1. Purpose of the newsletter
This newsletter is designed to serve a community of private
individuals and professionals who have the desire to cultivate
a life of clarity, compassion, and creativity. Your interaction
and feedback is encouraged. Please contact us at: seishindo@seishindo.org.
In general this newsletter will espouse the theories and practices
of Seishin-do. To find out more about Seishindo please go
to: http//www.seishindo.org.
2. Introduction
In our last issue I explored the process of self hypnosis. I
will definitely write more about self hypnosis in the next
couple of months.
In this issue I would like to discuss "Energy, Spirit, and
Mind" from an Oriental perspective. I believe that having a
heartfelt experience of these concepts can help one to have
a clearer experience of what it means to be fully alive.
Much of what today's newsletter is based upon is my study
of Aikido over a twenty one year period of time, the last
eighteen of which I have spent learning and teaching in
Japan.
Aikido is a Japanese martial art, and it is one of the few
martial arts in the world that does not have an attack form.
We do not kick, punch, or in any other manner, attempt to
harm our opponent.
The meaning of Aikido:
"Ai" To gather or harmonize.
"Ki" Universal life force/energy.
This is the energy that we share with nature and all living
beings.
"Do" An artful path of discovery.
"AIKIDO" An artful path of discovering how to gather and
harmonize with the energy of the universe.
When we sense and move with the energy that is manifesting
throughout the universe we find that we have a greater
ability to live a life that is healthy and fulfilling.
3. Main Course
"Ki" The energy of all living beings
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. We
do not have an attack form in Aikido, because attacking an
opponent would be like attacking a family member that you
love. Attacking an opponent would also be like attempting
to damage the flow of Universal energy in the world, and such
acts are likely to have many far reaching unpleasant consequences.
In the Japanese language words that use the concept of "ki"
are common.
"Gen-ki" means "root energy" or one's "personal health". "Ten-ki"
relates to "heavenly energy" or "the weather". "Hon-ki" relates
to "original energy" or "the truth". "Yuu-ki" relates to "brave
energy" or "courage". "Ki o tsukete" means "attach your energy",
or "be careful".
The origin of ki?
Where does ki originate from? In Aikido the answer is poetic
in nature rather than scientific. It is suggested that ki
was "born" at the same instant as the rest of the universe,
and that we are all born from the ki of the universe. Ki is
considered to be an energy that we all have equal access to.
It is an energy that courses through our system if we do not
restrict it. In Aikido we believe that excess tension physically
and emotionally, fear, hate, greed, and anger, all cut us
off from the universal source of ki. Our daily practice involves
working at maintaining a balanced state physically and emotionally,
and indeed, practicing ways to cultivate physical and emotional
balance is much of what the study of Aikido is about. In Aikido
physical and emotional balance are meant to be two sides of
the very same coin. Physical balance helps to engender emotional
balance and health, and vice versa as well. Often in my professional
work with individuals I find myself first addressing the client's
physical balance when they come wanting to resolve emotional
issues, and I do the reverse as well. I often first address
or explore how emotional imbalance might lead to the physical
difficulties they are experiencing.
"Ki signature", mind, spirit
Energy manifests within each individual as spirit, spirit
manifests in each individual as mind. In some way that is
a mystery to all of mankind, the freely available energy of
the universe is transformed by each person into one's own
unique "ki signature", spirit, mind. No two people have the
same exact "ki signature", just as no two people have the
same exact written signature. No two people have the same
exact spirit, no two people have the same exact mind. The
unique way that we each take in, utilize, and expend energy,
can be considered to be our "ki signature", mind, or spirit.
Each person starts with the same source of energy, and manifests
this energy in a way that will never exactly be duplicated
by any other human being.
Thought, body structure, and movement,
shape the flow of ki into spirit/mind
Think of the freely flowing water of a powerful river that
comes upon a series of fairly large rocks spread out across
the river bed and extending up beyond the water's surface.
These rocks affect the flow of the river but they do not change
the nature of the water itself. Ki flows through the river
bed of our brain and body. Our thoughts, body structure and
movements, are like the rocks in the river bed. These are
the main elements that shape ki into individual mind, or spirit.
