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Meditation
Meditation is a central part of the practice of Seido Karate. Before
each class, we engage in a short period of sitting meditation - a time
which allows us to be still, feel our breath, appreciate the moment, "What a karate class does for your body, meditation does for your mind. Just as karate practice will strengthen and discipline your body, meditation practice will strengthen and discipline your mind... Each time we meditate, we work on our breath. We concentrate on the breath, maybe counting our breaths to keep focused... We monitor the frequency of our breath, letting it naturally slow down, freeing it from the constant goading of our ego, our anxieties, our pride. Control the body; control the breath; control the mind." Kaicho Tadashi Nakamura, One Day, One Lifetime We invite you to read Senpai Cindy Gray's summaries of the meditation discussions in Jun Shihan Nancy's meditation class. The topics range from the meaning of fearlessness to the dynamics of non-violence, and offer students new insights into the spiritual applications of their karate practice. We also invite you to hear our guest speakers at our monthly Meditations on Activism. As a community that emphasizes personal responsibility, conflict resolution, self-worth, and compassion in action, we are deeply concerned with violence in our lives, our community and in the world. Our Meditations on Activism series provides an opportunity for discussion, reflection and hopefully a spur to action.
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and
leave aside worries and preoccupations in order to be fully present for
class. Once a week we offer an additional
meditation class, open to all karate students. This class offers a longer
meditation period and an opportunity to explore the relationship between
the sitting meditation of zazen and the moving meditation of
karate.