Meri-Hari

Our tools and the teaching of Meri-Hari.

Maintanance: If you have a hoby, or if you are an artist, you probably like to have good equipment, and to keep it in best condition. Photographer's tools are camera, tripod, film, lenses... all kept clean and working smoothly. Painters, keep their brushes and canvas in clean and good condition, they make sure their paint wont get dry. It is onvious and natural to want high quality equipment.

What is dogu? In Aikido, our tools are tatami, hakama, aikido wear (keikogi), bokken, jo, tanto and more. But our most important tools are not thouse wooden weapons or fancy wear. Our most precious tools are our body and mind. No matter how good our keikogi is, and how expensive our hakama and tatami are, if our body and mind wont be under constant care and maintanance, our aikido and helth (mental and phisical) will become bad. In Japanese, many arts are called "do" or "michi". "do" as in Aikido, shodo (calligraphy), chado (tea ceremony) etc. "Do" means an art which is also a way of life for development and enlightenment. The equipment and tools of the "do" are called dogu.

Maintanance of our body: It is great to have regular aikido training, but we need healthy body to support it. It is extremely recommended to walk or swim about six times a welk for at least 30 minutes each time. In just several times, you will find out how much energy such regular work out gives us, and how our health is improving.

Maintanance of the mind: Mainatining of the mind is a very wide subject for such a short article, but I would like to introduce here Miyashita Sensei's teaching. Miyashita is a wonderful shiatsu therapist and teacher living in Hollland. In 2007, he gave a special class in Ameland, and in that class he spoke of the principle of "meri and hari".

Meri and Hari: Meri and Hari is a Japanese concept that teaches us to keep the correct balance between tence and relaxation. Miyashita Sensei told us that in Japanese they say that we must not carry today's trouble and tiredness till tomorrow. At the end of each day, we should find time to relax. We should not study or work until we fall asleep. We have some relaxed time at the end of the day, and we must end it like that. I think, that this simple teaching is a great advice.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Torifune and Furitama exercises in Aikido

Image
Please enjoy this very interesting instruction and meaning of Torifune and Furitama. As we were taught in Aikido, these exercises prepare us before conducting Misogi (Shinto purification of body and mind). Founder of Aikido considered Aikido as a kind of Misogi, and therfore regularly performed Torifune and Furitama before every Aikido practice. Thank you Tsubaki Shinto Shrin e for this clear explanation: AME-NO-TORIFUNE-NO-GYO Sometimes called  Fune-kogi-undo.  Ame-no-torifune is one of the Misogi Jumbi Taiso or exercises to prepare the mind/ body/ spirit for the activity of Misogi Shuho. These exercises have been widely adopted as Aiki Jumbi Taiso. Torifune (Bird Rowing) 1. Stand straight and put your left leg forward 2. Clench both fists with your thumbs inside 3. Lean forward and move your arms as though rowing a boat starting from your left knee and ending near your *armpits. As you "row," shout "Yie". 4. Perform this 20 times
Read more

Nanso - Hakuyu and Hakuin's healing method

Image
Initial Steps in Aikido Eighth Keiko 軟酥鴨卵法 nanso One of my most cherished memories from the dojo in Kyoto, is the special feeling I had just before the end of each aikido class, when we used to sit for a few minutes, and practice an ancient meditation method called nanso . Nanso helps us to relax our body and mind. It is said, that it can relieve us from pain and that it helps to overcome physical or emotional difficulties. As well as I know, nanso meditation is not part of aikido classes in most dojos in the world. Perhaps it is something unique to my old sensei's dojo in Kyoto where I began my aikido training in the year 1992 and practiced there until my return to Israel in 1999. As I found nanso significantly helpful and pleasant, it was just natural for me to continue practicing it at the end of each class also here at Masatake Dojo in Rehovot. About 300 years ago, lived in Japan a zen -buddhist monk called Hakuin . He is one of the most important and in
Read more

Misogi and Aikido

Image
Misogi 禊 “Polish the heart, free the six senses and let them function without obstruction, and your entire body and soul will glow.” Founder of Aikido “Aikido is misogi” said the founder of aikido. One definition of the term “misogi” is purification. As a matter of fact, many aikido practitioners talk about a special feeling of mental freshness they sometimes experience after an aikido practice. Sometimes we arrive at the dojo with a tiered body, worries or stress. Sometimes when we arrive, our head is occupied with thoughts, troubles and conflicts we sometimes all have during our day. As we bow in at the entrance to the dojo, we let our daily matters drop off from our back. They wait for us outside the dojo, but at the end of class, when we "pick" them up, we often realise that their dimensions are reduced to a more reasonable size, and so, our heart gains more space for constructive and calm thoughts that help us deal with those worries. Aikido practice
Read more