Aikido of Petaluma

Fuller Experience of Dimensionality in the Manifest and Hidden Dimensions

Published on 2021-02-02

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 Secret Teachings of Aikido translated by John Stevens (pg. 52).

Introduction

In our last on-line class we continued our series on experiencing dimensionality.

Dimensionality is both a concept and a practice stemming from the recognition that our identities and our experiences exist on multiple levels.

A basic example with which to start are our bodies.

If we begin by focusing on our hands and we explore their functionality and aliveness we will have some very interesting experiences. Obviously, though this is a small part of the totality of the body experience and our embodied identity.

Then we shift our awareness to the entire arm not just the hand. This increases the scope of our experience and embodied identity from just focusing on the hand.

We can go further focusing on increasingly more parts of the body until we arrive at a whole body identity and experience.

This example shows a progression in dimensionality in the manifest dimension of physical reality. As O Sensei outlined, a more complete picture of the creation also includes the hidden or energetic dimension and the divine or causal dimension. Dimensional experiences are also present in the hidden and divine parts of creation as well.

We will begin our practice where we started last week with the manifest and then move on to explore the second of the three basic dimensions-the hidden dimension.

We will also add an expanded focus on the realms that correspond to our personal experience as a manifest and hidden body.

We are also adding one additional element to this series that we have not done before. On a purely voluntary basis, select a call-off you would like to work with throughout this series.

This will help to make the practices in each class more personal and well connected. It is an opportunity to experience dimensionality over a series of classes and timeframe with something of specific significance to you.

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

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

Five Principles for Ki Breathing

Our tip today on the misogi breathing

is to focus during the exhalation on the experience of the space around the body. During the inhalation focus your attention on the experience in the body. Utilize the pauses between the exhalation and inhalation to focus on your center. This will help us to get started with an experience of the space/realm/situation around the body as well as our experience as an embodied identity.

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

Fuller Experience of Dimensionality in the Manifest and Hidden Dimensions

Let’s begin with a round of practice with the technique.

Begin with the practice of kata-dori ikkyo.
Get feedback on the technique to establish a baseline to use for comparison as the practice progresses.

Experiencing the Manifest

Let’s now begin, as we did last week with a dimensional practice with the manifest/physical body starting with your hand. As you focus your attention on your hand, what is your experience?

Move your hand around-opening and closing it. What capabilities or feeling do you notice as you focus more intently on your hand?

Let’s go back to the technique to experience it from this hand focus perspective. How is it different than the first round?

Next, let’s broaden your perspective from your hand to your arm including your hand. What changes do you experience with this larger dimensional perspective of the arm which includes your hand?

Let’s go back to the technique to experience it from this whole arm perspective. How is it different than the previous round?

Let’s pause for a moment to review further a topic we discussed last week. That is a consideration of the dimensional process and how it works as well as potential difficulties in making dimensional shifts.

Depending on circumstances, we may experience resistance of different kinds in making dimensional shifts.

Here are a couple of examples. We may resist changes that we feel are being forced upon us by outside circumstances and pressures.

Basic Aikido practice is a good example of this. As the nage we are being attacked by the uke.

We feel pressure from our uke/partner to respond in an aiki manner with a flowing, well executed technique.

In the context of a class or series of classes, especially when preparing for a promotional test, we may also feel pressured to improve our ability with the technique to reach a higher level of performance. This performance pressure can lead to tension and other responses that may actually diminish our performance rather than improve it.

A second example is resistance to a dimensional shift when we feel we will lose something we value in the process.

A common call-off in our Energy Classes is to achieve greater levels of authenticity. As we feel the dimensional process beginning it may seem as if parts of our current identity, such as wanting to please others, may be lost or reduced.

This could cause us to pull back for fear of losing a part of ourselves that we value.

Another common example is our basic tendency to return to the familiar and often comfortable level from which we started our dimensional practice. This can happen for a variety of reasons. One is that at the new dimensional level we may not notice an immediate improvement in our performance or experience of well-being.

Any change in our sense of routine or identity may take time to adjust and experience the benefits of making the dimensional shift.

While going through this adjustment period we may actually feel as if we are losing ground. This creates a pull back to our familiar level. Sometimes it may also be as simple as we don’t recognize the dimensional shift has occurred or that a movement back to the familiar has happened.

Starting with smaller more basic practices like the ones we are doing today, may help to reduce resistance to dimensional change because we can experience a basic truth of dimensionality. Dimensional shifts transcend our current level but they also include and in some cases enhance the quality we value in ourselves rather than reducing it. We will still recognize ourselves and our identities as we advance through dimensional growth.

