Kotsu Kotsu

A lot of things I do seem to share common elements. In playing improvised music, practicing Kokikai aikido and yoga, there is lots of stuff, call it "technique," that must be learned by practicing over and over (maybe not quite 10,000 hours , but it sometimes feels that way). Yet you can practice all those hours and still not tap the richness of the art unless you include something more. This "something more," I think, is developed with a practice that incorporates paying attention. Paying attention means just being aware without judgment. In playing the piano, that means listening with an open heart and mind, and not clinging to anything you just played. Just continuing to listen. And in self-defense, yoga, dancing, art, basketball, marksmanship - although I'm not experienced with all of these, I think there are many similarities. As I get better at paying attention, I can perceive physical tension that's unnecessary and let it go. I can be more aware...

My cousin Michael taught me how to tie my shoes. The thing is, he taught me about 3 years ago. He noticed that the bow on my shoelaces was vertical, not horizontal. He pointed out that this meant I was tying a granny knot , not a square knot. "Who cares?" I asked. "Do your shoelaces come untied all the time?" "Well, yes, but I thought everyone's did." Not so, apparently. He showed me the simple trick to fix it, which is that when you cross the laces over each other the first time, just switch the way you usually cross them. Then you do the loops (some people call these the "bunny ears") the same way as normal. Voila! Perfect shoelaces that don't come untied! (Well, not nearly so easily, anyway.) What's my point? Always keep an open mind. After all, I thought I already knew how to tie my shoes.

Gil Fronsdal , in one of his online dharma talks , (I'm not sure, maybe this one ) spoke about the power of subtle thoughts. He described how, in the early days of his practice of meditation, he became interested in the idea of "falling in love." Because his meditation practice involved noticing the thoughts that came into his mind, he was able to distinguish a point when his thoughts about someone changed, when he thought, "Ah, this woman has such and such qualities. I could be in love with her." It was after that decision that he began the process of "falling in love." Many forms of meditation practice (including traditions such as Zen, Vipassana and others) involve mindfulness or "noticing" of the types of thoughts that come to mind as we sit. Many people find as they practice in this way that they are gradually more able to distinguish these subtle thoughts. This can lead to a sense of having more power or control over one's life, ...