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1. The Seishindo Method of Embodied
Learning
In our last issue I talked about the general belief system of Seishindo.
This time I'm going to share with you the learning principles
that guide us in teaching Seishindo. I'd like to invite you to use what
I write to reexamine your own learning style. The more you're
able to adapt and expand upon your current style of learning, the better
able you'll be to face life's many challenges.
As I often say... What I write here are my thoughts for today. These
thoughts are open to further examination and change. If I was to write
a similar article in the future, I'm sure some of what I write now would
be different.
In Seishindo we help people understand how they've created the
life they live, and how they can "do something different"
and thus create a new and better life. Sometimes this means we help
people overcome migraine headaches or chronic fatigue syndrome. At other
times we help people reduce their stress levels, or help them be a better
partner in their various relationships.
We're able to help people in a wide range of situations because we
have a belief system and style of teaching that focuses on health and
wholeness, rather than focusing on disease and what's "wrong".
Here's a quote to help convey the meaning of what I'm saying:
"Whoever....sees in illness a vital expression of the organism,
will no longer see it as an enemy. In the moment I realize that the
disease is a creation of the patient, it becomes for me the same sort
of thing as his manner of walking, his mode of speech, his facial expression,
the movements of his hands, the drawings he has made, the house he has
built, the business he has settled, or the way his thoughts go: a significant
symbol of the powers that rule him, and that I try to influence when
I deem it right." ~Georg Groddeck
You're already a highly accomplished
learner
You've already done a fantastic job of learning many things in your
life. You've already learned how to fluently speak a "foreign"
language, and live in a wild and wondrous world!
Align your spirit with the Spirit of the universe, and all things are
possible. Whatever you can imagine, you can do.
Wax on, wax off -- Basic moves,
basic concepts
We believe in using the "wax on, wax off" approach to learning
the Karate Kid was taught in the well known movie of the same
name. In Seishindo we use numerous Practices to help you cultivate the
basic skills of embodied presence. (In the movie the boy was taught
to use circular hand movements when waxing his teacher's car, as a way
to learn basic karate moves.) In Seishindo, every Practice is based
upon a principle/belief. Every principle/belief is based upon a Practice.
With enough practice, if you learn a wide range of basic skills you'll
find you're eventually able to weave the skills together into seamless
activity. To his great joy, this is what the Karate Kid did when he
won his karate tournament.
Center yourself in the moment
When you center yourself in the moment, your cognitive mind becomes
passive, and your somatic mind active. When you activate your somatic
mind you'll discover yourself tapping into an alternative source of
creativity, inspiration, and hope. The past is the past, and the future
may never come to be. We only have the present to live in. When you
experience time is on your side, you'll no longer feel the need to rush
from one activity to the other.
Center yourself in your body
Your body has a physical center. When your physiology is relaxed and
your posture is balanced, your weight falls through your center and
you move with grace and ease. At such times you will understand that
"doing less will get you more".
Being physically centered also helps facilitate feeling emotionally
centered. You can't really have one without the other.
Center yourself in the universe
The more you cultivate being centered in the moment and centered in
your body, the more you'll experience your rightful place in the
universe, and your connection to Spirit. You'll feel fully empowered
and at home. At such times you'll have the sense of "letting
the world come to you" rather than chasing after possibilities
or people.
Recover your center after inevitably
losing it
No matter how centered and in the moment you might be at times, you'll
invariably lose your center as well. This is part and parcel of the
human condition.
Once you notice you've wandered off center and away from the moment,
your task is to reorient back towards center as soon as you can. Sometimes
we wander away from our center and it takes years before we realize
"The lights are on, but no one's home!"
Share your center with others
The more you're able to cultivate your ability to rest in your center,
the more you'll realize you already have all you need. Having all you
need, it will seem natural to share what you have with others.
Knowing, without needing to think
Centered in the moment, and leading with your somatic mind, you'll find
yourself able to "think and do without needing to think".
(Just like when you proficiently drive a car, or ride a bicycle.) At
such times you'll be living your life with effortless grace, and your
performance will be more effective and artful than usual.
When what you do comes from "no thinking mind" and is well
timed and compassionate, the universe will move to support you. At such
times you'll generate a gentle power that allows you to break away from
the kind of energetic patterns that habitually keep you stuck.
Connect everything you're learning
to something else you already know
Everything you know and believe in is connected to something else you
know and believe in. When learning something new, if you fail to connect
what you're learning to something else that's meaningful
and memorable to you, you'll have little success in mastering
the subject matter at hand.
The problem is not the problem
When feeling overly challenged, you'll do well to search for situations
in which "your problem is not a problem".
For instance, you might feel overly shy in talking to a person you
hope will like you...
If so, you can consider times in your life when you've been comfortable
"talking to others." Certainly you'll have various experiences
to draw upon. (Talking to friends or loved ones, talking to children,
teaching a class on flower arranging, etc.) You can draw upon your previous
successes as a way to bridge your already existing skills and abilities
over to the context you're feeling stuck in.
Experience trumps intellectual
understanding
We learn best by "doing" rather than talking about what can
or should be done.
In Seishindo we strive to offer you a high quality model of the subject
being taught. What I mean is this: When teaching stress reduction, we
do so in a calming manner. When helping people overcome fibromyalgia
we do so in a manner that is gentle and tender.
You need to experience and perform what you're learning, and not just
learn with your head.
Multiple perspectives enhance
one's ability to learn
A picture is said to be worth a thousand words, and the same can be
said for a short poem, or a simple movement or gesture. The more of
yourself you use when learning, the better you'll learn, and the more
artfully you'll perform. Learn with ALL your senses, and not just with
one or two.
"State" is more important
than "strategy"
As a person looking to perform with excellence, you'll want to act from
a place of embodied presence, more so than strategizing about what you
think might be best to do.
Rather than breaking away from the flow of the "here and now"
so you can strategize about what to do NEXT, you'll do much better by
staying present in the NOW. When doing this, you'll eventually find
yourself in a future "now" having taken skillful, aesthetic
action. Centered in the moment, in your body, in the universe, let the
future come to you.
* * *
The above forms the basis for the Seishindo method of embodied
learning. I hope it helps you to think about how you can improve
your own learning style.
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