The flow of ki is uniquely transformed by each human being,
but the nature of the ki itself, is not altered in the process.
Just as the pattern of rocks spread out along the river bed
is never exactly duplicated in any other place on earth, the
pattern of our thoughts, body structure, and movement is also
never exactly duplicated. All mind is similar, but no two
minds are exactly alike.
A heartfelt understanding of the nature of our spirit will
help us to create a healthy alignment of our thoughts, body
structure, movements, and actions. When every aspect of our
self is fully aligned we have a much greater ability to think,
feel, and act in accordance with what is best for us in any
given moment. We are better able to adapt and change in a
manner that supports the well being of our entire self and
our surroundings.
The misnomers of "mind-body" and "mind and body"
A definition of "mind" that I often use in my work, is the
following: "Mind is a living, self-organizing, creative entity,
capable of overcoming physical and temporal constraints. Mind
uses and manufactures energy in order to support the self
and one's surroundings, trade information, and adapt to change."
When considering this definition of mind, we can say that
mind manifests equally in the body and in the brain in the
skull. Your body is highly intelligent, but you body has no
need to think in a rational manner. Thinking in a rational
manner is the task of your brain, but it is not a task that
shows any greater intelligence than the intelligence that
your body exhibits on a moment to moment basis.
Western people tend to define themselves in regard to thinking,
("I think, therefore I am.") instead of defining themselves
in regard to what they feel, ("I feel therefore I am."). I
believe it is this honoring of rational thought while to some
extent ignoring or denigrating feelings, that has led to the
terms "mind-body" or "mind and body" as used in the Western
world. If you ask a Japanese person to point to their mind,
usually they will point to the area of their heart, or they
will point to their lower abdomen. If you ask the average
Westerner to point to their mind they will point to their
head. The average Western person regards the term "mind" in
relation to "thinking" or "thought". Oriental philosophy on
the other hand considers "mind" to be immanent in both the
body and the brain. In Aikido we say that we practice in order
to calm the mind, by coordinating our thoughts, the actions
of our body, and our breath. Or we say that we practice in
order to further empower and actualize our mind by coordinating
our thoughts, physical actions, breath, and spirit.
When looking to calm our mind we give our primary attention
to calming our breath and our heart beat, which will tend
to lead towards a relaxing of our musculature and a slowing
down or cessation of our internal dialogue. If we calm our
body we will tend to calm our cognitive thought processes
as well. Calming the mind can also be accomplished by giving
primary attention to the speed, rhythm, and tone of voice
of our internal dialogue. If we calm our cognitive thought
processes we will tend to calm the body. When we calm both
our cognitive thought processes and our body, then we calm
our mind. Cognitive thoughts and somatic feelings and sensations,
are part of a recursive feedback loop that make up the complete
mind of each individual. You can't affect one without affecting
the other, and feelings and thoughts are indeed not separate
in nature Every thought affects our physiology and every feeling
or change in our physical system affects our thinking.
4. Practice
Heartbeat Breath
There is no disturbance of the psyche without a disturbance
of the breath, and one's physiology.
If you are in your own space it is nice to do this practice
with some low and slow background music playing. If you choose
music with lyrics, be certain that the lyrics do not distract
you.
As you go through this practice you might notice that your
body takes on a subtle rocking motion. Although this rocking
motion is not important in and of itself, please allow such
rocking to occur if indeed it does start to happen.
From a seated position, take a minute or to and quiet yourself.
As you begin to quiet down, notice if you can, your heartbeat.
You might simply be able to feel your heartbeat pulsing in
you, or you might need to feel your pulse by either placing
your hand on your heart; placing your fingers on your carotid
artery; or placing your fingers along either wrist. (Use any
fingers other than your thumbs.)
If you can't feel your heartbeat on its own and need to use
one of your hands to help you, see after a minute or two if
you can feel your heartbeat without needing to use your hand.
This would be best in the long run. If you find feeling your
pulse difficult, then you will be well served by practicing
over time, until you can sit quietly and feel your heartbeat
pulsing through you. Sensing one's heartbeat is a primary
technique used in many different health management systems
for inducing greater body awareness and relaxation.
Feel your pulse while just sitting quietly, either using your
hands or not:
You might notice some body movement. This is fine.
