Category Archives: mind

coaching, creating, greatness, ideas, karate, life, martial arts, mind, philosophy, power, thoughts, tradition, zen

The Forge-Why it is essential to training

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I often refer to the dojo as a forge. Many of the students look at me with a question on their faces, usually along the lines of “What is a forge?” I forget that in this age of plastic and new age materials that the concept of forging and working with metal may be alien to some. Why is a dojo like a forge?
Well lets examine a forge.The actual word forge can be used as a verb or a noun. When used as a verb it means to make or shape an object (metal) by heating it in a fire or furnace and beating or hammering it. It is also used to mean to move ahead gradually or steadily. As a noun, it is the location where the shaping of an object takes place sometimes referred to as a smith or smithy. Both definitions are pertinent as we will see.When a piece of metal is chosen to create an object, for example a sword-the best possible raw materials are used. In the dojo you do not always have that option. One of the different aspects between the forge and the dojo is that the forge requires the best material to produce quality work. In the dojo it is usually the inverse. You enter a dojo full of doubt, insecurity, ego. Carrying baggage that can only hinder your training. How the dojo and the forge are similar is in what happens next.

Once the metal is selected it is placed in a furnace and heated to such a level that it becomes a liquid. Once this occurs the dross floats on the surface and is easily separated. What is dross? It is the unwanted aspects of the metal, the waste products. This occurs in the dojo as well. The rigour of training brings out the dross of our lives, the ego, the insecurities and doubt, the unchecked anger and the accumulated baggage we carry with us. We find that after training for some time we have to let go of the baggage, the dross must be discarded in order for us to continue, to thrive, to transform.

This is the action that is taken in a forge. Metal comes in one form and is transformed into another. It is still metal, but it is stronger and it is given a purpose. It is no longer simply metal. The base characteristics may remain the same, but its essence has been changed. This same action is taken in a dojo. Yes the dojo is a sacred space, it is a place to train, it is a place to confront yourself. It is also a place of transformation. You enter in one state and over time, usually a very long time you are transformed and discover a purpose. You are liquefied in the heat of  training (sometimes it feels quite literal) and the dross comes to the surface. Here a pivotal choice must be made. You can choose to keep the dross or acknowledge it and then discard it, no one in the dojo can make that choice for you. It is yours alone to make. It is singularly the greatest gift and the most daunting prospect, to be given this choice.

If you are in a training hall of this type you should encounter this state on a continual basis. You are not allowed the luxury of complacency. You cannot rest on your laurels. It is equal parts dread and excitement, you are awed by the students who train with you and strive to emulate your seniors. You can look back and be cognizant of your progress realizing that although you have come a long way, there is still a long way to go. The forge is merciless, the heat is never comfortable and more often than not unbearable. What happens over time is that you become used to it. You adapt.

There is hammering and beating in a forge. Metal is not an easy material to work with and must be coaxed into forms with heat and pressure. In the dojo there is hammering and beating as well (visit us for a kumite class and you will understand) in most cases its usually a hammering and beating of the ego that is ever ready to rear its head if you are not vigilant. Ego, like metal requires the not so gentle coaxing of  the heat and pressure of training.

If you find yourself in a dojo like this. Consider yourself fortunate and commit to your training wholeheartedly. If you have not found a dojo like this then you must take it upon yourself to bring the forge to your life. Be uncompromising and strive for the highest standard in your training and life. Your example will encourage others. Like moths to a flame they too will seek out the heat of the forge.

strong spirit-strong mind-strong body

Sensei Orlando

coaching, greatness, karate, life, martial arts, mind, philosophy, power, thoughts, tradition, zen

Hojo Undo

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I punch and kick trees as part of  my practice.
Before you start thinking that I have acquired some strange animosity towards trees(I haven’t) let me explain. This part of my practice was something I did before I knew it even had a name. Hojo undo is translated  as “supplementary exercises “, these are exercises that are used to condition the body and specific body parts in the training of martial arts. These are used to build functional symmetry in physical strength, stamina, coordination, stances, techniques and velocity. The tools themselves are made from stone, wood, steel, sand or any other material that can simulate these.

