| PrefaceThere are many different ways to | | | | spirit. Each person starts with the same |
| understand Aikido philosophy and perceive, | | | | source of energy, and manifests this energy |
| utilize, and benefit from energy. What I | | | | in a way that will never exactly be |
| offer here is one of many ways. Indeed when I | | | | duplicated by any other human being.Thought, |
| do other kinds of activities I perceive of | | | | body structure,and movement, shape the flow |
| and work with energy in quite a different | | | | of ki, into spirit/mindThink of the freely |
| manner. What follows is my experience of | | | | flowing water of a powerful river that comes |
| energy while performing Aikido over the | | | | upon a series of fairly large rocks spread |
| course of more than twenty years. Certainly | | | | out across the river bed and extend up beyond |
| there are likely to be many other Aikido | | | | the water's surface. These rocks affect the |
| practitioners that would explain their | | | | flow of the river but they do not change the |
| experiences and beliefs in a manner that is | | | | nature of the water itself. Ki flows through |
| somewhat different than mine. I offer you | | | | the river bed of our brain and body. Our |
| here, one experience, my experience, and thus | | | | thoughts, body structure and movements, are |
| all that I say is part of my belief system, | | | | like the rocks in the river bed. These are |
| and not at all necessarily THE | | | | the main elements that shape ki into |
| truth.AikidoAikido is a Japanese martial art, | | | | individual mind, or spirit The flow of ki is |
| and it does not have an attack form. We do | | | | uniquely transformed by each human being, but |
| not kick, punch, or in any other manner, | | | | the nature of the ki itself, is not altered |
| attempt to hurt our opponent.The meaning of | | | | in the process. Just as the pattern of rocks |
| Aikido:"Ai" To gather or harmonize."Ki" | | | | spread out along the river bed is never |
| Universal life force/energy. | | | | exactly duplicated in any other place on |
| | | | earth, the pattern of our thoughts, body |
| This is the energy that we share with nature | | | | structure, and movement is also never exactly |
| and all living beings."Do" An artful path of | | | | duplicated. All mind is similar, but no two |
| discovery."Aikido" An artful path of | | | | minds are exactly alike.A heartfelt |
| discovering how to gather and harmonize the | | | | understanding of the nature of our spirit |
| energy of the universe.When we sense and move | | | | will help us to create a healthy alignment of |
| with the energy that is manifesting | | | | our thoughts, body structure, movements, and |
| throughout the universe we find that we have | | | | actions. When every aspect of our self is |
| a greater ability to live a life that is | | | | fully aligned we have a much greater ability |
| healthy and fulfilling."Ki"In Aikido we | | | | to think, feel, and act in accordance with |
| believe that all human beings utilize and | | | | what is best for us in any given moment. We |
| share a common energy source (ki) that helps | | | | are better able to adapt and change in a |
| to run and maintain our environment as well | | | | manner that is supports the well being of our |
| as our individual human systems. We believe | | | | entire self and our surroundings.The |
| that since we all share a common energy | | | | misnomers of "mind-body" and "mind and body"A |
| source, that in some important way we are all | | | | definition of "mind" that I often use it in |
| truly members of the same family, and truly | | | | my work, is the following: |
| sharing our lives with all of nature. We do | | | | |
| not have an attack form in Aikido, because | | | | "Mind is a dynamic, self-organizing, |
| attacking an opponent would be like attacking | | | | creative system, capable of overcoming |
| a family member that you love. Attacking an | | | | physical and temporal constraints. Mind uses |
| opponent would also be like attempting to | | | | and manufactures energy in order to support |
| damage the flow of Universal energy in the | | | | the self and one's surroundings, trade |
| world, and such acts are likely to have many | | | | information, and adapt to change."When |
| far reaching consequences.In the Japanese | | | | considering this definition of mind, we can |
| language words that use the concept of "ki" | | | | say that mind manifests equally in the body |
| are common. | | | | and in the brain in the skull. Because of |
| | | | this I believe that the terms "mind-body" or |
| "Gen-ki" means "root energy" or one's | | | | "mind and body" as used in the Western world, |
| "personal health." | | | | are somewhat missing the mark and tend to |
