31.12.03. As the old year draws to an end, and a new year begins, I want to thank all of you for being a part of the Seishindo process. Our newsletter is exactly one year old, and thanks to so many of you passing the word on to friends and colleagues, we have grown to just short of 4,000 subscribers. Keep up the good work! I am always happy to receive email describing how you benefit from the Seishindo newsletter, workshops, and private sessions, and I encourage all of you to write to me in 2004 if you would like to express how Seishindo impacts your life.
Charlie

20.12.03. In the 24th issue of our newsletter entitled "I hope you're not too proud to learn from a dog", please read about having an experience that comes before words, before thinking, before judgment.
Without words, we cannot separate ourselves from others. Without thinking there is no pain. Without judgment there is no right and wrong, good and bad. When you are only here, only now, you can only experience your core self, and feel at peace.

08.12.03. A new workshop by Charlie in Washington D.C. on Jan. 30 - Feb. 1 has been announced: "Use Eastern Wisdom to transform your life, and thrive in the Western World." This workshop will offer you significant value if you want to develop your sense of vital health and well being, or look to add to your current professional skills, being a therapist, coach, social worker, physical therapist, or bodyworker. Click here to find out more.

04.12.03. Can one "learn" the feeling of being respected, protected and loved, regardless of the situation/context one is in? Explore this topic in the 23rd issue of our Newsletter entitled "A small piece of carpet."

01.12.03. "Jazz Chanting" is a fairly new Seishindo Practice. Charlie's clients have been finding it to be particularly enjoyable, and effective in helping to bring about a change in the way we approach what we perceive to be "problems."

27.11.03. Autistic savants are born with miswired neurons, AND extraordinary gifts. Read about the breakthrough science behind our new understanding of the brain, in Steve Silberman's article The Key to Genius in Wired Magazine.

17.11.03. The 22th issue of our newsletter entitled "What is your primary identity?" offers you an opportunity to better understand how to interact with people whose primary identity is one of fear and aggression.

04.11.03. Robert D. Rossel, Ph.D., is a longtime practitioner of hypnosis and Self Relations therapy. He has a particular interest in exploring the interface between psychotherapy and various mind/body practices such as Aikido, Tai Chi, and Yoga. He is fascinated by how the interaction of various mindfulness practices can lead to unique spiritual paths of transformation, physical and emotional healing, and renewal. Don't miss his wonderful article "Our Clients, Our Teachers".

01.11.03. In the 21st issue of our newsletter entitled "Where do 'I' begin and end?" Charlie is inviting you to explore the boundaries of "self." Please read the issue and do the related Practice "Who am I? Who are You?" to gain a new perspective about yourself, the people you interact with, and your surroundings.

15.10.03. All of life is intelligent, all of life is learning and evolving, and all of life is adapting to change. It is quite fascinating to think about how the learning that you do is not all that different than the learning of an ecosystem, or a baby bird. The 20th issue of our newsletter called "The whole universe is learning and evolving. How about you?" is a broad perspective look at the topic of evolution, and how it relates to you and me.

The practice: "Standing With Grace and Power" can help you to feel your place in the world. You can learn how to feel grounded and strong while remaining relaxed and at ease. This is a Practice that comes from Aikido as it is taught by Charlie's teacher Koichi Tohei. Read through the Practice and find a partner or two, and give it a try. If you are new to the concepts of Aikido, I am sure that you will find this exercise very stimulating and educational.

06.10.03. Carol Lankton, M.A. is a marriage and family therapist practicing in Pensacola, Florida. She conducts self hypnosis therapy groups, Enlightenment Intensives, and continuing education training workshops for mental health professionals seeking certification and a therapeutic framework for incorporating hypnotherapy into their practice. You are invited to read her article "Therapeutic Alliances in the Pursuit of Sexual Pleasure".

01.10.03. It can be amazing to notice how a simple metaphor sometimes leads to a change in the way one perceives and lives one's life. We hope that the description of a steam engine in the 19th issue of our newsletter titled "Self-regulating Mechanisms in Machines, Nature, and Human Beings" will serve as a catalyst that will lead you to meaningful insights.

Our Practice "Self-regulating Steady States" can give you a first hand experience of how you can use your own personal speed governor to regulate the overall speed of your system. Coming in touch with "too much and too little" will help you to find the Goldilocks place of "juusst right."

18.09.03. Community building
If you are reading our newsletter and you have a website of your own, then send your URL and a three or four sentence description of your site or service to our webmaster and site co-developer Inessa and we will place your link in a special subscribers section, for all who visit our site to read. Welcome!

17.09.03. "Two of Everything" is the name of today's exercise. Most people find it to be a great warm-up for getting their creative juices flowing. Please take a few minutes and check this exercise out.