Let’s go back to our practice and shift our attention from the arm to the whole body.

Here there are two questions. First, how has your overall experience changed from the arm orientation? Second, how has this larger perspective changed your experience of your hand and arm? Is the hand and arm better supported, better connected?

Let’s go back to the technique to experience it from this whole body perspective. How is it different than the previous round?

Let’s now expand our experience in the manifest dimension using the circle center practice. As an embodied identity in the manifest dimension, scan the manifest space where you currently are. What is your experience as a manifest being in a manifest body of the manifest realm? Does the experience of the manifest realm enhance your experience of your identity as a manifest embodied being?

Let’s go back to the technique to experience it from this manifest realm perspective. How is it different than the previous round?

Let’s now progress to an experience of the whole body but in the hidden dimension.

Experiencie the Hidden Dimension

To transition from the manifest/physical to the hidden/energetic we can use the practice from recent classes, first with palms facing each other and flowing energy between them. Once the flow is well established, shift your focus from the hands to the energy itself.

Follow a similar, pattern with the universal post practice by opening the hands and arms into a circle. Once the space feels energetically full, shift your attention to your energy body.

From the energy body shift your attention to the energy space which allows your mind to flow out to the energy world surrounding you as the energy body.

Let’s go back to the technique to experience it from this hidden dimension perspective. Does the experience of the hidden realm enhance your experience of your identity as a hidden energy embodied being?

Conclusion

In this class we continued our series on dimensionality. Our beginning practice was a basic progression from the hand to the entire body, noting the changes in our experience, sense of identity and the feedback from the technique at each point.

We also explored some of the possible areas of resistance that can happen to making dimensional shifts.

We then expanded further into the manifest dimension by including the manifest realm experience in addition to the manifest body.

We then made a shift to the hidden dimension and experienced the technique from the hidden dimension perspective. We experienced the hidden dimension both as an embodied energy being and then included the hidden realm in our experience.

The Heart of Aikido translated by John Stevens (pg. 62).

Feedback and Discussion

Practice before next class:

Select a daily life activity and take a moment to make a shift to the next dimensional level of that task from both the manifest and hidden dimensions. See how this shift changes the experience as you perform the task you selected.

You may also take a moment to experience any dimensional shifts in the area you selected as your call-off for this entire series of classes.

Finish with misogi breathing and bowing out.

Unified Centering in the Void

Published on 2020-12-17

Please share any comments, suggestions or questions.

Introduction

In our last on-line class we continued our series on center. We are exploring center from several perspectives. These include both vertical and horizontal dimensions of center.

At a basic level, center or hara is about creating a balance within the physical body and then integrating mind and body together. As Tohei Sensei says, we are bringing into a state of unity mind and body that are already unified but are often experienced as separate.

We will continue with some basic centering practices and then use center as a “travel vehicle” or portal to finer dimensions of centered consciousness.

These finer dimensions allow for practices in which the creation and void may be experienced in a unified manner.

Today we will explore with our centering practice a dimension of consciousness beyond the basic three of manifest, hidden and divine. We will explore the experience of the void.

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

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

Five Principles for Ki Breathing

Our tip today on the misogi breathing is to experience a deep state of quiet with the exhalation, the inhalation and the pauses.

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

Let’s begin with a round of practice with the technique.

Begin with the practice of kata-dori ikkyo.
Get feedback on the technique to establish a baseline to use for comparison as the practice progresses.

Centering Basics

Let’s start with the very basic practice of physical centering we have practiced throughout this series. First, locate where your mind is currently focused. It is OK if is not in the present or on the body.

Before we try and bring the mind into center in the body, let’s give it a moment to settle and relax where it is.

Then we can without tension or force bring the mind to center-Cheng Tzu’s Thirteen Treatises on T’ai-chi Ch’uan (pgs. 41-42).

Notice the difference this seemingly simple practice makes.

From the relaxed center let’s work with our circle center practice to focus our attention on the manifest/physical dimension.

From this practice let’s go through the technique and see if our experience is different with our focus on the manifest.

Next let’s transition from the manifest/physical to the hidden/energetic also using the circle center practice.

What is your experience as a centered hidden dimension being in a hidden dimension world?

From this practice let’s go through the technique and see how our experience is different than in the manifest.

Now let’s shift our practice to the divine dimension of primal emptiness and potentiality.

To transition from the hidden/energetic we can again use the circle center practice.

Here we can use the practice to enter a state of deep quiet. This quiet is a doorway to the divine dimension of creative emptiness. The divine body in the divine world is like an outline of a potential body, but is still a real body with real experience.

