Stress Management Class

 

I thought the other day that the dojo at large might be interested in a Stress Management Class. Aikido is the Way of harmony and stress is the result of when that harmony is lost or not there. So our way to deal with stress is to determne if that harmony with ourselves is there and if not how to realign to ourselves to be back in a harmonious state. If there are minor tweeks that harmony is re-established. If there are major factors then we may need to establish a new harmony and new methods for dealing with the new level.

For most of us these are challenging times. The pandemic has changed all our lives. Freedom we took for granted has been severely compromised or in some cases just lost. Going out to a restaurant just to relax, air out, enjoy a meal is so much harder. Travel is much more restricted. Social contact in most cases involves distancing and safety factors and in certain cases is now totally online.. These are major changes. Welcoming change is difficult as we all really prefer a comfort zone. When that zone is threatened, we react. We react--------stress. We have an upcoming election on November 3rd which will shape the direction of the country politically, economically, socially, and spiritually. It is going to be astronomically important as the results will shape your lives in ways perhaps we cannot now even imagine.

The physical dojo and the in person training experience has been interrupted. There is a great uncertainty when and whether even the post-pandemic period will even have a place for dojos. My own way was to treat the dojo as a Mom and Pop operation(in my case for the majority of my years with out the Mom, although that has in more recent years shifted).People like Anno sensei taught for years but it was a very personal experience that had to do with business than with their connection to Aiki. And their connection to Aiki was their connection to students. I have always trusted that feeling and my inclination has always been to distance myself from the more the bigger the better is due to getting more and more. You can lose your humanity and your perspective due to that. But at the same time I can agonize over past business decisions or non-decisions that have put the dojo at risk financially. Why could I not have planned for this? Truth be told the dojo succeeded in a meager and small way that seemed to be sustainable so I just rode it. But when things like the pandemic hit, the racial unrest, the political corruption, the economic uncertainty, that personal safety zone is destroyed and a new way of looking at things like economic and social

stability for the dojo must be examined. I thank those of you who have realized these issues with the dojo and through emails or persona discussion have come up with ideas and suggestions.

So my thoughts on a stress management class. Online through our dojo Zoom link we use for classes would be easy to do. It could be videoed so those not able to attend might be able to follow and see what it's about. It could be one class or several or lead to a a regular class on a weekly basis. What might we cover?

1. Some meditation. Just grounding in silence or breath has been known to help with stress and health issues. As one of my teachers once said, "More important than what you eat is what is eating you." Meditation can give you balance and perspective to help you cope and even better help you or me find a better level of ourselves that can deal with the massive changes and restrictions we are being hit with.

2. Some movement practices to help us practice some of the benefits we get from meditation like grounding, breathwork, being able to hold a calm space in motion. Not technically aikido technique, but essential to the true nature of what Aikido is. Osensei constantly talked about the "True Aikido".

3. Perhaps some discussion as a group so we share what is going on for us and what challenges we face. We can then share what helps each of us. There is as the Warriors have taught us, a"Strength in Numbers''.

4. Hopefully we(and the dojo) come out of things better and we can move forward together.

My thoughts are this can be an evening class on a Tuesday or a Thursday 7:30 to 8:30pm.Online of course. So let this ruminate. I'll pick a date for a class and we will go on from there.

Be safe and well......