Kotsu Kotsu

I encountered a fantastic  blog post by Tara Brach, a writer I recommend highly for her insight into how we can be happier and be the person we imagine we could be. Here's the opening paragraph: "In the book  My Stroke of Insight , brain scientist Jill Bolte Taylor explains that the natural life span of an emotion— the average time it takes for it to move through the nervous system and body—is only a minute and a half, a mere ninety seconds. After that, we need thoughts to keep the emotion rolling. So, if we wonder why we lock into painful emotional states like anxiety, depression, or rage, we need look no further than our own endless stream of inner dialogue .  Modern neuroscience has discovered a fundamental truth:  Neurons that fire together, wire together. When we rehearse a looping set of thoughts and emotions, we create deeply grooved patterns of emotional reactivity. This means that the more you think and rethink about certain experiences, the stro...

Remaining calm under stress is part of our training in Kokikai Aikido . In self defense, calmness is essential in order to react quickly and effectively.  Calming the mind can help widen your perspective, allowing you to see additional ways to handle the situation.  The ability to find c almness also has great benefits in daily life. Even if you don't think you are typically anxious or "stressed out," practicing some simple techniques to find calmness can help you make better decisions and act in more effective ways. Of course, many people live with stress and anxiety that's caused by issues that are not in their control. Finding calmness may not help those issues themselves, but it can help change the way you approach them, and that can make a big difference. How to Practice Finding Calmness Some exercises, like focusing , are best practiced when you are already calm. But I suggest practicing calmness when you are not feeling particularly calm. I...