Week 2: The
Beginner’s Path – Be here now
“In walking, just walk. In sitting, just sit. Above all, don’t wobble”
-
Yun-Men
Goddess Path:
Research the legends
of 2 more warrior goddesses.
Choose one to journey with in the shamanic upper and lower realms, and
do so twice this week. Be sure to write
down anything you experience in these journeys, and try to take from each
journey a specific lesson. Ask the
goddess that you choose to journey with how she would go about living only in
the moment…not worrying about tomorrow.
Take back a technique that you might be able to utilize in your daily
life as to reduce outside thoughts, and only focus on the present.
Warrior Path:
Aikido
Preparing for kyu
testing may be coming up, and even if it isn’t, it is extremely important to
begin reviewing, practicing, and examining your technique. Focus on ushiro ukemi this week. Do at least 20 ushiro ukemi from 2nd
and 3rd positions. Be sure
to make them BIG. Don’t worry about the
test ahead…only consider how you are doing your ukemi AT THIS MOMENT. Watch the senior students, and remember the
saying “He who can copy can do” by Leondardo Da Vinci. Observe how they are doing their ushiro
ukemi and see if you can copy exactly, as they are far more experienced. If necessary, ask sensei to demonstrate and
try to copy him exactly. Above all,
don’t be afraid to fail. Always
remember that you are a beginner.
Practice sankyo and
kotegeishi. Observe the test
tape and see if you can copy what they are doing, exactly. Only in this way will you be able to
review. DO NOT just watch the tape…take
the time to do it.

“Tell me,
I’ll forget. Show me, I may
remember. But involve me and I’ll
understand” – Chinese proverb
Practice jo kata
number 1. Really work on your
extension. Pay attention to each
individual movement, and keep your mind focused on your kata, and nothing
else. You might want to sit in
stillness prior to your practice so that your mind does not wander during your
practice of this kata.
Continue to practice
tai chi and yoga before work (5:30AM or earlier). Remember to FOCUS on what you are
doing. When you find yourself thinking
about the day ahead, stop what you are doing and clear your mind. Then, begin again.

Exercises to
practice: The Beginner’s Mind:
Continue
working on your “beginner’s mind” this week.
When you feel that you cannot figure something out…do not get
frustrated. Instead, understand that
you cannot master everything at once, and ask for help. This is especially true with your aikido
techniques. DO NOT be afraid to ask
sensei for help. In fact, MAKE A POINT
to ask for help this week. One can
always use the help of a teacher.
Exercise #2:
Cont. the Beginner’s Mind: Accepting Criticism
The next time
someone criticizes you – whether at martial arts, or at school – don’t
immediately flare up as it is your nature to do. Do not become defensive nor point out that the person criticizing
you has shortcomings too (as is also your nature). Listen, respectfully without saying anything. Don’t even THINK about what you are going to
say. JUST LISTEN. Consider what they have said
objectively. If you notice actual facts
that are incorrect, point them out respectfully. Also, correct any errors in interpretation, again calmly. DO NOT, however, tell off the person making
the critique. Accept the
criticism. State how you plan to
improve your performance so that you are certain you understood the cricitism,
and that you recognize the solution to the problem.
MAIN
POINTS: Listen, don’t respond defensively, and try to see how you can build on
criticism to improve your performance.
Spiritual Path:
Zen: Sit in stillness at least 3 times, for at least 15 minutes each sitting.
To keep your mind still, continue, as last week, to focus on your
inhalation and exhalation.
In one
sitting this week, consider the quotation: “In walking, just walk. In sitting, just sit. Above all, don’t wobble”. How does this apply to your life, and how
can you apply it to the lessons you are learning this week? Consider a course of action to avoid
“wobbling”. Prepare a technique to use
for next week.
Read at least
10 pages of “Zen and the Brain” this week, and summarize in your journal.
Tao: Last
week you focused on compassion as one of the three jewels. This week, focus on humility. You are experiencing what it is like to be a
beginner. This novice feeling always be
evident in one way or another, but this week, we specifically are working on
asking for help and taking criticism.
Incorporate humility into this.
Do not show off, no matter how well you believe you are doing (in
schoolwork, in martial arts, in life…), practice a non-judgmental
attitude. When you find yourself
judging someone else, focus on exactly WHY you are judging him/her,
write it down, and then squash that judgment.
Remember that you are no greater than anyone else, no matter your
experience.
Set up temple this
week when you are going to do your Goddess meditations. Continue to pay close attention to the
extension of your chi to create this sacred space. Email your Sheya mentor regarding your new path and magickal
ideas. As for her help in regard to how
to work on the Sheya portion of this path.
Use humility in this email. Mostly likely you will get a critique of
some kind back. BE SURE to revert to
your lesson regarding how to take criticism.
Write down how this progressed.
Bringing it all together this week:
This week you
continued working on the beginner’s mind.
You incorporated humility, staying in the moment, and how to take
criticism. How do all of your experiences this week with this lesson tie in to
these three things? Write as much as
you need to regarding what you have learned/gained from concentrating on these
things this week. Discuss how these
aspects were incorporated into your daily routine (work, coaching, personal,
etc).