The origin of this training goes back to Okinawa which is the birthplace of Karate, and subsequently China which influenced the development of the martial arts in the Ryukyu Island nation. The most common of these tools is the makiwara which can be seen in most schools (although it is becoming harder to find in practice halls) and is used as a striking post. Contrary to the belief of many, it is not for the development of large knuckles, but rather to create powerful strikes. The  large knuckles are just a side effect and only mean that you have hit something often enough to create calluses.

Why subject myself to this kind of training? I recall a conversation with a sempai I once had. It was after a particularly brutal sparring session of which I was the recipient of most of the brutality. I asked him how he was so strong and more importantly ,why?  His answer made quite an impression (as did his fists and kicks). He told me that there were others who were more naturally talented, faster with better reflexes and techniques. He couldn’t control that. The one thing he could control was his conditioning, he was going to make sure that he was never out conditioned. To this day I thank Sempai George, because of this short albeit very painful lesson  that he would repeatedly impart to me.

So in essence, Hojo undo is designed to strip away everything else until you reach your core. There are no excuses or reasons when you arrive there. It’s just you and the tool (or tree). It shows your level of training or lack thereof and becomes a reliable mirror into where you are. The tools used are quite numerous although you would be hard-pressed to find many of them in most martial arts schools these days. If you are serious about your practice and wish to seek another level of training to further your conditioning you will gravitate to some form of them, like I did with the tree.

I seriously consider hojo undo one of the most important parts of training in any martial art. If you only become proficient at striking air, the day you make impact you will experience a rude awakening, and quite possibly broken bones. If you are serious about pursuing hojo undo in your training you should invest in:
The Art of Hojo Undo by Michael Clarke. It is the only book I have been able to find that not only discusses this supplementary training but also gives instructions on how to build the tools.

Dive deeper into your practice and try hojo undo, it brings you face to face with yourself. We may not want to face ourselves, but on this path we must.

strong spirit-strong mind-strong body
Sensei Orlando

coaching, ideas, life, mind, philosophy, tradition, zen

Ikigai-The purpose of your life

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I recently saw a talk on TED about how to live to be 100+ by Dan Buettner ( I will post the link at the bottom in case you have a spare 20 minutes to hear this excellent talk). One of the things discussed in the talk was the concept of ikigai.

According to the Japanese culture everyone has an ikigai. Unlike the French, raison d’etre which can have a negative element if you are consumed by passion for the reason of existence to the exclusion of everything else, ikigai is thought to enrich and bring meaning to your life. It was cited as one of the factors that led to a long life, which makes sense. Having a purpose creates a sense of direction, of being needed.
Now lets switch gears a moment. Every morning our youngest addition to the family, gets up (she is only 9 months old). She doesn’t hit the snooze button, she doesn’t ask for 15 more minutes. When she awakes, she is fully engaged ready to face the day(or at the very least the next 5 minutes). My 3 year old can be a little surly when she wakes up, but once she is up the broadcast is ” I’m up!” This broadcast is usually very loud at around 6 – 7 am. My five year old immediately wakes up with an agenda. The first question is” Where are we going today?” The next question is ” Is today a holiday?” I have fond recollections of waking at 6am as a child to watch the Saturday morning cartoons. Much to my mother’s consternation since I didn’t manage this during the school week.

