Aikido as a way of life.

Each situation affords us a choice. We can focus on the negative and it becomes a problem. Or we can focus on one point and it becomes an opportunity to strengthen dependable feeling. Offer katate to uke and ask them to resist. Move forward. How does that feel? Now do it again...feel the resistance and then focus on your one point. Move forward, uke seems to disappear. Suddenly what could have been a problem provides us with a moment to connect with all that is. This practice is so simple and yet so profound in how it changes how we look at conflict.

Trust is the theme for the Berkshire Hills Aikido Fall Seminar this year. There are so many ways to think and feel about trust in Aikido. Trust yourself. Trust your uke. Trust your nage. Trust your technique. Trust your ukemi. Trust your process. Trust the feedback. Trust your perceptions. For example: Ron says, “Mary, move like this.” Me inside my head, “I did move like that. “ What I say out loud is, “It felt like I moved like that. Can you show me what I did? “Ron says, "sure'" and shows me. I cringe. That's not what it felt like to me. I trust his eyes over my feeling and work on his suggestion. I would love to hear your thoughts about trust and aikido.

At  Berkshire Hills Aikido we come as we are. If you train once a week, once a month or once a year; you are welcome. We train when we are sad, scared or broken. We are welcome when we can only watch or when we have to train in a limited way. If you have been training for 40 years somewhere else you are welcome here. If you have been training for 2 classes and feel completely lost you are welcome here. If you are having financial difficulties we will work with you. We believe that feeling safe in the world is important and that together we can change how we experience life. Berkshire Hills Aikido is a safe place where you can challenge yourself and grow stronger class by class. See you on the mat.