16.09.03. Have you ever wondered how you could become "more innovative, more creative"? Have you perhaps been looking for some elusive quality inside yourself? Rather than attempting to be more creative, Charlie suggests that we take a moment and notice how we are active participants in many creative acts, without noticing it. Read more in the 18th issue of our Newsletter called "Innovation, Adaptation, and Co-evolution."

05.09.03. The exercise "What is natural, what is not?" added today is a thought experiment. In order to understand more about one's own life, it can be helpful to explore how we define terms like "life" "living" "natural" "nature" and "man made." By understanding more about what we consider and feel to be "live" we might come in touch more with the life within ourselves.

04.09.03. In the 17th issue of our newsletter entitled "Group Mind, Innovation, and Creativity" Charlie offers a framework to help you harness the natural emergence of creativity when working as part of a group or system. The group you belong to can be your family, your classmates, the company you work for, or your local parent-teachers association.

26.08.03. We have added four links to Lawrence Gold's articles on our Somatics page. Lawrence Gold is a certified practitioner of Hanna Somatic Education, the Dr. Ida P. Rolf Method of Structural Integration, and Swedish/Esalen massage.

18.08.03. The 16th issue of our newsletter called Contemplating the Wisdom of Grandma is devoted to dwelling on the importance of appreciating our time on earth, and learning from those we are in relationship with. We do very much appreciate your numerous 'thank you' letters we received after sending this issue out.

10.08.03. Three links to articles by Edward Maupin have been added to our Somatics page. Edward Maupin is a Psychologist-Rolfer. For 35 years he has practiced the body therapy method known as Rolfing, or Structural Integration, approaching it as a psychologist might, focusing on body awareness and one's sense of being.

03.08.03. Being a member of a respectful, supportive community can play a huge role in helping people make the changes they so deeply desire. Read more in the 15th issue of the "Pure Heart, Simple Mind" newsletter called Something extraordinary is taking place.

22.07.03. We have launched a new page with links to the Articles concerning the general field of Somatics. Somatics is a re-emerging field of study in the Western world and a path that has been followed in Oriental and traditional cultures worldwide for thousands of years. Most, if not all somatic practitioners follow an integrated approach to learning and change that often includes some form of a martial art, hypnosis, meditation and trance, prayer, intuitive arts, various flavors of psychology, and various forms of bodywork. Somatic practitioners believe that the body is highly intelligent and that we will do well to encourage our somatic intelligence to organize a significant portion of our life's activities.

18.07.03. Active Dreaming Exercise is the kind of activity that you may find useful over and over again in many different circumstances. It has been added to the Practices Section today. Feel free to take it with you wherever you go.

17.07.03. Dreams can be a very powerful force in helping to motivate us to become all that we are capable of. Read more in the 14th issue of our newsletter called The Dreams of Childhood.

11.07.03. Free content for e-newsletter publishers - this is a new page on our site. Welcome!

03.07.03. The exercise YES AND NO — Saying BOTH at the same time has been added to the Practices section. This Exercise can be used to help you understand how you often say one thing with your body and another thing with your words; One thing with your heart and another thing with your rational mind. You can also use this exercise to help you better understand what you really want and or believe in.

02.07.03. It is our thinking that creates good and bad, right and wrong, delicious and foul tasting. With no thinking there is no suffering. Read a striking story of the Zen master Seung Sahn in the 13th issue of the Seishindo Newsletter called No Thinking, No Suffering.

25.06.03. Judith DeLozier has been a trainer, co-developer, and designer of training programs in the field of Neuro-Linguistic Programming since 1975. She explored the interrelationships between NLP and the threads of culture, community, art, aesthetics and epistemology. The result of this work was the creation of NLP New Coding, which stimulated a movement toward a more systemic and relational approach to NLP, and a resurgence of interest in the work of Gregory Bateson. We are happy to let you know that we have added Judith DeLozier's article "Mastery, New Coding and Systemic NLP" to our Articles section.


17.06.03. "By taking his Aikido practice off the mat and extending it into the world, Charlie has developed a unique approach to healing and personal growth. ..." We thank Patients Rights Specialist and Aiki-Extensions Board Member Vaughn Brandt for his kudo.


16.06.03. The links to Virginia Satir's poem and to the Transcripts of two interviews with Virginia Satir have been added to our Articles page.


15.06.03. The 12th issue of Seishindo Newsletter is called "Peak performance or poor performance; it depends on what you say to yourself." In this issue we want to look at how internal dialogue can turn into a mantra, because we believe that we tend to become who we are based on the repetitive statements that we make to ourselves.
Heartbeat Mantra
This Practice can be used for entering into a state of harmony, releasing excess energy, and experiencing a state of living calmness. In this Practice you use mantras to support your change process, while maintaining a positive perspective.


