This month I’d like to discuss the Aikido principle of chudo, which means the middle path. In other words, not too much and not too little. This can be applied to so many areas of our lives, but with summer here what better time to remind ourselves of just a few, like…

• how much time you spend out in the sun.
• how much water you drink each day.
• applying and reapplying sunscreen.
• getting enough exercise as well as sleep each day.
• keeping ourselves clean and healthy by washing our hands frequently.

Chudo can be applied in all these areas. You don’t want to spend too much time out in the sun or you‘ll get burned, but not enough time and you don‘t get the benefits of vitamin D. You need to drink plenty of water every day in order for your body to function properly. Too much, however, and you get bloated. Not enough water and you get dehydrated which can lead to headaches and sluggishness.

These are just a couple of ways to apply the principle of chudo. Take the concept of “not too much and not too little” and apply it to almost anything in your life and it will help you maintain a level of consistency as well as conserve your resources. Chudo can save you from injury as well as destroying things. I once was trying so hard to open a jar of pickles that when it finally gave way the jar flew out of my hands, landed on the floor and broke. Glass, juice and pickles everywhere! Not only did I not get to enjoy any pickles, I had quite a mess to clean up too. At least I didn’t cut myself, but I sure could have with all that glass. What I should have done was ask for help or found another way to safely open the jar or at least opened it over the sink. This is the kind of thing I’m talking about. By thinking back on things (they may have happened long ago or just moments ago) and evaluating whether or not our choice was a good one helps us learn. And if we’re smart, we’ll apply our new knowledge to the next situation.

Watch for opportunities that you can apply chudo and come to class ready to share. I’d like to know what you did and what you thought about as you were doing it and thinking about chudo. Did it help you? In what ways? Looking back on some other things could you have used chudo but didn’t?

These are just some things to think about. I love to hear how you use Aikido in your everyday life and I‘d really love to hear how you apply chudo. Be aware and share what you discover with me.

Remember the middle path and apply chudo whenever you can!

Teresa Mastison Sensei