| Can Aikido techniques reduce stress? Whether | | | | control of and thereby unify the mind and body. If |
| you are a career woman, a homemaker, or | | | | the mind is in control, it tells the body to continue |
| combination of both, stress can take its toll both | | | | the inhalation or the exhalation until the next clap |
| physically and mentally. There are deadlines at | | | | is heard even if the urge is to take the breath. As |
| work, chores to do, kids to pick up, meals to be | | | | the cycle of breaths continue, the mind becomes |
| prepared, and vacations to be planned. The | | | | relaxed permitting thoughts to turn inward and |
| interesting thing about stress is that its effects | | | | stressful thoughts to be released. |
| are additive and often insidious. Some of the | | | | These breathing techniques can be applied even |
| warning signs include a shorter temper, | | | | when the body is in motion, performing Aikido |
| overreacting to disappointments, or becoming | | | | techniques and permits the Aikido student to |
| angry at the smallest provocation. How can a | | | | remain relaxed: decreasing the likelihood |
| martial art help a woman to manage stress? | | | | breathlessness. Even in the intense technique |
| Meditation is a part of the Aikido training in many | | | | known as randori, in which multiple attackers are |
| schools. When many of us think about meditation, | | | | moving toward the defender simultaneously, |
| often a church, synagogue or other places of | | | | exercising proper breathing control can keep the |
| worship comes to mind. In fact, meditation at its | | | | mind and body relaxed for much longer than the |
| simplest level can be thought of as the art of | | | | person whose mind is and body are tense and |
| becoming calm and looking inward rather than | | | | out of control. In addition, proper breathing allows |
| outward. | | | | a student to maintain a relaxed mind, which sees |
| A calm mind sees things much more clearly just | | | | things more clearly including the identification and |
| as a lake, on a windless day, clearly reflects the | | | | reaction to potential threats. |
| mountains and trees around it. On the other hand, | | | | Aikido techniques in daily life. How can you apply |
| an agitated mind becomes unsettled and, like a | | | | these same techniques in daily life where the |
| wind blowing over a lake's surface, distorts the | | | | stresses cannot be avoided or ignored? The first |
| images of objects around it. Many Aikido schools | | | | part of the answer is the unification of mind and |
| practice a technique called Misogi breathing. This | | | | body through mastery of the breathing exercise. |
| exercise is designed to help the student gain | | | | This requires regular practice. Once we are in tune |
| control of their mind and body. | | | | with and in control of our bodies, we should more |
| It involves sitting in a comfortable position (seiza | | | | readily be able to recognize the danger signals |
| or zazen). The student sits with a relaxed | | | | associated with loss of emotional control. We can |
| posture, eyes half closed, and body well centered. | | | | then apply the principles of the breathing |
| The breath is drawn in through the nose as one | | | | techniques to relax the mind and body even |
| imagines that it transits through the mind down | | | | during highly stressful situations. Imagine a situation |
| into the lungs and into your center or hara, which | | | | where your child is crying, you hear a knock on |
| is imagined to expand over the full length of the | | | | the door, the phone rings and you see the pot or |
| breath. Once the lungs are fully inflated the | | | | kettle boiling over on the stove. |
| instructor will clap his hands, which signals | | | | In the midst of all the stimuli can you maintain |
| exhalation. In the exhalation movement, one | | | | control of you emotions and remain calm? What if |
| imagines that the breath moves upward from the | | | | one of your co-workers approaches you with an |
| one-point or center through the lungs into the | | | | angry, unfounded accusation? Can you keep from |
| mind and out of the mouth in an "ahh" sound. | | | | reacting in-kind with hostility? In short, the answer |
| During this time the one-point is imagined to | | | | is yes if you apply the principles of the breathing |
| contract to an infinitely small size. This cycle is | | | | techniques in the midst of all of the turmoil that |
| repeated again and again taking breaths in every | | | | surrounds you. Important problems can be more |
| 10 seconds or so. | | | | readily identified when the mind sees the overall |
| In the beginning new students have a tendency | | | | situation clearly. Randori is an important part of |
| to gasp because they are not used to taking such | | | | advanced Aikido training because awareness of |
| prolonged inhalations and exhalations, so they | | | | threats from all directions through a calm and |
| struggle to catch or maintain their breath. For this | | | | unified mind (and body) is what one learns from |
| reason, the exercise trains the student to gain | | | | this exercise. |