The Secret Teachings of Aikido translated by John Stevens (pg. 108).

In today’s class we will work more directly with the alchemical imager of fire-water-steam at center.  O Sensei referred to this but did not as far as we know leave a detailed outline of the process.  We will use a practice of fire/water steam at center from T’ai-chi, an art closely related to Aikido and with similar connections to Taoism.  The practice is described in detail the book Cheng Tzu’s Thirteen Treatises on Tai Chi Ch’uan by Professor Cheng Man-ching (Treatise Three pgs. 30-33).

Our Aikido technique will be katate-dori irimi nage.

Let’s bow in and start with misogi breathing and a good full warm-up.

Five Principles for Ki Breathing

Breathing tip of the day

Our tip today on the misogi breathing is to visualize your exhalation as not only cleansing your body but also the space around you.  Then with the inhalation and pause visualize the space around you as well as your body is filled with life-giving energy. 

  1. Breathe out with the sound of HA, don’t let your breath just leak out
  2. Breathe out as calmly and quietly as possible
  3. Breathe out the Ki of your head to the Ki of your toes
  4. Breathe in from the tip of your nose until your body is full of air
  5. Calm your mind infinitely smaller at the one point after inhaling

  

  1. Let’s begin with a round of practice with the technique.
  • Begin with the practice on katate-dori irimi nage.
  • Get feedback on the technique to establish a baseline to use for comparison as the practice progresses.

Creative Aliveness of Center

  1. Let’s begin where we left off on Saturday with the rowing exercise (kogi-fune undo). Place particular emphasis on the hips moving first before the hands and arms.  The rowing exercise is an ancient Shinto practice from the yamabushi, the mountain ascetics.  O Sensei’s version came from a famous teacher, Bonji Kawatsura, who reputedly learned from a mountain wizard who was 697 years old. 
  • Let’s return to the technique to see how this round of the rowing exercise has enhanced our performance of the technique.
  1. The rowing exercise has given us a good basic center from which the rest of our practices can build. Now let’s work with the chinkon kishin breathing exercises, the Breath of Heaven, Earth and Human.

Breaths Practice

Breath of Heaven

Breath of Heaven starts with the hands resting on your legs.  Then the hands move in front of your center and up the center line of your body as you inhale. 

Then the palms turn outward and circle down back to your center with the hands crossed over each other as you exhale.  Visualize the movement of heavenly energy as water circulating throughout your body, emanating from your center and spine.  

The goal of the practice is to touch the divine source and bring it into your own center. 

The practice is described in detail in Aikido the Way of Harmony by John Stevens (pgs. 31-33).  It is also illustrated on our Group Facebook Page.

Breath of Earth

Then let’s move on to the Breath of Earth.  This practice starts with your hands in front of your center palms up with the thumbs pointing toward each other. 

There is a starting exhalation which focuses on aligning the shoulders and upper body with the hips.  Next is an inhalation with the shoulders rising slightly.  Then an exhalation with the breath focused on center and the shoulders relaxing.  Visualize the movement of grounded earth energy as fire-water-steam, from the interaction with the water energy of the breath of heaven and the fire energy of the earth circulating from your center and spine throughout your body, connecting you deeply to the earth.  

The goal of the practice is to touch the life giving fecundity of the earth and bring it into your center. 

The practice is described in detail in Aikido the Way of Harmony by John Stevens (pg. 34). 

Breath of Human Being

Then let’s move on to the Breath of Human Being.  This practice starts with hands in front of your center palms up with the thumbs pointing toward each other.  Then visualize the energies of heaven and earth coming together in you center. 

Visualize the energies of the breath of heaven and the breath of earth giving birth to you the human being, through the life-giving steam like energy,-The Heart of Aikido translated by John Stevens  (pg. 48 and pg. 103).

Our goal is to experience through your center the fullness of our humanity as the blending of heaven and earth. 

The practice is described in detail in Aikido the Way of Harmony by John Stevens (pg. 35).

  • Let’s return to the technique to see how this chinkon kishin breathing practice has enhanced our performance of the technique.
  1. Using the foundation from the rowing exercise and these breathing practices let’s go more deeply into the alchemy of center. The center is like an alchemical furnace that can generate a very refined energy to feed the entire body, mind and spirit.  This helps to create a sustainable experience of center because it is a constant source of this refined energy which can aid in the development of physical health, emotional strength and spiritual stability and growth.