Begin to notice your breath as well.
Breathing in and breathing out through your nose.
Feel your breath AND your heartbeat, and match the rhythm
of the two.
For example: Four heartbeats for the duration of the inhale
and four heartbeats for the duration of the exhale.
Keep your inhale and your exhale equal in length. This is
rather important.
As a second example: You might count your inhale for five
heartbeats and then add a sixth beat as a pause or segue,
prior to exhaling. Then count five heartbeats for the exhale,
with an extra sixth beat as a pause or segue prior to inhaling.
You might find the duration or count of your breath changes
from time to time. This is fine, and quite natural. For instance
you might go from a four heartbeat count, to a six heartbeat
count. Or you might go from a five heartbeat count to a three
heartbeat count. Just be certain to adjust your breathing
so that the inhalations and exhalations are once again the
same duration.
A minimum practice here would normally be five minutes, and
you can do this practice in many different settings. On a
train, bus, or plane. While a passenger in a car. Waiting
in a reception room. Just prior to a test. You can take this
practice with you wherever you go. If you are in a situation
waiting for something to occur, you might likely find that
even just one minute of this practice helps you to calm down.
Remember, when you calm your breathing you tend to calm your
body. When you calm your body, you tend to calm your thinking
and your internal dialogue. When you calm your body and your
thinking, you calm your mind.
It is important that you actually count your heartbeats and
not just arbitrarily count at a predetermined pace. You are
looking to meld the activity of your heart with the activity
of the breath. After a while as you develop more experience
with this practice you can just feel your heartbeats and no
longer need to count.
To recap:
Feel your heartbeat, and then synchronize your breath with
your heartbeat. An inhale of say three heartbeats, a one heartbeat
segue, and then a three heartbeat exhale with a one heartbeat
segue. Nothing more to do than stay with this process and
notice what you feel. If you stay with this process for a
few minutes you are likely to feel quite relaxed and at ease.
As simple as this Practice is, you might find it somewhat
challenging in the beginning. If so, this will be a sign that
it is important for you to take the time to delve more deeply
into the rhythm of your self.
Please find here the
complete version of this Practice.
5. Suggested Books and Music
"Modern Psychology and Ancient Wisdom:
Psychological Healing Practices from the World's Religious
Traditions"
Friend and colleague Sharon Mijares has co-authored and edited
a book demonstrating the many healing practices found within
the world's wisdom traditions. It has had rave reviews from
the California Institute of Integral Studies, the Institute
of Transpersonal Psychology and the University of Redlands.
The book demonstrates a strong relationship between the cognitive
mind, body, and spirit. Each chapter provides a unique view
of the healing process from particular religious traditions.
The ending paragraph from the book's introduction gives a
good idea of the book's intention.
"Psychological training and practice needs to include the
larger vistas of the soul. Such an expanded view allows us
to see that human difficulties are a necessary part of the
heroic journey alluded to in the world's sacred texts, mythologies,
and spiritual epics. These tales tell us of the essential
unity of the human and the divine. They tell us that the search
for our own souls is the supreme undertaking " (p. 12).
http://www.haworthpressinc.com/store/product.asp?sku=4701
"Shamanic Dream" By Anugama
This CD sets up a great circular groove. The whole CD is good,
and I use it often for my own moving meditation, and as background
music during client sessions.
6. Links
Rumi- The Guesthouse
http://www.byregion.net/rumi/
This site has created a lovely multimedia presentation of a
great poem by the mystic Rumi.
Often sites such as this are not up and running for extended
periods of time, so please check out this site sooner, rather
than later.
7. Endnote and Invitation
We invite you to send in
a) Questions and comments
relating to what you read here.
b) Experiences that relate
to the "Practices" presented.
c) The names of books/music/services/products,
etc. you feel might be of interest to the Seishindo community.
Please include a short write-up about your selections. Let
us know whether or not it is OK to have your name appear with
the information you share. We will do our best to address
most if not all input. Please send all input to seishindo@seishindo.org.
8. Copyright | [un]Subscribe
Unless otherwise attributed, all material for the newsletter "Pure Heart,
Simple Mind"(tm) is written and edited by Charlie Badenhop ©. All rights reserved.
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