“The Art of Peace begins with you. Work on yourself and your appointed task in the Art of Peace. Everyone has a spirit that can be refined, a body that can be trained in some manner, a suitable path to follow. You are here for no other purpose than to realize your inner divinity and manifest your innate enlightenment. Foster peace in your own life and then apply the Art to all that you encounter.”
-a quote by O’Sensei from the Art of Peace
What more is there to say? Except that this little book (which could fit into your pocket) is full of the thoughts and sayings of O’Sensei. It is truly worth a read and one you’ll find draws you back again and again. When you look at your training in Aikido from this perspective, then there is no doubt what you must do. Train every day, train everywhere, and train in everything you do. You must constantly strive to improve yourself no matter what it is. Every day make a difference no matter how small the task or effort.
Simply put, train hard and always do your best. Good luck in everything you do!
Teresa Mastison Sensei
Ki (energy) is the cornerstone of Aikido. But, how do you practice ki? Following are some fun and simple ways you can practice extending your ki or becoming sensitive to the ki around you:
Mentally extend your energy (ki) towards someone who‘s not looking at you. As you extend your energy just engulf (surround) them with your energy and see if they fidget or turn to look at you. Your energy being directed at them may cause them to feel something. Try this with your pets too and see if they react. This also works in reverse. Have you ever felt like someone was watching you and when you looked around someone was? Start paying attention to how you feel around others.
Another way to practice extending your ki is to make eye contact and to verbally greet people. It can have a dramatic affect on the people you meet. Even if you are just passing by, look at them and say “hello”. Your “hello” or smile you give can change their day. Once their day has been affected by your warm greeting and smile, they are more likely to be in a better mood, which then affects how they interact with others. Eye contact does amazing things too. Look at people in the eyes when you are talking to them or just saying hi and watch their response. If you smile at the same time you usually get an even bigger response. It doesn’t cost anything and it makes people feel special to be looked at and smiled at. In these cases, I like to think of my energy as a warm ray of sunshine (even though I usually think of my energy as water) that is going to make this person feel warm and cozy.
Practice extending your energy everywhere you go – at school, on the playground, at the store, with your family and pets, with your teachers. Also, watch how other people greet each other or what they do when they pass by someone. When you’re standing in the checkout lane, watch how the other people interact with the clerk or the other people in line. Once again, people watching can provide a lot of entertainment as well as training opportunities. Have fun!
Teresa Mastison Sensei
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