Combining and Refining

We will use a practice of fire/water steam at center from T’ai-chi, an art closely related to Aikido and with similar connections to Taoism.  The practice is described in detail the book Cheng Tzu’s Thirteen Treatises on Tai Chi Ch’uan by Professor Cheng Man-ching (Treatise Three pgs. 30-33).

The position of the hands will be explained during the class.  Begin by placing your attention at the heart/solar plexus area in the front of the body.  As your attention rests gently in this area you will notice an increase in the level of energetic activity.  As you maintain your attention in the heart solar/solar plexus area the build-up of energy will cause the energy to overflow and travel down the front of your body to the lower part of your center.  This is the fire energy of the heart mind.

Next, shift your attention to the kidney area in the back.  Once again as your attention rest gently in the kidney area you will notice an increase in energetic activity.  As with the heart solar/plexus area, maintaining your attention on the kidney area will cause the water energy of the kidneys to rise from the bubbling well-spring area in the front of your feet and move up the legs and travel to the upper half of your center. 

This creates a balanced state at center, in which the fire energy is below and the water energy is above.  As the fire heats the water a very refined steam like energy is generated that moves to the base of the spine and then up the spine to the top of the head.  As the energy moves to the top of the head.  Place the tip of your tongue at the point where your two front teeth come together.

 The energy moves down the front of the body back to the heart/ solar plexus area and the cycle is complete.

It is most important to keep your mind focused on your center throughout the practice once your fire and water energies are positioned in your center.  If your attention wanders the interaction between fire and water will slow down and eventually stop.  It will resume when your attention returns to your center.

The goal of this practice is to feed your entire system with this highly refined life giving energy from a place of centered balance.

  • Let’s return to the technique to see how this practice of fire/water steam has enhanced your performance of the technique.

Conclusion

This series of classes is designed to offer a deeper and multi-dimensional experience of center.  The more vibrant and alive the experience of center, the easier it is to maintain center as we go through our regular daily activities.  Today we worked to create the experience of a deeper fuller center by adding a practice of fire/water steam alchemy to the breathing practices from our previous classes.

Feedback and discussion.

Cheng Man-ching Master of Five Excellences translated by Mark Hennessy (pg. 59).

Practice before next class

Practice the alchemical fire/water steam practice before a daily life activity and see how it enhances your ability to accomplish the task you selected. 

Finish with misogi breathing and bowing out.

Deeper Practice of Center From Breath of Heaven, Earth and Human

Developing the Center, Sensei's thoughts
Published on

I appreciate everyone participating in this new format and welcome to everyone coming for the first time.  We are working to keep our regular class schedule going so it will be easier to return to our training together.

Please share any comments, suggestions or questions.

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-The Heart of Aikido translated by John Stevens (pg. 47).

Introduction

In our last on-line class we continued our series of classes focusing on center.  We worked with a practice that was a core principle from O Sensei, chinkon kishin.    This refers to calming the spirit and returning to the divine or the source.  The breathing practices related to chinkon kishin O Sensei called the Breath of Heaven; Breath of Earth and the Breath of Human Beings-The Secret Teachings of Aikido translated by John Stevens (pg. 108).

Our Aikido technique will be ten-chi nage.

Let’s bow in and start with misogi breathing and a good full warm-up.

Five Principles for Ki Breathing

Breathing tip of the day

Our tip today on the misogi breathing is to visualize your exhalation as a triangle; inhaling as a circle and pause in between as a square.  This follows O Sensei’s principle of the three shapes triangle; circle and square. 

  1. Breathe out with the sound of HA, don’t let your breath just leak out
  2. Breathe out as calmly and quietly as possible
  3. Breathe out the Ki of your head to the Ki of your toes
  4. Breathe in from the tip of your nose until your body is full of air
  5. Calm your mind infinitely smaller at the one point after inhaling

  

  1. Let’s begin with a round of practice with the technique.
  • Begin with the practice on ten-chi nage.
  • Get feedback on the technique to establish a baseline to use for comparison as the practice progresses.

