It is summer time in Olympia and many of us have had the opportunity to get out of town and spend time with friends and family on the road, in the woods, or other spots across the globe. This has had a couple of impacts. First, we’ve had a little extra mat space over the past couple of months, and we’ve been a bit creative with the instructor calendar in the dojo. However, Aikido is not just what happens in the dojo and vacations provide many of us an opportunity to see how our practice works when we’re navigating different cultures, spending extra time with our families, or navigating a new terrain. It is an opportunity to see how well we can keep our awareness, maintain our centers, or come back to our centers when we’ve lost them just a little bit. I hope you all get the chance to rest, recharge, and reflect a bit on how this practice can make you a better vacationer.
The Art of Peace