Inspired by Joe Van Duren's recent post about plants in his dojo, and the video he mentioned about growing your own fresh air, I went out this week and picked up a few new and inexpensive floor plants for the dojo. They look great, and I'm happy to know that my design additions are adding oxygen and removing toxins from the air!
With all the CO2 we're creating in the dojo because of our training, adding more plants just makes good 'ol fashioned sense. More plants = more fresh air.
But there's more — Just seeing the plants upon entering the dojo encourages me to take a deep breath and relax. It's like having a little bit of the wild outdoors on the inside. The new plants, combined with the recently added skylights, and the dojo is starting to feel downright woodsy.
Kinda like the Emerald Necklace itself.
Nice.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
Practice, Practice, "Practice."
So, Coach Tom has challenged me, in an indirect way, to increase my meditation practice, by spending 2,000 hours "on the cushion." Well, I've done the math:
At a rate of 30 minutes a day EVERY DAY (which is more than twice my current routine), it will take me five and a half YEARS to complete this task. And that's if I don't skip a day here and there.
Well, I'm going for it. I've been sitting more and really enjoying it. Reading about and experimenting with various meditation techniques, from the "practical and secular" to the "spiritual and metaphysical" has been… fun, interesting, relaxing, often difficult, and (I think) "beneficial" in some way.
At the end of karate training this past Saturday morning, I invited my students to sit with me in meditation for about 10 minutes, and a few of them took me up on my invitation. There was no instruction, no ceremony, and no one really leading the group. (I kept time.) It was just a few of us sitting together in silence.
I was surprised to find that having others there to keep me honest was actually very useful, once I was able to let go of being self-conscious and concerned about "doing it right." (I usually meditate alone in private.) So now I'm toying with the idea of starting an informal meditation group at the dojo so that I can continue to practice with and learn from others. (Jeez, who ever thought that sitting around doing nothing with others could be called a "practice?")
At a rate of 30 minutes a day EVERY DAY (which is more than twice my current routine), it will take me five and a half YEARS to complete this task. And that's if I don't skip a day here and there.
Well, I'm going for it. I've been sitting more and really enjoying it. Reading about and experimenting with various meditation techniques, from the "practical and secular" to the "spiritual and metaphysical" has been… fun, interesting, relaxing, often difficult, and (I think) "beneficial" in some way.
At the end of karate training this past Saturday morning, I invited my students to sit with me in meditation for about 10 minutes, and a few of them took me up on my invitation. There was no instruction, no ceremony, and no one really leading the group. (I kept time.) It was just a few of us sitting together in silence.
I was surprised to find that having others there to keep me honest was actually very useful, once I was able to let go of being self-conscious and concerned about "doing it right." (I usually meditate alone in private.) So now I'm toying with the idea of starting an informal meditation group at the dojo so that I can continue to practice with and learn from others. (Jeez, who ever thought that sitting around doing nothing with others could be called a "practice?")
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Oh, the Irony! But I'm failing forward, faster
Hey, did you read my post from last week?
So, in an ironic twist of events, fate, and logic, Tom Callos has recognized me with a UBBT 4th Dan. Did I really do enough to earn this? I don't quite know what to do with myself except train harder (and smarter!) and "grow into " the new rank.
Sure, I've done a lot of stuff as a participant in the UBBT. I've played hard. But I've left a lot undone, too. I really feel like I'm just getting started, now — that the ideas that have arisen as a result of my participation in this "ultimate" test, this "project"… well, they call to me more loudly now than ever before. I'm failing forward, faster: I'm reading Thich Nhat Hanh and Thoreau, minding my diet and consumption, being more observant of nature and natural cycles, listening more than I speak, meditating on a regular basis. I'm expressing gratitude more, and I'm looking for new and interesting opportunities to serve others.
And I'm still trying to improve my skills on the training deck (taking a few lumps here and there, and giving one or two on occasion) by experimenting with different techniques, exposing myself to new art forms, and adjusting my approach to teaching the martial arts.
