“All the principles of heaven and earth are living inside you. Life itself is truth, and this will never change. Everything in heaven and earth breathes. Breath is the thread that ties creation together.” - Morihei Ueshiba
Warriors know that to breathe is to live. Our lives are lived between our first breath at birth and our last breath at death. The samurai were trained to fight until their “last breath” or kisokuenen (氣息奄々). Kisokuenen can also mean “more dead than alive,” but still alive nonetheless. It was thought that if one’s fighting spirit was strong enough , then they should be able to attack once more even if they were already “dead.” Perhaps this is why a samurai would sometimes cut off the head of their opponent to ensure that they couldn’t possibly attack again. This fighting spirit wasn’t really something that you could teach because it is more of a way of life. A samurai’s life was lived at kisokuenen because they could be called upon to give up their life at a moment’s notice. Thus, a samurai learned to live because they knew they were going to die. Living meant being present in each and every moment because it could be the last. It was thought that one could live a lifetime in-between each breath so they learned to live and cherish each lifetime within each moment or breath. At the end of each Aikido class, we practice zagi kokyu ho or kokyu-dosa. Kokyu ho (呼吸法) means “breath control.” The hand/arm movement is supposed to be the physical manifestation of our kokyu or “breath.” We practice breathing as a metaphor - if we can control our breathing, we can control how we choose to live. Living well is a choice. Epictetus said, It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” How we react is a choice and that choice begins with controlling our breath and that is why a warrior knows that to breathe is to live.
Today’s goal: Don’t react. Take a breath and choose to mindfully act. It will make all the difference.