The Silk Thread of Gorindo - Ottawa - Canada
Issue 21
- Kihon - Gorindo 2nd Basic Series
Photo cover 'Little Garden Meditation’ by ©2012 Claudio Iedwab
Meditating
Modern martial artists practice meditation to stay calm. They sit still before and after a practice session to quiet their mind and separate the time for training from the rest of their day. They close their eyes and breathe slowly. They think about their breathing and how they are sitting, with their backs straight and their shoulders relaxed.
There are different ways to meditate. Some people hum a musical note or say something over and over until their mind becomes still. Some people imagine places where they feel good or calm or special or strong.
Martial artists do this, too, but usually when they meditate, they are trying to clear their minds of thoughts and relax their body. When you try this, you may at first find that many thoughts about your day, or yesterday, or tomorrow pop into your mind. It feels something like the random bits of talk and music you hear as you search for something good on the radio.
This distraction is normal and should slow down as you remain quiet and listen to yourself breathing.
This is an important martial arts technique that you can use to calm down when you feel excited or nervous or unhappy. It can take time to learn, but you always feel better even if you only try it for a few breaths. If you find yourself feeling angry or upset about something, you can take a deep breath, let it out slowly, and then do it again before you speak or act in an unpleasant way. It is satisfying to practice your martial arts this way and know that you are learning something valuable to you. You will realize that you can use this everywhere in your life.
Excerpt from “The Peaceful Way - A Children's Guide to the Traditions of the Martial Arts” by Claudio Iedwab & Roxanne Standefer - © Illustration by Claudio Iedwab
- Kihon - Gorindo 2nd Basic Series
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