| This is a basic activity
taken from Aikido and further elaborated on for our purposes
in Seishindo. Performing this Practice from time to time will
give you an active experience developing a calm presence. When
you are feeling fully present you will notice that your thinking
mind and your feeling mind are both calm, yet active.
In the beginning you might find that doing this Practice
leads you to understand just how fluid and perhaps unstable
in some regards, your overall sense of presence is. Although
you might not love this experience right from the very first,
if you stick with it you will find that this simple Practice
can be highly rewarding.
This Practice is a primary part of the process that I teach
to people wanting to excel at leadership and public speaking.
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These directions are meant to be "approximate"
in nature, and not exact. As you practice standing in
"hanmi" you will find that your posture and
footing changes some over time. If I was there to show
you this in person, it would be quite simple to understand.
Use my words as a general guide, and don’t be concerned
with whether or not you get it all "just right."
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Stand facing in the direction of the two arrows that run parallel
to each other. As you stand facing "forward" the black
arrow splayed to the left represents your left foot, with the
"head" of the arrow meant to be the tip of your left
foot, and the back of the arrow meant to be your left heel.
The arrow splayed to the right represents your right foot. Both
feet are splayed at approximately a 45 degree angle from "straight
ahead." If your spine was to extend all the way to the
floor, it would touch the floor at the space of the darkened
square.
The distance between the two parallel lines with arrows,
is about four inches. This alerts you to the fact that your
heels and thus the width of your stance as measured from your
heels, is about four inches. Both legs are straight, but ever
so much soft at the knees. Your weight is equally distributed
in both feet.
The distance between the two horizontal vertical lines is
also about four inches. This alerts you to how much the toe
of the right foot is in front of the heel of the left foot.
Once you have all of the above in place then you rotate your
trunk somewhat towards the left, approximately 30 degrees
from straight ahead, in the direction of the green arrow.
Gaze out into the distance as if you are looking at a panoramic
view.
You can also reverse this stance and have your right foot
forward.
When practicing this posture on a regular basis, it is best
to alternate from left foot forward to right foot forward,
each time you practice. Right foot forward during one time,
left foot forward during the next.
Activities for "Riding the Horse"
and "Hanmi"
1) Prior to getting into position,
develop an "I am" statement.
Think about something that you would like to accomplish. Then,
make a statement about what you would like to accomplish,
imagining that you have already accomplished your goal.
Examples:
"I am feeling fit and slim and enjoying my body."
"I am enjoying my work and my interactions with my colleagues."
Once you have the statement clearly in mind, stand in hanmi
and from time to time, in a nice, slow, relaxed rhythm, repeat
your "I am" statement to yourself. If you are by
yourself, say you can say your "I am" statement
out loud.
At the same time that you are doing all of this, notice from
time to time how various aspects of your experience change.
Your breathing, the movements of your body, your vision, the
sounds around you, etc.
2) Stand in hanmi while practicing
giving a speech, or making a declaration to someone.
3) Stand in hanmi and imagine
yourself being calm and connected during a time of challenge.
4) Stand in hanmi and pray
for the well being of yourself, or someone you care about.
Stand in hanmi and imagine getting exactly what is most important
to you. Stand in hanmi and give thanks for all that you have.
No matter which activity you do, be certain to take some
deep breaths from time to time.
Practices
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