Deeper Experience of Center Through Breath of Heaven, Earth and Human

  1. Let’s begin where we left off on Thursday with the rowing exercise (kogi-fune undo). Place particular emphasis on the hips moving first before the hands and arms.  The rowing exercise is an ancient Shinto practice from the yamabushi, the mountain ascetics.  O Sensei’s version came from a famous teacher, Bonji Kawatsura, who reputedly learned form a mountain wizard who was 697 years old. 
  • Let’s return to the technique to see how this round of circle/center practice with the addition of the rowing exercise has enhanced our performance of the technique.

 

  1. The rowing exercise has given us a good basic center from which the rest of our practices can build. Now let’s go more deeply into the first of the chinkon kishin breathing exercises, the Breath of Heaven.  This starts with the hands resting on your legs.  Then the hands move in front of your center and up the center line of your body as you inhale. 

Then the palms turn outward and circle down back to your center with the hands crossed over each other as you exhale.  The goal of the practice is to touch the divine source and bring it into your own center. 

The practice is described in detail in Aikido the Way of Harmony by John Stevens (pgs. 31-33).  It is also illustrated on our Group Facebook Page.

As we go through a second round with this practice visualize the movement of heavenly energy as water circulating throughout your body, emanating from your center and spine.   

  • Let’s return to the technique to see how the Breath of Heaven practice has enhanced our performance of the technique.

    Then moving on to a deeper experience of the next practice the Breath of Earth. This practice starts with hands in front of your center palms up with the thumbs pointing toward each other.  There is a starting exhalation which focuses on aligning the shoulders and upper body with the hips.  Next is an inhalation with the shoulders rising slightly.  Then an exhalation with the breath focused on center and the shoulders relaxing. 

The goal of the practice is to touch the life giving fecundity of the earth and bring it into your center.  The practice is described in detail in Aikido the Way of Harmony by John Stevens (pg. 34). 

 

As we go through a second round with this practice visualize the movement of grounded earth energy as steam, from the interaction with the water energy of the breath of heaven, circulating from your center and spine throughout your body, connecting you deeply to the earth.  

  • Let’s return to the technique to see how the Breath of Earth practice has enhanced our performance of the technique.

 

  1. Then moving on to a deeper experience of the next practice the Breath of Human Being. This practice starts with hands in front of your center palms up with the thumbs pointing toward each other.  Then visualize the energies of heaven and earth coming together in you center.  Our goal is to experience through our center the fullness of our humanity as the blending of heaven and earth.  The practice is described in detail in Aikido the Way of Harmony by John Stevens (pg. 35).

 

As we go through a second round with this practice visualize the energies of the breath of heaven and the breath of earth giving birth to you the human being, through the life-giving steam like energy,-The Heart of Aikido translated by John Stevens  (pg. 48 and pg. 103).  

  • Let’s return to the technique to see how the Breath of Human practice has enhanced our performance of the technique.

Conclusion

This series of classes is designed to offer a deeper and multi-dimensional experience of center.  The more vibrant and alive the experience of center the easier it is to maintain center as we go through our regular daily activities.  Today we worked to create the experience of a deeper fuller center by adding some of the alchemical imagery from O Sensei to the breathing practices from our Thursday class.

Feedback and discussion.

The Secret Teachings of Aikido translated by John Stevens (pg. 56).

Practice before next class

Practice the three breaths with the added alchemical imagery before a daily life activity and see how it enhances your ability to accomplish the task you selected. 

Finish with misogi breathing and bowing out.

Calming the Spirit and Returning to the Source From Center

Developing the Center, Sensei's thoughts
Published on

I appreciate everyone participating in this new format and welcome to everyone coming for the first time.  We are working to keep our regular class schedule going so it will be easier to return to our training together.

Please share any comments, suggestions or questions.

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-The Essence of Aikido by John Stevens (pgs. 97-98).

Introduction

In our last on-line class we began our series of classes focusing on center.  We started with a practice of the rowing exercise (kogi-fune undo) and experienced levels of center available to us in the manifest/physical dimension of consciousness. 