So what does this have to do with ikigai? Well, when was the last time you recall greeting the day with excitement and anticipation? At some point we ALL did. Then somewhere along the way we lost this excitement, this sense of expectation of what the day held for us. It slowly turned to a sense of dread and apprehension. Now we look forward to the weekend, we cant wait to get the week out of the way, we have lost sight of our ikigai.
When you are aware of what your ikigai is, everyday is a manifestation of purpose and of joy.
When I asked the question I’m sure you are asking by now, ( how do I find my ikigai?) I was told this; “What would you do each and everyday, no matter what, even if you didn’t get paid for it, or any kind of recognition or external validation. What would you do just for the sake of doing it? When you can answer these questions-you are on your way.”
So when you strip it down to its bare essence- ikigai can be ending world hunger or being the best parent. For each of us it will be different, no expression more valid than the other. The sad aspect of this is that many of us wait until it is late in our lives to go on this journey. So today as you read this ask yourself, “Why do I get up in the morning? What brings meaning to my life?”
It requires an investment of time, energy and deep introspection. Sometimes its hidden and sometimes its hidden in plain sight. Discovering your ikigai is always worthwhile. Why not start the journey now?
strong spirit-strong mind-strong body
Sensei Orlando
greatness, ideas, karate, life, martial arts, mind, philosophy, thoughts, tradition, zen

What is Shibumi / Shibusa / Shibui ?

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The following definition handily provided to me by Wikipedia begins to scratch the surface of what it means to be shibui or a person of shibusa.

The person of shibusa modestly exalts excellence via a thoroughness of taking time to learn,watch, read,understand, develop, think and merges understatement and silence concerning oneself. The shibusa sanctuary of silence, non dualism-the resolution of opposites is intuition coupled with beauty and faith as foundations for phases of truth revealing the worship and reverence for life.

The following excerpt is from Shibumi by Trevanian. Published by Ballantine books, New York.

“Shibumi is understanding, rather than knowledge. Eloquent silence. In demeanor, it is modesty without prudency. In art, where the spirit of shibumi takes the form of sabi, it is elegant simplicity, articulate brevity. In philosophy, where shibumi emerges as wabi, it is spiritual tranquility that is not passive; it is being without the angst of becoming. And in the personality of a man, it is…how does one say it? Authority without domination? Something like that.”

The closest definition we can get to a translation of the term is effortless perfection. This is not so much a definition, but more of a desired state of being.

Like all those qualities that defy easy translation( as I discovered with Shibumi) the word Shibumi eludes definition. Those externals which soothe and make the spirit content are considered shibumi to the Japanese. It is on a deeper level, instinctual, not easily conveyed. It reaffirms the traditional appreciation of serenity,introspection, modesty,formality,nobility,generosity and reserve. It is the polar opposite of everything that is garish, loud, noisy or commercial hype.

In essence shibumi is a state we aspire towards. Effortless perfection, simple complexity, understated elegance. It permeates the art we practice and is available to all those who would travel through knowledge to arrive at simplicity.

strong spirit-strong mind-strong body
Sensei Orlando

coaching, greatness, ideas, karate, life, mind, philosophy, thoughts

Pushing the limits

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It was ten, then twenty, then thirty. It kept increasing by ten until we had hit one hundred push ups at one time. At some point I lost feeling in my arms, but I kept going. When the class was finally over I realized several things;