05.06.03. We thank organizational development consultant and executive coach Steve Levin for his Kudos message!


04.06.03. Carl R. Rogers (1902-1987) was a psychologist and therapist who created what came to be known as the "third force" of psychology. We have added two links to his articles on therapy and personality on our Articles page.


01.06.03. One of the main tasks of entering into and maintaining a mushin peak performance state is keeping your rational self and your somatic self cooperating with and supporting each other. To find out more, please read the 11th issue of our newsletter: "Mushin - An Introduction to Peak Performance States".

The main thrust of the Peak Performance Coach Var.#1 practice is helping you to begin to understand the early stages of peak performance states. Rather than "trying" to achieve a certain way of being, and wondering why it isn't quite happening yet, this exercise is designed to help you start from where you are, and begin the journey from there.


19.05.03. "As a consultant, trainer, and coach in communication and leadership Charlie has offered me a variety of tools and experiences that go much further than what I had already learned as an NLP trainer and breathworker." Written by Danielle De Wilde from Belgium. We thank Danielle heartily for her kudos message. You can read the entire message here.


18.05.03. "Brain plasticity doesn't refer to the texture of one's gray matter, but instead indicates how the 100 billion or so neurons in a brain communicate with each other. A plastic brain is a learning brain." Read more in Michelle Delio's articles at Wired.com. Here are the links.


17.05.03. "... Because of the freeing experience I have had as a human being I am now able to live each day with a fuller freedom of focus that allows my creative energies to touch and be touched by all that is happening around me..." We thank professional opera singer Lori Ernest, for her kudos message.


16.05.03. It is within your power to reduce the stressful reactions that you have. A key to changing your reactions is being able to track the way in which you generate stress. To find out more, please read the 10th issue of our newsletter:
"Recipes for Creating Stress".


15.05.03. A new practice has been added:
"Body + Language = Emotional Experience". This is one of THE classic Seishindo exercises. It helps you understand how you use your body to create your emotional experience.


01.05.03. If stress is a concern for you in regard to your own health, or the health of those that you care for and care about, please read the 9th issue of our Newsletter: Self Hypnosis as a tool for Stress Management and take it upon yourself to engage in a Seishindo Practice called Somatic Self-Hypnosis: "Do it more and do it better".


25.04.03. Charlie has three workshops coming up this summer. If you would like to learn more about these workshops please click on the links below:

Body, Psyche, and Soul-Feeling into and Expressing Your Essential Self
Washington DC: June 28-29, 2003

"Structure, Movement and Flow" -
The Spontaneous Expression of Thoughts, Feelings and Actions
San Marcos, California: July 20 - 21, 2003

Unleash the Blocked Energy of Stress -
Transform it into Health, Well-being, and Creativity
(for those in the helping professions)
El Dorado, Arkansas Aug 1-2, 2003


20.04.03. The links to seven Ernst von Glasersfeld's articles at Oikos.org have been added. Philosopher & Cybernetician, he spent large parts of his life in Ireland [1940s], in Italy [1950s] and the USA [current]. Elaborating upon Vico, Piaget's genetic epistemology, Bishop Berkeley's theory of perception, James Joyce's "Finnegan's Wake" and other important texts, Ernst developed his model of Radical Constructivism. This is an ethos shared by all of these writers to one degree or another, although sometimes it is difficult to see where their epistemological agreements begin and end - but that is part of the fun.


16.04.03. Give your thinking mind a rest, so that the intuitive somatic mind/ unconscious mind can come to the forefront. When the somatic mind is used more fully, our fundamental perception of self and the world changes, and our awareness and our ability to be solution oriented increases. Read more in the 8th issue of our newsletter: "Melting the thinking mind".


15.04.03. With the new Practice "Melting The Thinking Mind" we invite you to play with the following concept: Like a ball of honey melting in a warm cup of tea, melt the mass of your thinking mind, and your current understanding of "problems".


07.04.03. Ki is the life force that animates all living beings. All living beings share and utilize the SAME energy source, the same ki, the same spirit. In Aikido we call this shared universal spirit "reiseishin." When we balance and relax the body, unify our thoughts and actions, and calm our thinking mind, we manifest an outpouring of "Reseishin" in the same manner that a mother holding her newborn baby exudes and expresses love, protection, and compassion. When we experience the flow of "reiseishin" we naturally appreciate, empathize with, and respect all of life. ...
Read more in the 7th newsletter issue called "The Paradox of One and Many".


06.04.03. To notice how movement and breath connect all living beings together, as active players in the symphony of life, try our "Only One, Only Moving, Only Calm" practice.
The "Tuning in" practice will help you to better understand or change an issue, relationship, or circumstance in your life.