Today we will continue our focus on center expanding our practice with a core principle from O Sensei, chinkon kishin.    This refers to calming the spirit and returning to the divine or the source.  The breathing practices related to chinkon kishin O Sensei called the Breath of Heaven; Breath of Earth and the Breath of Human Beings-The Secret Teachings of Aikido translated by John Stevens (pg. 108).

Our Aikido technique will continue to be katate-dori ikkyo.

Let’s bow in and start with misogi breathing and a good full warm-up.

Five Principles for Ki Breathing

Breathing tip of the day

Our tip today on the misogi breathing is to mirror the breathing practices we will do later in class.  The exhalation represents the Breath of Heaven; the in breath the Breath of Earth and the pause the Breath of Human. 

  1. Breathe out with the sound of HA, don’t let your breath just leak out
  2. Breathe out as calmly and quietly as possible
  3. Breathe out the Ki of your head to the Ki of your toes
  4. Breathe in from the tip of your nose until your body is full of air
  5. Calm your mind infinitely smaller at the one point after inhaling
  1.   Let’s begin with a round of practice with the technique.
  • Begin with the practice on katate-dori ikkyo.
  • Get feedback on the technique to establish a baseline to use for comparison as the practice progresses.

Calming the Spirit and Returning to the Source Through Center

  1. Let’s begin where we left off on Tuesday with the rowing exercise (kogi-fune undo). Place particular emphasis on the hips moving first before the hands and arms.  The rowing exercise is an ancient Shinto practice from the yamabushi, the mountain ascetics.  O Sensei’s version came from a famous teacher, Bonji Kawatsura, who reputedly learned form a mountain wizard who was 697 years old. 
  • Let’s return to the technique to see how this round of circle/center practice with the addition of the rowing exercise has enhanced our performance of the technique.
  1. The rowing exercise has given us a good basic center from which the rest of our practices can build. Now let’s add the first of chinkon kishin breathing exercises, the Breath of Heaven.  This starts with the hands resting on your legs.  Then the hands move in front of your center and up the center line of your body as you inhale.  Then the palms turn outward and circle down back to your center with the hands crossed over each other as you exhale.  The goal of the practice is to touch the divine source and bring it into your own center. 

The practice is described in detail in Aikido the Way of Harmony by John Stevens (pgs. 31-33).    

  • Let’s return to the technique to see how the Breath of Heaven practice has enhanced our performance of the technique.

Then moving on to the next practice the Breath of Earth. This practice starts with hands in front of your center palms up with the thumbs pointing toward each other.  There is a starting exhalation which focuses on aligning the shoulders and upper body with the hips.  Next is an inhalation with the shoulders rising slightly.  Then an exhalation with the breath focused on center and the shoulders relaxing.  The goal of the practice is to touch the life giving fecundity of the earth and bring it into your center.  The practice is described in detail in Aikido the Way of Harmony by John Stevens (pg. 34).   

  • Let’s return to the technique to see how the Breath of Earth practice has enhanced our performance of the technique.
  1. Then moving on the next practice the Breath of Earth. This practice starts with hands in front of your center palms up with the thumbs pointing toward each other.  Then visualize the energies of heaven and earth coming together in you center.  Our goal is to experience through our center the fullness of our humanity as the blending of heaven and earth.  The practice is described in detail in Aikido the Way of Harmony by John Stevens (pg. 35).      
  • Let’s return to the technique to see how the Breath of Human practice has enhanced our performance of the technique.

Conclusion

This series of classes is designed to offer a deeper and multi-dimensional experience of center.  The more vibrant and alive the experience of center the easier it is to maintain center as we go through our regular daily activities.  Today we worked to create the experience of a fuller more calm center.  This is a good foundation for future classes in which we will practice some of the more subtle practices of center both from a multi-dimensional perspective as well as the center related alchemical practices.

Feedback and discussion.

The Secret Teachings of Aikido translated by John Stevens (pg. 40).

Practice before next class

Practice the three breaths before a daily life activity and see how it enhances your ability to accomplish the task you selected. 

Finish with misogi breathing and bowing out.

Multi-Dimensional Practice of Center

Developing the Center, Sensei's thoughts
Published on

I appreciate everyone participating in this new format and welcome to everyone coming for the first time.  We are working to keep our regular class schedule going so it will be easier to return to our training together.