1)push ups can be very difficult.
2) I was exhausted.
3) Any perceived limitation I thought I had regarding the execution of hundreds of push ups was shattered.
Every time you set foot in a training hall you should push some kind of limit. Whether that limit be physical or mental, you should aspire to move forward or upward, each time. Why should we attempt to push our limits, aren’t they in place for our well being? In some cases I would agree. Limits can serve as a governing structure to prevent harm. For example, I don’t attempt to jump over moving vehicles accelerating at me in the street. It is a limit of mine, it keeps me safe and intact. This is not to say I haven’t thought about it, or haven’t seen it done. I have done both, but my internal limit advises me that it is not a prudent course of action, for me.
Pushing your limits forces growth. When the limit is physical it is only matter of convincing your body that you can do whatever it is you seek to do (provided the skill set is present, please don’t try and jump moving vehicles) and usually the body follows suit. As in the example above about push ups, I did more than I thought I could ever do. It meant that my body was more than capable of churning out push up after push up far past what I thought was my limit.
Which leads to the other and more important aspect of limits, the mental side. My students constantly hear me say “ The moment you quit in your head, your body follows.”
This mental aspect is by far the hardest to acquire, it has been called fortitude and heart. It has been defined in various ways by many people. It boils down to not giving up, not giving in and pushing past any limit you may harbor. This is difficult, but not impossible. All of us have internal censors or voices that tell us we can or cannot do something. When you push that limit, you must dictate that you can, despite what anyone else is telling you, sometimes despite what your own body is telling you. This translates directly into your life from the dojo. One of my other favorite sayings is- The only limits that exist in your life-are self imposed. The second you think you cant do something, you cant.
This is why I stress the pushing of limits. We have a tendency to avoid discomfort, to the extent that we create a “comfort zone” and very rarely decide to leave it. Pushing your limits means you have to break out of the comfort zone. It means doing whats necessary, not convenient. It means taking the hard path most of the time. It means discovering how far your body can go taking it to that edge and then further. It means developing mental fortitude and not succumbing to the doubts. It means total commitment.
Is it difficult? Yes very much so, some days it will feel impossible, but it isn’t. Is it worth it? Absolutely.
What limits have you pushed today?
strong spirit-strong mind-strong body
Sensei Orlando
greatness, karate, life, martial arts, mind, philosophy, thoughts, tradition, zen

The Commonality of Training

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When I first started training, many years ago, the first belt I wore was a white belt.

It signified that I was a beginner, that I had just started my journey. Now many years later and still on the path of my own training and now responsible for the training of others, I can see the factors that tie us all together.

One of the things I learned early on was not to focus on belts or rank. This did not mean you did not respect those higher ranked than you, but rather that ranks were not the goal, nor should they be. I can’t say I fully understood the words of wisdom that were being shared with me at the time by several black belts. I, like so many others had gotten caught up in rank fever.

It’s a condition usually prevalent in the beginning ranks and children who train. What occurs is that the journey is lost and the student becomes fixated on what rank they are and how rapidly they can advance to the next rank. Left unchecked, the student loses sight that training is not about rank and more about the journey itself.

After a few years of this I finally came to the realization that it is not about the rank or belt or stripe, but rather being the best rank I was at the moment. Let me pause here for a moment. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t strive to reach the higher ranks, what it means is being fully present right where you are, the advancement, belts, stripes etc. will come of their own accord if you are diligent and practice being present right where you are.

So what are the commonalities? We all start as beginners. All of us have at one point, been beginners. More importantly, those of us with a few years under our belts would do well to keep the beginner mindset to prevent the onset of ego. After all, what does a belt mean anyway? All it means is that you have been training for X amount of time and that you should know Y material. That is all it means, at its essence. Character or level of maturity is not indicated by the belt around your waist, for those to be seen or experienced you must go beyond the belt to the person wearing the belt.

There are no extraordinary powers conferred upon you when you don a black belt much to the surprise of the many students who achieve shodan (Shodan literally means “beginning degree” and is the subject for another post) each year. What you do discover upon reaching black belt or any of the senior ranks is that now you have a responsibility towards those who are on the path after you. Rather than lord it over your juniors, your purpose is to serve them in any way that you can, not the other way around. Unfortunately there are training halls where this relationship is skewed and the meaning lost. In a school devoid of ego this will never be cause for concern, since the seniors will remember that they too were white belts or beginners and empathize with what the white belts are going through.

The other major commonality is that we are all human beneath our gi. We may have some differences in the way we train, but we all sweat, train, and bleed on the dojo floor together. We all have setbacks and successes on our path of training. The important thing to remember is that we are not the first to go through this, and more importantly that we are not the last.

strong spirit-strong mind-strong body
Sensei Orlando

coaching, creating, karate, life, martial arts, mind, philosophy, self-defense, tradition, zen

What is Budo Karate?

