OSensei (Founder of Aikido) instructing. Image from the book Enlightenment through Aikido
NOTE The following, and indeed all posts in this category, reflect my personal impressions and understandings. They are not intended to represent the views of my instructors, something which I am neither qualified nor given permission to do :).
Harmonious ki is in accordance with the principles of nature, drawing things in through the ki of love is the first principle – the Founder, OSensei quoted in Enlightenment through Aikido
On the mat, you keep hearing the same things. Or at least, you keep being told the same things. Whether you hear them or not is quite another matter :).
‘Breathe’
‘Breathe in, breathe out’
‘Breathe your partner in, breathe your partner out’
‘Breathe from your centre’
‘Breathe out as you roll’
‘Breathe in before you roll’
Having some experience in yoga and more in meditation, I appreciate the value of breathing, not just for survival (as we all do) but also for countless other benefits.
When I teach clients and workshop participants the techniques of meditation, I always begin with breath awareness. It is the doorway to encountering our mind, to observing its behaviour and its contents, the rising and falling away of thoughts and feelings and how easily it can attach to or run away from certain thoughts and feelings. But this is the conditioned mind.
As we keep observing our breath, the process takes us deeper and deeper into consciousness so that we become aware of a state of consciousness that is beyond the conditioned mind. This is the natural mind, the unconditioned mind and as our focus sharpens and our awareness expands, we become one with it.
This is the mind that is naturally radiant, free, joyous, peaceful, limitless and powerful. This is the Enlightened Mind! And we all have access to it. Actually, it is probably more accurate to say that we all originate from this mind, from this consciousness!
It is from this mind, this consciousness, this Source, that all things arise and yet, it is itself un-caused.
This is the storehouse of ‘Ki’ or ‘Chi’ or ‘Prana’. When you think about it, you realize that rather than you breathing, it is the Source, the Ki, the Universe that is breathing you! Without it, nothing could possibly exist and we would not be capable of anything!
We assume that when we walk or talk or lift an object or perform a technique, it is the personal ‘you’ or ‘I’ that’s doing it and that we are ‘fuelled’ by the food we eat. But in fact, every part of our being – every bone, tissue, sinew, cell, cartilage and organelle is imbued with universal energy or ‘ki’, as is the food that we eat and the water we drink. Ki is the non-physical substrate of all matter.
So, when we are instructed to use our breath, it is so that we can align ourselves with and use this ki for the greatest effect and with the least effort! And when we are instructed to ‘breathe in’ our partner and ‘breathe out’ our partner, it is in recognition of the universal, ever-present and undifferentiated ki that animates both you and your partner.
Breathing in your partner allows you to accept their energy without conflict, without resistance. Breathing out your partner allows you to redirect the ki harmoniously for the wellbeing of both you and your partner. At all times, you are aware of the Universal energy which is making all things possible. Or at least, you want to be aware.
Off the mat and in the rest of life, in our relationships with our partners, friends, colleagues, children, pets, plants, the equipment we use, it would be good to maintain such an awareness of the presence, the power and the abundance of ki, everywhere and always.
We could consciously ‘breathe in’ our partner or our colleague or our child especially when there appears to be a lack of harmony. And we can ‘breathe them out’. In general terms, to restore and maintain harmony, we allow ki to flow naturally, unimpeded in all directions.
What does this mean in ‘practical’ terms? Well, aside from actually breathing more consciously, it also means that we accept where they are and where they are coming from. We don’t fight it.
We acknowledge that at any given time, they are doing the best they can. We seek to understand their point of view. This is how we ‘breathe’ them in’.
When we ‘breathe them out’, we find ways to allow their true interests to work with our true interests. We seek neither ‘this’ nor ‘that’ but ‘this and that and more.
In this way, we allow the universal energy, which also powers our intellect, to work for our mutual wellbeing.
Breathe!
In love, Lucy
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