At the very least, through this process, I've become more mindful of my positive and negative habitual patterns of thinking and acting. This awareness — albeit uncomfortable at times — is necessary for further transformation.
Oh yeah, I've still got plenty of work to do. But this is a good starting point!
I guess the UBBT process is making me more authentically ME. And that's probably a good thing.
Today's question: What is a master teacher of the (martial) arts? What does a master teacher do/look like? How does a master teacher act? What results does a master teacher produce?
No anwers just now, but I'll close with an inspriational passage that I read this morning:
So, in an ironic twist of events, fate, and logic, Tom Callos has recognized me with a UBBT 4th Dan. Did I really do enough to earn this? I don't quite know what to do with myself except train harder (and smarter!) and "grow into " the new rank.
Sure, I've done a lot of stuff as a participant in the UBBT. I've played hard. But I've left a lot undone, too. I really feel like I'm just getting started, now — that the ideas that have arisen as a result of my participation in this "ultimate" test, this "project"… well, they call to me more loudly now than ever before. I'm failing forward, faster: I'm reading Thich Nhat Hanh and Thoreau, minding my diet and consumption, being more observant of nature and natural cycles, listening more than I speak, meditating on a regular basis. I'm expressing gratitude more, and I'm looking for new and interesting opportunities to serve others.
And I'm still trying to improve my skills on the training deck (taking a few lumps here and there, and giving one or two on occasion) by experimenting with different techniques, exposing myself to new art forms, and adjusting my approach to teaching the martial arts.
At the very least, through this process, I've become more mindful of my positive and negative habitual patterns of thinking and acting. This awareness — albeit uncomfortable at times — is necessary for further transformation.
Oh yeah, I've still got plenty of work to do. But this is a good starting point!
I guess the UBBT process is making me more authentically ME. And that's probably a good thing.
Today's question: What is a master teacher of the (martial) arts? What does a master teacher do/look like? How does a master teacher act? What results does a master teacher produce?
No anwers just now, but I'll close with an inspriational passage that I read this morning:
Any residue of anger, animosity, and resentment is now shapeshifted into compassion, lovingkindness, and forgiveness, both for myself and others. Generosity of the heart expresses freely and lavishly through me. I see myFrom Spiritual Liberation by Michael Bernard Beckwith
relationships filled with an energy of purpose and of spiritual growth. Creativity freely flows through me as an expression of my talents, gifts, and skills. I know that they are used in a meaningful way to uplift, encourage, inspire, and comfort all with whom I come in contact. Any agreements that I have consciously or unconsciously made with mediocrity are now broken… I now walk hand-in-hand with excellence. I welcome the deeper dimensions of consciousness into my being as I participate in full dimensional living.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Moving From Ambition to Meaning
I'm just finished watching a wonderful movie, called "Ambition to Meaning: Finding Your Life's Purpose," featuring Dr. Wayne Dyer, one of my "living heroes." I have been a longtime fan of Dr. Dyer's inspirational books and audio programs, and I was fortunate enough to see him at a live presentation a couple of years ago when he came to speak in Boston.
The movie is about the shift in consciousness that Dr. Dyer says that people tend to go through in "the afternoon of their lives," when one's focus moves away from the ego and toward the spirit. The shift is away from the tendency for constant "striving but never arriving" and toward living a life of purpose.
Reflecting as a martial artist — a 3rd degree Black Belt who has spent decades seeking continuous improvement and advancement — I find myself asking, "What good is another rank promotion, anyway? What would getting a 4th Dan really do for me?"
Challenging questions, to be sure: At this point, wouldn't another rank certificate just be one more frame on my wall for people to look at and be impressed by? Do I really need to be validated by some external authority?
So instead of asking, "What more can I get out of all of my karate training?", now I'm asking myself, "What more can I give to others as a result of all of my karate training?"