What is your experience as a centered divine dimension being in a divine dimension world?

From this practice let’s go through the technique and see if our experience is different than the hidden or manifest rounds.

We will add to the practices we have worked within this series the integrating experience of the void.

The void is that aspect of existence which is most basic. It is most basic in that it is the source of all aspects of the creation but is not “created” itself. It is ever-present and unchanging. One way to approach understanding the void is a principle called the two truths doctrine The Religion of Tomorrow Ken Wilbur (pgs. 23 and 164).

As we move into an experience of the void at first it is an experience of the absolute unchanging state.

As our experience of the void gets more and more full it is a state of non-duality where even the distinction between the relative and absolute realms is transcended.

Let’s continue to use the circle center practice to transition from the divine dimension to the void.

To begin let’s go back to the circle/center practice and to the place of great quiet but also emptiness. Within that space of emptiness allow the void to fill that space. This is a doorway to the direct experience of the void.

It is most important to maintain your center as there are no external reference points in the void. One approach to maintaining an experience of center in the void is that center in an infinite unchanging space is everywhere. Each point is equidistant from all other points. Therefore every place in the void is center. To translate this principle into experience let’s use a practice of mirroring. All parts of the void mirror each other equally. This allows a fullness of experience and having a center as a reference point. To move from this experience to a practice of functionality in the void, let’s refer back to O Sensei’s description-The Secret Teachings of Aikido (pg. 53).

This is the foundation for experiencing the seeming paradox of functionality in the void.

Let’s now go back to the technique of kata-dori ikkyo from the void.
What is your experience? How is it unique when compared with the previous experiences of the technique?

We can now move from an experience of the void as something distinct from the creation to an even more inclusive experience that transcends even the distinction between relative and absolute. O Sensei and many other spiritual traditions refer to this as the experience of pure light-The Heart of Aikido (pgs. 48-49).

To move from the poetry of O Sensei’s description to a direct experience we can start with the experience of all parts of the void mirroring each other. As full and unifying as this experience is we can allow it to progress still further to the point that light from the universal mirroring fills the void. This moves beyond the movement of light between parts of the void to a state of fullness and completeness. O Sensei called this Hikari-The Essence of Aikido (pg. 94).

From this place of non-dual experience let’s go back to kata-dori ikkyo and practice with the functionality provided by this unifying experience.
What is your experience? How is it unique when compared with the previous experiences of the technique?

Conclusion

This series of classes is focused on a multi-dimensional experience of center.

Center is a basic practice which allows us to develop a stable basis for experiencing more refined states of consciousness without losing our reference point.

When we lose our reference point we can become stuck, “floating” in a state of consciousness without functional capacity and emotional stability.

When we achieve a stable center it can then become a travel vehicle for moving into refined states of consciousness in a functional manner.

In this class we continued our practice using center as a travel vehicle to help us experience both the manifest, hidden and divine states of consciousness. We then added the experience of the void.

This is how center can be a travel vehicle or passage way to increasingly refined states of consciousness.

Feedback and discussion.

Integral Spirituality by Ken Wilbur (pgs. 74-75).

Practice before next class: take a few minutes before a daily life task and practice centering at this deeper level from both manifest, hidden, divine and then the void as we have done in today’s class.

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

Finish with misogi breathing and bowing out.

Unified Centering in Manifest, Hidden and Divine

Published on 2020-12-15

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 Spirit of Aikido by Kisshomaru Ueshiba (pg. 45).

Introduction

In our last on-line class we continued our series on center. We are exploring center from several perspectives. These include both vertical and horizontal dimensions of center.

We will continue our practice with some basic centering practices such as the rowing exercise and then practice center as a “travel vehicle” or portal to finer dimensions of centered consciousness.

These finer dimensions allow for practices in which the creation and void may be experienced in a unified manner.

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

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

Five Principles for Ki Breathing

Our tip today on the misogi breathing is the same as last Thursday’s class to experience the exhalation as manifest and the inhalation as hidden dimension, with the pauses as a focus on divine center.

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

Let’s begin with a round of practice with the technique.

Begin with the practice of kata-dori ikkyo.
Get feedback on the technique to establish a baseline to use for comparison as the practice progresses.

Centering Basics

Let’s start with the very basic practice of physical centering we have practiced throughout this series. First, locate where your mind is currently focused. It is OK if is not in the present or on the body.

Before we try and bring the mind into center in the body, let’s give it a moment to settle and relax where it is.

Then we can without tension or force bring the mind to center-Cheng Tzu’s Thirteen Treatises on T’ai-chi Ch’uan (pgs. 41-42).