| | | | lead to a certain degree of misunderstanding. |
| "Ten-ki" relates to "heavenly energy" or | | | | If you ask a Japanese person to point to |
| "the weather." | | | | their mind, usually they will point to the |
| | | | area of their heart, or they will point to |
| "Hon-ki" relates to "original energy" or | | | | their lower abdomen. If you ask the average |
| "the truth." | | | | Westerner to point to their mind they will |
| | | | point to their head. This is why I think the |
| "Yuu-ki" relates to "brave energy" or | | | | terms "mind-body" and "mind and body" were |
| "courage." | | | | developed in the Western world. I believe |
| | | | that the average Western person thinks of the |
| "Ki o tsukete" means "attach your energy to | | | | term "mind" in relation to "thinking" or |
| what you are doing, or "be careful."The | | | | "thought". Oriental philosophy considers |
| origin of ki?Where does ki originate from? In | | | | "mind" to be immanent in both the body and |
| Aikido the answer is poetic in nature rather | | | | the brain. In Aikido we say that we practice |
| than scientific. It is suggested that ki was | | | | in order to calm the mind, by coordinating |
| "born" at the same instant as the rest of the | | | | our thoughts, the actions of our body, and |
| universe, and that we are all born from the | | | | our breath. Or we say that we practice in |
| ki of the universe. Ki is considered to be an | | | | order to further empower and actualize our |
| energy that we all have equal access to. It | | | | mind by coordinating our thoughts, physical |
| is an energy that courses through our system | | | | actions, breath, and spirit.When looking to |
| if we do not restrict it. In Aikido we | | | | calm our mind we give our primary attention |
| believe that excess tension physically and | | | | to calming our breath and our heart beat, |
| emotionally, fear, hate, greed, and anger, | | | | which will tend to lead towards a relaxing of |
| all cut us off from the universal source of | | | | our musculature and a slowing down or |
| ki. Our daily practice involves working at | | | | cessation of our internal dialogue. If we |
| maintaining a balanced state physically and | | | | calm our body we will tend to calm our |
| emotionally, and indeed, practicing ways to | | | | cognitive thought processes. Calming the mind |
| cultivate physical and emotional balance is | | | | can also be accomplished by giving primary |
| much of what the study of Aikido is about. In | | | | attention to the speed, rhythm, and tone of |
| Aikido physical and emotional balance are | | | | voice of our internal dialogue. If we calm |
| meant to be two sides of the very same coin. | | | | our cognitive thought processes we will tend |
| Physical balance helps to engender emotional | | | | to calm the body. When we calm both our |
| balance and health, and vice versa as well. | | | | cognitive thought processes and our body, |
| Often in my professional work with | | | | then we calm our mind. Cognitive mind and |
| individuals I find myself first addressing | | | | somatic mind are part of a recursive feedback |
| the clients physical balance when they come | | | | loop. You can't affect one without affecting |
| wanting to resolve emotional issues, and I do | | | | the other.Charlie Badenhop is the originator |
| the reverse as well. I often first address or | | | | of Seishindo, an Aikido instructor, |
| explore how emotional imbalance might lead to | | | | |
| the physical difficulties they are | | | | NLP trainer, and Ericksonian Hypnotherapist. |
| experiencing."Ki signature" mind, | | | | Benefit from his thought-provoking |
| spirit-Energy manifests as spirit, spirit | | | | |
| manifests as mindEnergy manifests within each | | | | ideas and a new self-help Practice every two |
| individual as spirit, spirit manifests in | | | | weeks, by subscribing to his complimentary |
| each individual as mind. In some way that is | | | | |
| a mystery to all of mankind, the freely | | | | newsletter on the website Seishindo: |
| available energy of the universe is | | | | Accessing |
| transformed by each person into one's own | | | | |
| unique "ki signature", spirit, mind. No two | | | | Your Body Wisdom. On the website, you can |
| people have the same exact "ki signature", | | | | also find out more about Aikido |
| just as no two people have the same exact | | | | |
| written signature. No two people have the | | | | Philosophy and the importance of |
| same exact spirit, no two people have the | | | | understanding the |
| same exact mind. The unique way that we each | | | | |
| take in, utilize, and expend energy, can be | | | | internal language of your body. |
| considered to be our "ki signature", mind, or | | | | |