Please share any comments, suggestions or questions.

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-A Light on Transmission by Mitsugi Saotome (pgs. 46-47)-The Way to Union With Ki by Koichi Tohei 10th dan, (pgs 58-60).

Introduction

In our last on-line class we completed our series of broadening our focus from the individual harmony of the I and the unit to a more universal perspective and experience of the I and the unit.  We then worked on a practice to bring them both together into a unified experience.

One reason that this shift from the personal to the universal is especially valuable at this time is the world’s unified focus due to the virus and the resulting turmoil.

O Sensei repeatedly referred to human beings as mirrors of the cosmos. 

Today we will begin a series of classes on center from a multi-dimensional perspective.  This will include centering practices from manifest, hidden and divine dimensions of consciousness and possibly working with the void.

As Saotome Sensei said in the passage we heard at the beginning of class, daily life is where most of our quality of life is experienced.  One experience we can carry with us throughout our daily activities is center.  It can also be a doorway to deeper experiences in more subtle dimensions of consciousness.

We will start today with a basic practice of center in the manifest-physical-realm and then work with more subtle realms in future classes.  These more subtle realms will include some of the inner alchemical practices related to center.

Our Aikido technique for today and Thursday will be katate-dori ikkyo.

Let’s bow in and start with misogi breathing and a good full warm-up.

Five Principles for Ki Breathing

Breating tip of the day

Our tip today on the misogi breathing is to maintain a strong connection to center even as you are exhaling in an expansive manner. 

  1. Breathe out with the sound of HA, don’t let your breath just leak out
  2. Breathe out as calmly and quietly as possible
  3. Breathe out the Ki of your head to the Ki of your toes
  4. Breathe in from the tip of your nose until your body is full of air
  5. Calm your mind infinitely smaller at the one point after inhaling

  

  1. Let’s begin with a round of practice with the technique.
  • Begin with the practice on katate-dori ikkyo.
  • Get feedback on the technique to establish a baseline to use for comparison as the practice progresses.

Centering to Deeper Levels in the Manifest

  1. Let’s begin with our circle/center practice. Give some extra emphasis to building a strong experience of center.  We want to give equal focus to the spiraling up and spiraling down parts of the practice. 
  • Let’s return to the technique to see how this round of circle/center practice has enhanced our performance of the technique.
  1. Next let’s add the rowing exercise (fune-kogi undo) after another round of the circle/center practice. Place particular emphasis on the hips moving first before the hands and arms.  The rowing exercise is an ancient Shinto practice from the yamabushi, the mountain ascetics.  O Sensei’s version came from a famous teacher, Bonji Kawatsura, who reputedly learned form a mountain wizard who was 697 years old.  We will work on the rowing exercise practice in stages to allow for enhanced levels of center as we go through these stages.    
  • Let’s return to the technique to see how this round of circle/center practice with the addition of the rowing exercise has enhanced our performance of the technique.
  1. Let’s now focus on the rowing exercise working with a partner. Visualize as you move forward someone pushing you from behind at your low back.  The added pressure even if only with an imaginary partner can help to deepen your experience of center.  Then as move back visualize your partner pushing on your shoulders. 

As before this can help to deepen your experience of center.

  • Let’s return to the technique to see how this deeper practice of the rowing exercise has enhanced our performance of the technique.

    

  1. Then continuing the practice with the rowing exercise, turn 180 degrees after each repetition. The turning along with continuing the testing, with your partner on your low back when forward and your shoulders when back, can be used to further deepen your experience of center. 
  • Let’s return to the technique to see how this deeper practice of the rowing exercise has enhanced our performance of the technique.
  1. Let’s now begin to work with some of the alchemical imagery to deepen even further your experience of center.

As you move forward with the hips and arms visualize your open hands contacting energy that is freely available around your body.  We exist in a field of ki or subtle energy much like we do with the air or a fish in water.  As your hips and then hands move back, with the hands closing, visualize the backward movement drawing energy into your center.  This will help to create a more vibrant and alive experience of center.

  • Let’s return to the technique to see how this round of practice with the rowing exercise has enhanced our performance of the technique.