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Budo is a compound of the root bu meaning war or martial and do meaning path or way. Specifically, do comes from the sanskrit word marga (meaning the path to enlightenment) The term refers to the concept of creating propositions, subjecting them to philosophical examination and then following a “path” to realize them. Do signifies a way of life. Do in the Japanese context, is an experiential term, experiential in the sense that practice (the way of life) is the norm to verify the validity of the discipline cultivated through a specific art form. Within modern budo (Gendai budo) there exists no external enemy, only the enemy within, our own ego which must be fought. Bujutsu, very similar to Budo is a compound of bu and jutsu. Budo is translated as the way of war or “martial way” while bujutsu can be translated as the science of war or “martial craft.” Budo and bujutsu have a subtle difference. Bujutsu focuses on the physical aspect of fighting (what is the best way to defeat an opponent), while budo gives attention to the mind and how one should perfect oneself.

According to karate master Gogen Yamaguchi:
Budo did not originate in a peaceful atmosphere. In was necessary to protect one’s life at the time, and to learn how to use Budo as a weapon and achieve one’s responsibility as a warrior. It was the warriors duty to develop spirit. It was necessary to obtain technique to protect oneself, and one had to have a strong spirit to correspond to that.

Mas Oyama was quoted as saying:
Karate is the most Zen like of all the Martial arts. It has abandoned the sword. This means that it transcends the idea of winning and losing to become a way of thinking and living for the sake of other people. Its meanings therefore, reach the profoundest levels of human thought. For a long time I have emphasized that karate is Budo, and if the Budo is removed from karate, it is nothing more than sport karate, show karate or even fashion karate-the idea of training merely to be fashionable. Karate that has discarded budo has no substance. It is nothing more than a barbaric method of fighting or a promotional tool for the purpose of profit. No matter how popular it becomes, it is meaningless.

So what is Budo Karate?
For me Budo karate is karate that has cast off the focus on the superficial, to go deeper into the character of the practitioner. It is karate that cultivates spirit and a strength of being that overcomes all obstacles, in and out of the dojo. It means training as if your life depended on it. Let me reiterate and clarify. Training as if your life depended on it does not mean you can quit because you are tired, or bored or even exhausted. It doesn’t mean that you need to spice up the routine because it’s so drab and can use some much needed flair. It means having an intensity to your way of training and life. It means honoring your commitments (and your word) in and out of the dojo. Budo karate is a way of life that demands your all when you are on the floor, and proposes that you live your life fully present in every moment.

Budo Karate is not romanticized and in fact is not what may be considered attractive. It requires you to delve in deep and face yourself, your fears, your insecurities,and your inadequacies, and to continue to reach for perfection despite it all. It means tears and doubt, with the certainty that if you continue, you will be transformed. It means being on the path of the mountain realizing that you will never reach the summit. Budo Karate is not for everyone, many are content with a martial art that does not go deep into the character of the practitioner, and that’s fine also.

On a another level and in the context of when karate started, Budo (and Budo karate), usually meant life and death confrontations. Not many of us train as if our lives depended on it. In many minds, training in a dojo is no different from going to the gym. There is however a vast difference. The training in a gym while it may transform your body, usually has little or no impact on your character and way of being. The transformation that occurs in a dojo, happens because the circumstances are vastly different. You are confronted with yourself, your ego and you can not run from it.

Training this way (as if your life depended on it) adds another dimension to what may be an otherwise regular training session. When this mindset is in place, we are fully present in the moment, appreciating everything we can do and have. Nothing is wasted and our desire to learn and grow increases. The maxim “Train as if it is your last day” applies here. It directly translates to how we live our lives. If we regarded each day as if it were our last, it would radically alter how we spent our days, and what activities we deemed” important” or relevant.