Now that's a question I could spend a few more decades seeking the answer for. And if I ever get promoted to 4th Dan along the way it will be nice, but I guess I don't really need it.
The movie is about the shift in consciousness that Dr. Dyer says that people tend to go through in "the afternoon of their lives," when one's focus moves away from the ego and toward the spirit. The shift is away from the tendency for constant "striving but never arriving" and toward living a life of purpose.
Reflecting as a martial artist — a 3rd degree Black Belt who has spent decades seeking continuous improvement and advancement — I find myself asking, "What good is another rank promotion, anyway? What would getting a 4th Dan really do for me?"
Challenging questions, to be sure: At this point, wouldn't another rank certificate just be one more frame on my wall for people to look at and be impressed by? Do I really need to be validated by some external authority?
So instead of asking, "What more can I get out of all of my karate training?", now I'm asking myself, "What more can I give to others as a result of all of my karate training?"
Now that's a question I could spend a few more decades seeking the answer for. And if I ever get promoted to 4th Dan along the way it will be nice, but I guess I don't really need it.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
In Like A Lion
It's March. In like a lion, they say.
A foot of new snow forced the closure of the dojo yesterday. No "real" training got done, but I did shovel out the walk and our two cars, so I think that counts for something.
Today — now that the shoveling is all done — is a beautiful day: The sun is bright in a cloudless sky, and even though all around is white and cold, while observing the melting ice you can feel that the life energy undeniably on the rise.
Spring is coming. Days are longer. We move the clocks move forward this weekend. And underneath all that snow, I know the flowers are popping up. Saw them just last week.
Most everyone I know is sick of winter, and for none too few, this March storm added insult to injury. It has been a long winter. (Though, by the calendar, it's really no longer than last year, or any other.) But I'm surprised to find that I'm enjoying the inclement weather this week, and all the hassles that go with snow and ice and slush and salt just don't faze me. Perhaps it's because I know it can't last much longer. Or maybe it's because Ava asked me to go make snow angels with her, in that irresistible way that only a 2-year-old can.
Wrote about growth in my "Martial Musings" blog earlier week. And like a seed under the soil, I'm working on my own "inner" growth through more meditation, and reading, and by a few learning new skills.
I'm really looking forward to the two Saturday-morning seminars I have planned for March — they'll be a nice break in the normal training pattern. And at the end of the month, a new beginner's class kicks off.
Weather-wise, things are off to a rough start, but March is shaping up to be a great month. And I'm feeling so grateful about my life's unfolding that it's almost like Thanksgiving has come early this year.
A foot of new snow forced the closure of the dojo yesterday. No "real" training got done, but I did shovel out the walk and our two cars, so I think that counts for something.
Today — now that the shoveling is all done — is a beautiful day: The sun is bright in a cloudless sky, and even though all around is white and cold, while observing the melting ice you can feel that the life energy undeniably on the rise.
Spring is coming. Days are longer. We move the clocks move forward this weekend. And underneath all that snow, I know the flowers are popping up. Saw them just last week.
Most everyone I know is sick of winter, and for none too few, this March storm added insult to injury. It has been a long winter. (Though, by the calendar, it's really no longer than last year, or any other.) But I'm surprised to find that I'm enjoying the inclement weather this week, and all the hassles that go with snow and ice and slush and salt just don't faze me. Perhaps it's because I know it can't last much longer. Or maybe it's because Ava asked me to go make snow angels with her, in that irresistible way that only a 2-year-old can.
Wrote about growth in my "Martial Musings" blog earlier week. And like a seed under the soil, I'm working on my own "inner" growth through more meditation, and reading, and by a few learning new skills.
I'm really looking forward to the two Saturday-morning seminars I have planned for March — they'll be a nice break in the normal training pattern. And at the end of the month, a new beginner's class kicks off.
Weather-wise, things are off to a rough start, but March is shaping up to be a great month. And I'm feeling so grateful about my life's unfolding that it's almost like Thanksgiving has come early this year.
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