uke should

When the judgments pop up on the mat what can we do about them?

You know what I mean, sometimes in my head I hear “you (meaning me) suck”, or “uke (meaning you) should relax more or follow better” and so on….

None of the above is conducive to blending or correct feeling.  So what I do is notice the thought, feel the feeling and keep training. My experience is that the process of noticing, feeling and continued training works very effectively. I am not wasting any time or energy denying or minimizing my negative self-talk. I am not building a case against uke by focusing on what I think is wrong with them. Usually for me, those kind of thoughts are proceeded or followed by an uncomfortable feeling.

So I breathe in deeply, I exhale fully and wait my turn, then I do the next thing I am supposed to be doing, whether it is bokken movement, attacking my nage of throwing my uke. I pay very close attention to what I am supposed to be doing and before I know it my mind is clear again and my spirit flies free.

I can’t control what my mind thinks initially.

 I can respond in a powerful way by being present with my thoughts and feelings, letting them pass and focusing on the task at hand.