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