28.03.03. For more than 20 years, Stephanie S. Tolan, poet, playwright and award-winning author of novels for children and young adults, and co-author of "Guiding the Gifted Child", has also been a consultant to parents and educators about the needs, both educational and social/emotional, of children who are considered highly to profoundly gifted. These are children whose “asynchronous development” puts them out of sync with the expectations of society and sometimes even their own families, and also out of sync within themselves. By the very nature of their differences, these children (and their families) often deal with considerable psychological pain. The article "The Problem of Pain" is a more general version of one written to help these families deal with the pain they face. It offers a “handy tool kit” that anyone can use to deal with the inevitable pain of life.


16.03.03. "The cultivation of free flowing ki is an important activity to explore because the manner in which we cultivate, use, and expend ki, is what determines our health and well being, and who and what we become over time." Read more in the 6th issue of our newsletter: Cultivating Ki Flow and Mindfulness, Manifesting Mind.


12.03.03. We received a new kudos message from Mary Ann Giorgio, New York. Thanks a lot, Mary!


11.03.03. Rob Rossel is a longtime practitioner of hypnosis and Self Relations therapy. He has a particular interest in exploring the interface between psychotherapy and various mind/body practices such as Aikido, Tai Chi, and Yoga. He is fascinated by how the interaction of various mindfulness practices can lead to unique spiritual paths of transformation, physical and emotional healing, and renewal. Don't miss his wonderful article The Paradox of Surrender: Finding Strength and Wisdom in the Struggle.


07.03.03. We have added a second article by the dharma teacher Alan Clements. Please read what he has to say on consciousness. We find his words to be inspirational, heartfelt, and clearly stated. "Dear Friends of World Dharma..."


05.03.03. "This is The Place" - a lovely new poem on our site. It talks about the sacred relationships that two or more individuals can build together.


01.03.03. In Aikido we believe that all living beings utilize and share a common energy source (ki) that helps to run and maintain our environment as well as our individual human systems. We believe that since we all share a common energy source, that in some important way we are all truly members of the same family, and that we share our lives with all of nature. Please read our 5th newsletter and savor various ideas relating to "Enery, Spirit, and Mind."


15.02.03. Self hypnosis offers us a method to help us emotionally balance ourselves, and have greater health, well being, and happiness in our lives. Our fourth newsletter called "Self Hypnosis" is our first time to discuss the principles and benefits of self hypnosis. Also, please check Charlie Badenhop's article on self hypnosis.


13.02.03. Don't miss the links to the articles featured in Orion magazine and Orion Online. These articles are heartfelt and well thought out presentations concerning some of the many important issues that we face today. Hopefully these articles will lead you to take a new look at the way you perceive yourself and the world around you. We have linked to these articles with the kind permission of the Orion Society.


11.02.03. Enjoy a newly added poem by cb Hop - "Dancing the small dance..."


08.02.03. We have designed a series of "Practices" to help you achieve a greater sense of health and well being in your life. Welcome to our newly added Practices Section!


31.01.03. If you stop thinking in a dualistic fashion, by attaching to the concepts of "right OR wrong" "good OR bad" "clever OR dumb" you will find yourself having a wide angle perspective that will enhance your ability to learn from and adapt to life. Read more in the third issue of our newsletter: Wide angle perspective.


26.01.03. We have added a whole bunch of useful links for finding various kinds of information on the internet. Thanks to our friend Tony Padgett for this! Check out the links on our Useful Links page.
Please send us some of your favorite information links.


22.01.03. Stephen Gilligan has been a long time supporter of the Seishindo process. He is a gifted therapist and hypnotherapist, and the originator of Self-relations therapy. His articles always carry a special heartfelt message. Two of his recent articles are now posted on our site:
The problem is the solution: The principle of sponsorship in psychotherapy.
The experience of "negative otherness": How shall we treat our enemies?


16.01.03. Learning something new about ourself, and the world we live in, often requires that we first un-learn what we have learned in the past.  Read about "The Importance of Not-knowing" in the second issue of our newsletter.


12.01.03. The Tao Te Ching is often called "The I Ching" or "The book of changes and the unchanging truth." It is a philosophical system of wisdom that dates back more than 5,000 year ago. These teachings are meant to express the fundamental principles of life, and universal energy. We have just now included one of the many "readings" of the I Ching in our Poetry section, "The GNL Tao Te Ching".


09.01.03. Judyth Hill has kindly given us permission to publish her poem "Wage Peace" on our site. Judyth is a stand-up poet, author of six published books of poems, and a teacher of poetry, living, in amazed and grateful beauty, where the Rockies meet the Plains. Enjoy!


01.01.03. We are excited to announce that we have published the first issue of our Newsletter.   Please read the first issue "Learning from Life".  If you would like to subscribe to the Newsletter please go here.