Conclusion

This series of classes is designed to offer a deeper and multi-dimensional experience of center.  The more vibrant and alive the experience of center the easier it is to maintain center as we go through our regular daily activities-Black Belt Magazine Nov. 1965 (pg. 48).  In future classes we will practice some of the more subtle practices of center both from a multi-dimensional perspective as well as the center related alchemical practices.

Feedback and discussion.

The Secret Teachings of Aikido translated by John Stevens (pg. 40).

Practice before next class

Select a half hour part of your day and practice maintaining center for that half hour. 

Finish with misogi breathing and bowing out. 

Connecting the Individual and Universal Through Center

Energies of the Universe, Sensei's thoughts
Published on

I appreciate everyone participating in this new format and welcome to everyone coming for the first time.  We are working to keep our regular class schedule going so it will be easier to return to our training together.

Please share any comments, suggestions or questions.

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-A Light on Transmission by Mitsugi Saotome (pg. 19).

Introduction

In our last on-line class we continued our series of broadening our focus from the individual harmony of the I and the unit to a more universal perspective and experience of the I and the unit.  We then worked on a practice to bring them both together into a unified experience.

One reason that this shift from the personal to the universal is especially valuable at this time is the world’s unified focus due to the virus and the resulting turmoil.

O Sensei repeatedly referred to human beings as mirrors of the cosmos. 

Practices are needed that provide both an individual and universal experience and that also include both growth and development and balance and harmony.  This is because the individual and the universal complement (mirror) each other.

This understanding allows us to take O Sensei’s Dragon King Formulation from the realm of esoteric Shinto tradition into both a general understanding and much more importantly, a universal and REPEATABLE experience of I and unit.

Many spiritual traditions teach that the creation is made up of two fundamental energies, for example yin and yang or in and yo in Japanese. 

O Sensei often talked about the two basic universal energies symbolically manifested as fire and water.  Fire and water are used in this same way in many traditions that practice inner alchemy such as Taoism and certain schools of Buddhism.  We have used the same formulation in our forging practice for many years.

Today’s class will build on our earlier classes in this series and practice to connect the individual and universal perspectives.  Our goal is a practice that honors both perspectives in a unified experience.  This unified practice allows us to experience both the fullness of ourselves as individuals and the harmony of the universal energies of creation. 

This practice of unity also very importantly helps us to experience our place in the creation both in times of relative stability and especially in times of change.  

We will start with our standard forging practice on an individual level to get an experiential base for the interaction of fire and water.

Then we will use the basic questions with which we started in our earlier classes to expand our perspective from the individual to the more universal. 

Our Aikido technique for today will continue to be mune-tsuki irimi nage.

Let’s bow in and start with misogi breathing and a good full warm-up.

Five Principles for Ki Breathing

Breathing tip of the day

Our tip today on the misogi breathing is to feel at each pause between exhalation and inhalation that both are parts of a unified whole.  

  1. Breathe out with the sound of HA, don’t let your breath just leak out
  2. Breathe out as calmly and quietly as possible
  3. Breathe out the Ki of your head to the Ki of your toes
  4. Breathe in from the tip of your nose until your body is full of air
  5. Calm your mind infinitely smaller at the one point after inhaling

  

  1. Let’s begin with a round of practice with the technique.
  • Begin with the practice on mune-tsuki irimi nage.
  • Get feedback on the technique to establish a baseline to use for comparison as the practice progresses.

Bridging the Universal and the Individual Through an Experience of Center

  1. Let’s begin with a basic round of forging at the individual level. Our call off is mune-tsuki irimi nage.  We will then move to an alive space; an embodied functioning unit of the technique and the wholeness of the I. 

Let’s pay special attention to a balanced mixing of the energies of the unit.  At a more universal level this is the job of the Dragon King/Queen.

Now that each part of the system has had a turn on the lineage established by the technique; in the space; I and unit come together at hara.  One becomes fire and one becomes water. 

Through the interaction of fire and water with each other, at hara, a refined steam like energy fills your entire system with a sense of health and wholeness; aliveness and wellbeing and brings all the parts of your system together birthing you as the forged one of mune-tsuki irimi nage. 

