Simple Ideas, Challenging Practice

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Recently after an aikido seminar, a bunch of us convened at a local restaurant with Sensei. As I was chatting with someone next to me I looked up, and Sensei met my eye across the table.

"Judy, what do you think of Sensei this time?"

 I laughed and said, "Sensei, you're even more amazing than before!" (First principle of ethical speech: Is it true? Yes. He was definitely more amazing.)

Somewhat tongue in cheek, since the answer is the point of all his teaching, I asked him, "Sensei, how do you do it?"

He pulled up his sleeve to show me (for probably the 100th time) the way he can keep his forearm and biceps totally slack and soft. And he said, (for probably the 1,000,000th time,) "Judy: the secret is, I never use muscle!"

A friend of mine once lamented, "Why is it you have to be in therapy for years before you hear the thing the therapist has been telling you ever since the first day?"

Looking back over my posts for the last year or so, I realize there's nothing that groundbreaking here. What I wish I could express is that while the ideas are simple, in order to make them work, we have to practice them! Usually we say to ourselves, "Yes, I see," but the practice itself takes effort and attention that many of us don't expend.

If I've done just a little to encourage, motivate, or even goad, one or two people to renew that attention, I will feel great.

Comments

  1. Judy WarnerJanuary 1, 2015 at 7:21 AM

    Happy New Year, Judy! I have totally enjoyed your sharing of thoughts. Your efforts are appreciated!

    ReplyDelete

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