Budo karate is a rare occurrence and many schools do not advocate this kind of training because it is not mainstream and does not appeal to the general populace. When it does it exist, it is something to be appreciated and continued.

We should all strive to live our days as if it were our last one.

strong spirit-strong mind-strong body
Sensei Orlando

coaching, goals, greatness, ideas, jackson heights, karate, mind, philosophy, power, zen

Be Like Bamboo- Flexible in the midst of stress

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I have taken up running as of late. This is not to say that I didn’t run before, but unlike my running in the past, the running I am now undertaking has a certain sense of purpose to it. Inevitably at some point in my running, I encounter the moment that I feel every runner has faced. The moment when you hear that voice that says, maybe you should stop now, this is too difficult, why are you doing this? More on this later.

In our classes which, thanks to a very hot summer have an added challenge since several of the senior students don’t endorse running the air conditioner (much to the dismay of the junior adult students) it can be very easy to give up. It gets very hot very quickly and we train hard. What to do? Aside from the expected ( hydrating and stretching) what we need to do is be flexible and adapt, like the bamboo we can bend but not snap. There are many occasions in our lives when we are faced with situations that threaten to push us to the snapping point. What we must strive to do is bend with these situations, while keeping our centers and our senses of humor.
If we are to be like bamboo, we must be versatile. We must learn to adapt quickly and thrive in any type of situation. Bamboo is capable of growing 24 inches in one day depending on soil and climate. This makes it one of the fastest, if not the fastest growing woody plant. In terms of versatility, bamboo is a food source, used in construction, has medicinal properties, and is used in the textile industry. Musical instruments are made from it, and water can be desalinated with it.

We are taught in martial arts that force meeting force is not the ideal situation, but rather blending or creating an opening is what we should aim for. Being like bamboo is very much like this. When a stronger opposing force presses down on the plant it yields, and in so doing preserves its integrity. By bending with the wind or the storm it can weather these rough moments, to emerge whole and stronger afterwards. We would do well to take this lesson from bamboo, when a stronger force confronts us, do not meet it headlong, find a way to bend and overcome. By so doing you to will emerge whole and stronger.

Getting back to the running and that little voice that says you should quit. Barring any real injury ( I dont think performing any activity while injured is healthy), you need to evaluate where that voice is coming from and why. Is it an attachment we are dealing with? A perspective that is skewed? When you can ascertain why, then you can deal with the source of the voice or attitude that threatens to undermine you. Once the source is dealt with you can truly be like that plant that can weather typhoons and hurricanes and still remain standing.

strong spirit-strong mind-strong body

Sensei Orlando

karate, martial arts, mind, philosophy, power, zen

Promotion-What does it mean?

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Last Sunday we had our first belt promotion in our new location. As it usually is with these kinds of events, most of the people participating are filled with nervousness and uncertainty. They don’t know what to expect or what will occur. Even though I informed them many times that there will be no surprises and the material that will be covered in the promotion will be the same they have been going over for months, some part of our being human dreads the unknown. Within the context of a martial art, a promotion takes on a slightly different context than say, in the corporate world. Within a martial art, a promotion signifies that you have a working knowledge of a certain body of material. Your new belt or rank means that you are in essence, starting over again. This can be a frustrating concept for some students, who upon reaching a new level of study suddenly feel overwhelmed by a large amount of new material to learn.

The definition I found that most fits this concept of promotion is : Encouragement of the progress, growth, or acceptance of something; furtherance.

Within our school, a promotion is not only a factor of time but also of ability. I was never an advocate of the policy that if a student has been studying for an X amount of time that they should automatically be promoted.

That being said, I am immensely proud of the students that did go for promotion this past weekend. They each performed to the best of their ability and exemplified what it means to have a strong spirit.

Perfection is not a quality that is ever sought at a promotion, in fact in a martial art perfection is never attainable. What is sought over the long term(usually defined by many years of study) is mastery. Mastery means that a person has attained a high level of skill in an endeavor, in this case a martial art.

