It was both beautiful and sunny! Outside beautiful but windy, so we stayed indoors!
Peter’s workshop was inspirational on many different levels – and required an open, if not beginner’s mind. To see things in a different way, to change your perception, was not required, but helpful.
If you know me, you will know I had a stroke two years ago, which has left me with impairments mostly on the right side and I am grateful to carry on. The gratitude I feel cannot be described. I have guardian angels. They are the reason I can continue to find myself, with surprising results!
Peter’s workshop was one such moment. We explored the ”big themes” – what is the Message of the Universe? What are we cutting? What is the Truth of Heaven? How does all this relate to me and my everyday life, my partner’s life? As always I found new things and have to reconsider my life. I have been doing so ever since! Let’s talk about the workshop and also the theme for the year – musubi – connectedness.
Peter is known for being an accomplished editor. He looked into all the books and articles he could by Aoki sensei, and distilled it for us into three words: emptiness, unification and true self. We explored all three through a modified version of “Shin shin kai hatsu undo” opening and softening the body, kumite – person to person practise, and meditation. Peter skilfully adapted exercises that were meant for young bodies for older or impaired ones: even though there was no jumping we were able to both make our breath extend further without much effort, and empty ourselves (for me partially). Once we had done this through stepping forward and back with various breaths, we did hoten kokyu ho, part of the breathing meditation from Taimyo kata. I discovered I could imagine going deeper and deeper, doing my little circle – first the circle, then spring water, then digging into the earth (oh the feel and smell of that fresh humus!), then treasure buried there to be discovered, then a dinosaur egg! (the egg is so very old and we are reaching back millions of years) then finally the centre of the earth! That alone was worth coming for!
Then we did Diamond 8 (Kongo Happo) initially by ourselves, then with a partner receiving in musubidachi backward step (no 2). Then we went backward doing Kongo Happo and they did musubi step forwards (no 1). What came to me was wading through all the plastic on Rhossilli beach. It was about clearing and making new, going to a new place, and those cuts could help us in a way I hadn’t realised before. I spoke briefly to Peter about it at lunch. ”So you were clearing Rhossilli beach!” when we first started practising there, it was long and pristine, but gradually got polluted by the incoming tide carrying its cargo….no longer an abstract concept but really real! Each participant would’ve had their own image. Then we discovered treasure in each other. My guardian angels, my saviours, how I love them and depend on them! I am no longer an island, but a being that exists through other beings. The annual theme resounded! Musubi – connections. Just one aspect- we rely on others for our existence, our well-being, we are not alone! I was reminded of it again when we gave tension to one another and were able to “squat” further than we would have alone. And again when we did wakame meditation kumite: with our head, our heart, our hara and whole body. We could move further and in different ways because of our partner!
But I have gone ahead of myself! Empting and renewing ourselves allowed us to achieve a deep meditation. There was less external noise, more acceptance, more inward quietude, and finally an emptiness and stillness. We did a meditation at the end of the morning and afternoon, a culmination of all that had gone before.
New and deeper concepts were introduced by Craig and Susan during morning and afternoon warm ups – not neglecting any part of our body, brushing away unnecessary stuff, waking up asleep muscles, rocking back and forth on ones heels to improve balance. For me – just doing it! Trying, be it standing, walking or on a chair. For Craig’s afternoon renki we were asked to consider Chinese medicine. Yang and Yin, hard and soft, outside and inside. We explored the subtleties of touching each other, supporting each other (back to back) and musubi again, what connection was left, what influence there was, once we had separated and gone on to the next person.
We explored the heart-strings in “Hokushin kokyu ho” or great dipper part of Taimyo kata. We could open our hearts more by imagining a connection to the heart valves and hands, increasing the blood flow around our body as well as breathing more deeply.
When we did wakame – seaweed- practice we did so paying attention to the heart, head, hara and whole body. Separately and together. It felt good to give attention to these different parts, all part of one body, all needing something different, all unified and connected. And then there was kumite which meant that all those parts could move at a different rhythm, not dictated by us or our perception of our ability. The final meditation, which I did on a chair, was taken from Ritsui ju meiso ho – 10 position meditation. We went through the meditation, then chose a specific part of it to do more deeply. I discovered a great silence within. From anywhere in the meditation, all became nothing, all became one. Our final tenshingosos were done with a new understanding – a hymn of life.
What did I learn? To reach stillness we can help by emptying ourself, our partners, the world (and beyond). We can be our true self and in the dojo space no one will judge us. We are safe. There are always guardian angels around us who will help us whilst helping themselves. If we can unify that will help us reach our goal of stillness, ease, fluidity! I continue to explore! Thank you Peter!
Ula Chambers