Deer are my teachers, as well as bunnies and birds

 The mama deer and her two mid sized fawns walked slowly through the back yard today before disappearing silently into the woods.  The fawns are still dappled but they are wandering off a little farther from their mother than in the spring. They were there and then, they were gone.

Deer constantly pay attention. They eat. They meander.  But they never let their guard down. The bunnies are the same way. They munch on the clover in the back yarn ever wary of their surroundings. I watch the crows. They land and they eat. They fly off at the slightest provocation. 

How animals are present in the now, helps me not second guess myself. If something feels weird, I can leave. It doesn't matter what people think. It matters that I stay safe. 

Being present to what is happening is a basic self-defense skill that is overlooked. Aikido training reminds me at each moment to pay attention and blend with what is happening. Then, like the deer, the bunny and the crow I can make a choice to enhance my safety.