In a promotion what we do in our school, and in most schools, is create a situation of pressure and stress and then request that you perform what you know. Because this situation is not the norm, what is being tested is not only your physical skill, but also your ability to deal and cope with mental pressure.

I recall quite vividly during one of my promotions where I forgot a move in one my katas. It was the reinforced block in Pinan (Heian) five. Somehow I kept ending the kata before all the students performing the kata with me and I was so exhausted that I could not see that I was missing the block. Add to that the fact that we started the kata in a different area of the dojo(which, of course was intentional) and my mental state was completely out of sync.

I share this to illustrate that this does and can occur to anyone. The important thing is not to allow yourself to remain in that state but to continue with your training realizing that the concept of ren ma ( diligent practice) is applicable to us all no matter the rank.

It’s often been said that the martial arts is like a mountain with a summit that is obscured. No matter how high you climb, you never reach the “top”. I have found this to be true in my training. Every time you learn something, a technique or kata, you find that you still have so much more to learn, that there is still more of the mountain to climb.

It is an honor to have a new group of students who are just beginning to ascend the mountain into what I hope is a lifelong journey.

strong spirit-strong mind-strong body

Sensei Orlando

karate, martial arts, mind, philosophy, tradition, zen

Gratitude- The act of Gassho

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Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. … We must be the world we want to create.” – Mahatma Gandhi

I deliberately waited until after Thanksgiving to post this entry, because I feel that gratitude should be a daily expression. This time of year, most of us adopt a way of being that is more caring and giving. You will find people, usually strangers wishing each other a happy holiday. In general, we become more tolerant and understanding the closer we are to these holidays.

If we take stock of our lives we will find that we have much to be grateful for. Each day that you are in the wonderful adventure called Life is a day to be grateful for. As human beings we have a natural tendency to focus and highlight the negative in our lives. Consider for a moment, that if we merely switched our perspective instead from the negative to the positive, our daily outlook would shift as well.

Starting with the physical, I had injured my back a week ago and so moving or kicking or even sitting in some cases was very uncomfortable, to say the least. As a Karate instructor not being able to move, kick, or sit properly made teaching quite interesting! So I had a choice, I could focus on the negative, my lack of mobility and back pain, making each day a miserable one. Or I could focus on the positive, my lack of mobility and back pain, which caused me to slow down, listen to my body and get to the root of the pain and tightness in my back. It caused me to look at different methods of stretching and to engage in some yoga. This in turn allowed me to be centered and at peace while I was practicing. I was also able to engage in various strengthening exercises which diminished the pain and increased my range of mobility.

Granted this is a small, albeit mundane example of a perspective shift, but it was profoundly impacting on other areas of my life. If you take on an attitude of gratitude you will find that every area of your life will be impacted.

In the area of relationships we have all heard that life is too short to harbor grudges, this is true in my opinion. When you are grateful to have someone in your life, the arguments that can occur, the cold wars, and the silent treatments all become petty wastes of time if you truly shift your perspective. Be grateful that you have someone in your life to love, and that you are loved by someone in return.

When we train we do something that is called Gassho, which means being grateful for. At the beginning of each class we put our hands together over our heads and bring them downward to our center. In many cultures this is a symbol of humility and gratefulness. When we do it in class we are humbly thankful for another opportunity to train, we are thankful for all who have come before us who made it possible for us to train. It has even broader applications, when we perform Gassho we are thankful for all the people in our lives who made it possible for us to have one more opportunity to train, starting with our parents and ending with our teachers and fellow students.

Some words to remember:

To educate yourself for the feeling of gratitude means to take nothing for granted, but to always seek out and value the kind that will stand behind the action. Nothing that is done for you is a matter of course. Everything originates in a will for the good, which is directed at you. Train yourself never to put off the word or action for the expression of gratitude.”
– Albert Schweitzer

strong spirit-strong mind-strong body

Sensei Orlando