Forty years later

Morihei Ueshiba, O'Sensei, the founder of Aikido, was a remarkable individual. A man who preceded his era, and softly crossed the square boundaries of the structured culture he was born into. He inspired others by his charismatic and enlightened way of being. He passed on April 26th, 1969, forty years ago.

Here is a small story that demonstrates his uniqueness:
A few years ago a couple of my students visited Japan, and their hometown of Iwama. The wife's family lived very close by to the Iwama Dojo, in Ibaraki perfecture. O'Sensei lived in Iwama from 1942 to the year of his passing. He built a shrine dedicated to the deities of Aikido, called Aiki Jinja (合気神社), where he was holding the daily ceremonies and prayers of his spiritual practice of the Ōmoto-kyō (大本教) religion.
My student was attending the daily classes for a while, and she volunteered to clean around the Dojo. One day she was asked to help tiding O'Sensei's office. To her surprise, she saw a calligraphy, one of many inscribed by O'Sensei, in which the Kanji were written in a shape of a circle. While in other languages this may be considered common practice (like the Arabic calligraphy), in Japanese calligraphy this is a rarety, and quite "out of the box".

O'Sensei was an eccentric man, who saw the world in a unusual light. After participating in WWII he said:
"The Way of the Warrior has been misunderstood. It is not a means to kill and destroy others. Those who seek to compete and better one another are making a terrible mistake. To smash, injure, or destroy is the worst thing a human being can do. The real Way of a Warrior is to prevent such slaughter - it is the Art of Peace, the power of love."

The legacy he left us will be celebrated in the next few days worldwide.

Simple pleasures

I opened my eyes this morning in a soft bed, after a good night sleep. I was laying there for a while, listening to the birds. I got up, washed my face in cold water, and looked out the window; the sun was shinning bright and everything looked so green outside. Now sitting at the desk, my cat is purring on my lap, I hear a sweet whispering conversation between my daughter and husband in the bedroom, and the water, boiling for tea, in the kitchen. Soon the scent of the jasmine buds will fill the study, and I will take small sips of this hot pleasure. I will go outside to water the plants, enjoy the new red leaves on the maple, and the new growth of the vegetable patch. Later I will take my daughter to her Ballet class, be delighted again with her adorable movements, and will then go to the Dojo for an Aikido class, for my daily practice.

Simple pleasures — never to take them for granted.

Sacred lands

This past weekend, my family took a short vacation on the Central Coast of California. We got to experience some of the most breathtaking views of the Pacific Coast; strolls on mighty cliffs in Montaña del Oro, sunbathing on the wide shell beach South of Los Osos, and walks on the silky sands North of Moro Bay.

Yet out of all these majestic landscapes, I was captured by a simple looking place, a small farm in the middle of nowhere. This magical place is called Huasna Valley, about an hour drive East of Arroyo Grande.

Many years ago, these lands were Chumash Indians territory, as they were the largest Indian group in the state of California, ranging from Malibu to Morro Bay and well into Kern County. Many places in their territory were considered sacred — Huasna was one of their "portals to heaven" sites.

We spent a casual Easter afternoon with a few friends, their children, the farm's dogs, chickens and goats. The children decorated eggs, fed the animals, and went on an egg hunt, while the adults helped making and serving the food, making aquantences and enjoying the gorgeous weather under a giant oak tree — sweet and casual moments.

An hour after our arrival I had this gripping feeling — I have never felt so relaxed in my life! Something inside me was in total Calm! This was a similar feeling to what I experienced in deep meditation or in near-sleep moments — and yet, I was walking, talking, observing and engaging with everything around me. My stress level was of non existence, and I felt very quiet, soothed and in complete connection. It was so very enjoyable, as if I was inside a hugh, soft, fluffy cottonball. When I turned to our hostess to explain what I felt, she smilingly nodded and in an understanding voice she said: "This is Huasna...", as if she heard it many times before.

I am still taken by the experience. I do not grasp how this little farm, in this little valley brought so much peace and quiet energy into my soul. For the moment, I leave it at that, knowing I am bound to go back to Huasna.

Peeling off

When people ask me what one gains while training in Aikido, I usually answer that in my own experience it seems like I have thrown away more than I obtained.
Some of them raise an eyebrow; How can that be? After all, now you are stronger and more skillful...

I believe that this is what meets the eye. Under the surface, on an internal level, a person is being slowly peeled. The journey progresses inwards, into the core.

After walking long enough we find out that many things such as ranks, belts, and titles are merely symbolizing the step-stone we are on at a certain moment. We realize that the practice of clarity, awareness, manners, and compassion are far more profound. We understand that simplicity, integrity and kindness are leading us on a quiet road. And as we walk deeper and deeper within our search - we are peeling off.
While we train daily, sweat, and work our bodies, we throw away false concepts, expectations and beliefs, bad habits and some parts of our personality that do not contribute to the balance of our lives. Slowly shaving off while holding the vision of becoming a kinder human being, and empowering others to realize their own visions.