Notice the difference this seemingly simple practice makes.

Next focus specifically on the manifest/physical dimension. From the relaxed center allow your attention to focus on any part of your body that attracts your attention. Bring that part of your body into connection with your relaxed experience of center.

From this relaxed state of center in your manifest body, allow your attention to rest on any part of the manifest space you are now in.

Then connect that awareness to your relaxed center. We are now experiencing ourselves, in a standing practice, as a manifest being in a manifest world with a focus on center.

What is your experience as centered manifest being in a manifest world? This relaxed experience of center can make it easier to maintain center in a sustainable manner.

From here let’s move to the rowing exercise we have used in previous classes again as a manifest dimension practice.

Let’s start with a basic version from the manifest center experience we now have, leading the movement both forward and back from the hips with the hands and arms following.

Our goal is to advance the experience of a manifest center from a standing position into one in motion.

Once we have done a few repetitions of the basic rowing exercise let’s pause and expand the experience of center by visualizing an extension of center to the base of the spine.

With this practice we can build on our experience of inner mirroring from our previous series as we shift back and forth from forward movement to backward movement. As before the hips should lead.

From this baseline of manifest horizontal centering let’s now move to vertical centering. Let’s shift from the rowing exercise to ikkyo undo. This is like the rowing exercise except the hands and arms move up and down rather than forward and back.

Adding to the up and down movement visualize the movement of energy up the spine and down the front of the body back to your center.

This creates a version of what O Sensei called the Aiki cross. It provides a harmonious relationship between the vertical and horizontal. The practice is designed to create a balanced and sustainable physical and energetic structure.

We then want to focus our attention on the point of contact between the horizontal and vertical centers.

One way O Sensei referred to this unified center is the plum blossom that blooms in 3,000 worlds-The Secret Teachings of Aikido (pg. 72).

This structure provides a stable experiential basis for our manifest center. It also provides the ability to use center as a “travel vehicle” for movement into more refined states of consciousness while retaining center and stability.

From this practice let’s go through the technique and see if our experience is different than our last round.

From the stability of the manifest aiki-cross let’s move to the hidden dimension of consciousness.

Follow a similar, pattern with the universal post practice by opening the hands and arms into a circle. Once the space feels energetically full, shift your attention to your energy body.

From the energy body shift your attention to the energy space which allows your mind to flow out to the energy world surrounding you as the energy body.

From this experience of the hidden dimension let’s focus on the both the horizontal and vertical experience of center. We will go through the rowing exercise and then ikkyo undo in the hidden and then focus on the point of contact between them as the aiki-cross or blooming plum blossom.

What is your experience as a centered hidden dimension being in a hidden dimension world?

From this practice let’s go through the technique and see if our experience is different than our last round.

Let’s shift our practice to the divine dimension of primal emptiness and potentiality.

To transition from the hidden/energetic we can use a practice from recent classes.

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 a position in front of your center. The back of the left hand is resting on the palm of the right hand with the thumbs almost touching each other to form a circle

This next 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. It is an opening like a tunnel or a portal to the divine dimension.

In this place of great, great quiet your divine body is already 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. This is because you are searching for references that exist in the hidden and manifest dimensions but not in the divine.

From this experience of the divine dimension let’s focus on the both the horizontal and vertical experience of center. We will go through the rowing exercise and then ikkyo undo in the divine and then focus on the point of contact between them as the aiki-cross or blooming plum blossom.

What is your experience as a centered divine dimension being in a divine dimension world?

From this practice let’s go through the technique and see if our experience is different than our last round.

Conclusion

This series of classes is focused on a multi-dimensional experience of center.

Center is a basic practice which allows us to develop a stable basis for experiencing more refined states of consciousness without losing our reference point.

When we lose our reference point we can become stuck, “floating” in a state of consciousness without functional capacity and emotional stability.

When we achieve a stable center it can then become a travel vehicle for moving into refined states of consciousness.

In this class we continued our practice using center as a travel vehicle to help us experience both the manifest, hidden and divine states of consciousness.

This is how center can be a travel vehicle or passage way to increasingly refined states of consciousness.

Feedback and discussion.

The Essence of Aikido by John Stevens (pg. 46).

Practice before next class: take a few minutes before a daily life task and practice centering at this deeper level from both manifest, hidden and divine as we have done in today’s class.

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

Finish with misogi breathing and bowing out.

The Experience of Center in Manifest, Hidden and Divine

Published on 2020-09-22

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Published on 2020-09-17

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

Published on 2020-09-15

Please share any comments, suggestions or questions.

Introduction

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.