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.
- 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.
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- How did the focus on count 1, the idea of the technique change your experience?
- 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.
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- How did the focus on count 2, the structure of the technique change your experience?
- 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.
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- How did the focus on count 3, the intuitive energy of the technique change your experience?
- 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.
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- How did the focus on count 4, the unifying energy of the technique change your experience?
- 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.
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- 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).
ave been training in martial arts since I was about 10 years old, starting with Shotokan Karate, but I’ve always had a curiosity about Aikido and its uniqueness in the martial arts world. Being a creative person, Aikido resonates to me with that sense of creativity the founder explained how each technique is new and evolving, true victory is self victory, and its core tenants being to train in a joyful manner. I’ve found Aikido to be a great martial art for enhancing one’s physical ability and peaceful nature, but more importantly to me, the sense of joy that good training brings. Please come join us!