  • Let’s return to the technique to see how this round of forging, at an individual level, has enhanced our performance of the technique.

 

  1. Let’s now go through the forging process on a more universal level. Our call-off of mune-tsuki irimi nage can move from an individual Aikido technique to standing on the floating bridge of heaven, Ame-no-murakumo or the Billowing Clouds of Heaven. 

We can follow the same basic pattern we have just used in our regular forging practice by visualizing from both the awareness and experiential perspectives how we will look and feel standing on the floating bridge.  Since this is a big shift from individual to universal, we can use the mountain echo to help us make this move.

  1. We can then continue on to the alive space with again the same practice we use in our regular forging practice-center and circle interacting with each other but on a universal level. We can also use the mountain echo to help us here. 
  1. Let’s now turn our attention to the mixing of the universal unit, the Dragon King/Queen. The energies of the unit are Kuki, the Nine Fierce Spirits.  Here we will use the kuji kiri practice we learned from Stevens Sensei.  This will be instructed orally and not be in the notes or on the video.  We will go through the kuji kiri three times.  Our objective and hoped for result is to bring the energies of the Kuki, the Nine Fierce Spirits together into a unit of universal perspective.  This universal unit will have all the skills and abilities needed to allow us to stand on the floating bridge of heaven.

What is your experience as the Dragon King/Queen?  While we are seeking the experience of a universal unit, the experience is still you.  Each person’s experience even on a universal scale will be unique.

As in previous classes you don’t have to know the answer in advance, allow the principle of the mountain echo to work.  Maintain a fullness and presence and allow the answer to form experientially.

This type of universal practice can be especially useful in times of turmoil either personally or in society. 

It is at these times that the energies can indeed turn fierce and seem like chaos rather than orderly creation is inevitable.     

  1. The next step in our process of universal forging is to experience the I or Haya-Takemusu-Okami-Swift Valorous Creative Spirit as the most original I.

Another name for this that Nadeau Sensei has used in the past is The First Awakener.  We will, as we have throughout this class, use the same practice of each part of the I mirroring its other half to bring about an experience of wholeness on a universal scale. 

Our question here remains what is the experience of each part of the I mirroring its other half on this most original level?  Once again as this is a big step, use the mountain echo practice to help you make this big move.

What is your experience as the most original I?

  1. Let’s now complete the forging process. On this universal scale; on the lineage of standing on the floating bridge; in the universal space; as the Dragon King/Queen; experiencing ourselves as the most original I or First Awakener; I and unit come together. 

One becomes fire, one becomes water and through the interaction of fire and water with each other, at the universal center of SU (see The Essence of Aikido by John Stevens-pg, 16), the most refined energy fills your system with an experience of health and wholeness, wellbeing and aliveness and birthing you as the forged one standing on the floating bridge.

What is your experience as the forged one standing on the floating bridge?

  • Let’s go back to mune-tsuki irimi nage to experience the technique on this universal scale.
  1. Let’s now complete our practice by bringing the universal and individual together into a unified experience.

A question that can help us is:  how do the universal and the individual come together as a unified whole?  As we have with previous major shifts in consciousness allow the mountain to operate and let the answer grow organically in your system.

What is your unified experience of wholeness between the universal and the personal? 

At many levels of practice this unity comes through an experience of center. 

This occurs at all levels from the very basic level of physical of the body (manifest); the energetic center of the energy body (hidden); the causal center (divine) and the non-dual center (the void). 

  • Let’s go back to mune-tsuki irimi nage to practice the technique through this unified experience.

In our next series of classes we will explore each of these centers as well as the alchemy that goes on in each one.  

Conclusion

This series of classes is designed to help broaden our perspective from individual harmony to a more universal harmony with the great energies of creation.  The unit and the forged one that comes out of this broader perspective will be more universal in scope. 

In this class we continued our practice of individual and universal consciousness but also worked with a practice leading to a unified experience that brought our individual and universal selves into a harmonious whole. 

Feedback and discussion.

A Light on Transmission by Mitsugi Saotome (pg. 19).

Practice before next class  

Repeat this practice using a daily life task as your call-off and allow time to bring the universal and personal together with a focus on a unifying experience of center. 

Finish with misogi breathing and bowing out.