Roots

Being rooted is a big part of The Martial Arts.  It’s a fine balance, really.  Rooted like a tree to the ground, the practitioner still moves fluidly and easily. It seems an impossible task, yet an Aikido Sensei who was a master of his art had this to say about being rooted. 

"Imagine having a tail going from the base of your spine to the center of the earth. Don't move until you feel your connection."

When you think about it, you can see that there is no place on earth that is not in relationship with the center. Therefore you have absolute freedom of movement.

You can see, then, that being rooted is not about being stuck. Being stuck means that you think that you have no options, no choices.  Being rooted means absolutely trusting your balanced response to any situation.  If you lose your balance and get angry, fearful, or crazy, or imagine that you have no options or choices, you’ve “lost” your root. Remembering that you always have a choice, that you always have options (even if they’re lousy ones) can help you regain your balance and reestablish your root. Realize, too, that you can never really lose your root.  You are always connected to the earth and to everything on and in it

 

Getting your balance back may be just a matter of remembering that fact.  And it's important to find, feel, and restore your “root” even if you're not a martial artists.  Being rooted brings with it a sense of balance, strength, and personal power. Therefore when you feel rooted, you can’t help but contribute something of real value to yourself and the world at large: a peaceful heart.

Don't move until you feel your connection.

Let Your Hair Down in 2011

"Heaven is right where you are standing, and that is the place to train."
Morihei Ueshiba, The Art of Peace

Over the Holiday, my youngest son and his adorable girl friend came to stay with us.  They're hoping to leave their Seattle home and come to the Bay Area to live, so this was a reconnaissance trip for them. 
I, of course, love this idea, but instead of thinking about all the ways I would enjoy having them close, I thought about how difficult the transition might be.  I woke up in the middle of the night worried that they wouldn't find work here, or a place to stay, and on and on.  First thing in the morning, I sat my boy down to talk to him about his moving strategy.  I outlined what I would do and watched his face get grim. 
"Mom", he said, as patiently as he could, "We've already thought about all of that.  It's in our hands.  You don't need to worry about any of it."
"I know", I said, "But everything in my life seems to be falling apart.  I just wanted a little certainty.  It's hard for me to trust my choices, since, right now, I'm not where I want to be and my choices put me here.  I want to make sure you're making the right choices for you."
"There is no certainty about that, "He responded, "but one thing I am sure of;  if you don't accept in your own mind where you are, and if you continue to judge what you've done and who you are, you're not going get where you want to be.  You'll stay stuck in regret.  You have to change what's in your head in order to change your life." 
Smart boy.  Heaven IS right where I am right now.  I just have to let go of my judgements and realize it. 
Confirmation came of this realization on my walk that day. I found my first message of the universe for 2011.  It's this little yellow butterfly.  The butterfly is the symbol of change, joy, love and  metamorphosis and yellow is the color of wisdom, joy, and happiness.  That it's a hair ornament for a child is symbolic too.  Hair is the symbol of spiritual power, and children remind us of the wisdom inherent in trust and innocence, and the joy inherent in taking a fresh look at life.

Transformation and happiness are in store for all of us this new year, but only if we can accept what is and flow towards what will be.  Taking a page from the wisdom of my darling son, let's not look back.  The past holds nothing for us, especially our recent past with all the stress of economic and environmental turmoil.  Let us accept what is, determine what we want, and move towards our goals with confidence, remembering that all change is good - even if it may not seem so at the time. Change is essential if we wish to grow.
Here's wishing you all a happier 2011.  Make it so! The power is in our hands.
Love, Kristine  

Harmony

The other day I ran into Starfire, a wonderful Tai Chi teacher.  We hadn't practiced together for a long time, so I asked him what he was working on.  He said he was focusing on "yielding" as he practiced the form. 
Tai chi is all about balance, black and white, yin and yang, yielding and resisting; so I wondered why the emphasis on yielding.  I decided to try it in my own practice and discovered, much to my delight, the lack of balance I had in my own practice.  (Oh boy, something new to notice and work on).  Unconsiously, I had been emphasising resisting much more than yielding when I did the form.
This stands to reason since I started practicing martial arts in order to "defend" myself more ably and become stronger and more powerful.  Even though both Tai Chi and Aikido stress gentleness and flow, throwing people more effortlessly and with less muscle was how I enterpreted those ideas.  Many of my teachers also stressed harmony, but their ideas sort of bounced off me without taking root. I couldn't figure out what they meant.  Harmony with what?  The attacker?  The form itself?  How could I use the idea of harmony to be stronger and more powerful?  And throw people better.
Practicing yielding, I began to understand the idea of harmony.  I realized that my body felt softer, more opened, and more available to what was around me.  I enjoyed the feeling of peace and depth the practice gave me. Suddenly I was struck by the realization of a simple truth:  yielding to what is means totally accepting what is, and when you accept completely what is, you are in harmony with it. 
There is no more powerful place to be then in a harmonic relationship with the universe.
When I made my practice about resistence, I was anticipating conflict and preparing myself for it.  When I practiced yielding, I noticed that I anticipated nothing and was therefore more able and available to flow with life. As I practiced I also noticed that I felt more and more like an integral part of the natural world.
That's what we all are, of course, but in our attempts to control our environment and those around us we lose touch with those subtle forces that help us feel our connection to it all.
Yielding demands that we trust: ourselves, each other, the world around us, and life itself.
Today's message from the Universe?  Yield. 
This is a fascinating practice. Try it and see what harmonizes with you, and what you harmonize with. 
What beautiful music you will make.
Love, Kristine