Читать книгу The Mushin Way to Peak Performance - Veltri Michael - Страница 11

In this book, I'll introduce you to 10 key principles that underpin the discipline of aikido. Each chapter will explain one of these core principles and introduce a physical or mental exercise that you can do to start to understand the principle and immediately put it into practice. In addition, each chapter has a final practical exercise that you can use to help improve your business or personal life. Throughout each chapter, I'll also share simple tips that will help you streamline your work and personal lives to attain clarity and peak performance.

The principles discussed in the book are the foundation of the philosophy of the beautiful martial art of aikido. It may sound strange to talk about a philosophy behind a martial art – after all, most Western sports don't really come with a philosophy. Basketball, baseball, and football all have rules. But martial arts are different, and aikido in particular is a discipline that combines demanding physical regimens with a spiritual side grounded in concepts drawn from Zen Buddhism and other Eastern philosophies.

The 10 principles we'll discuss in this book are:

Chapter 1. Heiki: Equanimity

Heiki, pronounced “hey-key,” literally means “calm energy.” The word is often found in Buddhist sutras, or chants. It's often translated as “equanimity.” We'll begin with this principle because none of the other work we'll do is possible without finding this kind of calm energy. We'll talk about how essential calm energy is during a crisis – and in daily life – and we'll discuss strategies for maintaining your calm no matter what is happening around you.

Chapter 2. Ki: Energy

Ki, pronounced “key,” is life force. It's the physical and mental energy that flows through you at every moment of your life, powering everything you do. In aikido, students learn not only to use their ki but also to channel it. Aikido teaches us not to rely on pure strength alone. Strength can be seductive – if you rely too heavily on it, you're not learning the techniques properly. You're not learning how to direct your energy through the right channels, and that means you're not being as effective as you could be. In this chapter, we'll talk about how to harness and direct your energies in order to accomplish your goals.

Chapter 3. Musubi: Connection

Literally, musubi (moo-sue-bee) means tying a knot. In aikido, the word is used to mean connection – a powerful connection that links you to your deepest self, to your opponent, and to the world around you. In business and in life, musubi can help you see the world through the eyes of a customer, a colleague, or a friend or loved one. In this chapter, we'll discuss strategies for building these kinds of connections in order to get the people around you to support your goals.

Chapter 4. Nen: One-Point

Physically, in martial arts, the word nen (rhymes with “ten”) refers to a point two inches below your navel: your center of gravity. Metaphysically, nen is a sense of cosmic balance. Ultimately, most of us would say we value the same things: family, friends, meaningful work, giving back to our communities. The much harder question is finding, and holding on to, a way to balance all those competing priorities in a way that feels right to you. In this chapter, I will explain how to set and hold on to proper life priorities, in order to find the path that truly works for you.

Chapter 5. Mushin: No-Mind/No-Distractions/No-Fear

Mushin (moo-sheen) is one of the most important concepts in aikido, and one of the most difficult to grasp. At the moment when you enter into battle – when you most want to have your wits about you – you are asked to empty your mind. Your conscious mind must let go of your training, your preparation, your thoughts about the contest to come. It must become still water, calm and clear. In this chapter, we will discuss strategies, including a formal meditation practice, that will help you clear your mind in the midst of day-to-day distractions.

Chapter 6. Irimi: To Enter

Aikido requires practitioners to go against their own instincts when faced with a conflict. You have to move toward your opponent at a moment when your instincts will be urging you to flee. Aikido is based on centripetal force. The principle of irimi (pronounced like my home town of “Erie” and “me”) refers to the fact that if you want to immobilize a stronger fighter, you have to get close enough to touch them. And if you want to solve a problem, you have to start by moving closer to it, something that takes great courage. In this chapter, we'll talk about why it's so important to attack the heart of a problem rather than getting distracted by tangents – and I'll explain how to tell the one from the other.

Chapter 7. Kokyu: Breath-Power

Every aikido class begins and ends with an exercise called kokyu-ho (pronounced, koh-Q-hoe). You grasp a partner's wrists and hold on to each other while you each try to throw the other off balance, powered by nothing more than an exhaled breath. Students have to learn to relax their bodies – and also their minds. They have to learn not to worry about who looks silly, or who has practiced longer, or who is stronger; they have to stay focused only on their breath to avoid telegraphing their intentions. We all hold back in life because we are afraid of failing, afraid of looking silly, afraid of change. In this chapter, I will discuss how developing your own natural “breath-power” will help you let go of your ego and your fear of losing – and how that will clear the path to success.

Chapter 8. Aiki: Unity

Aiki (eye-key) means “the harmonious meeting of energies.” Students of aikido are following a time-honored path that involves learning to blend your energy with your opponent's, instead of trying to overpower them. Adepts who exhibits aiki never meet force with force. They assess their own abilities, and their opponent's, with clear eyes. They face their weaknesses and look for ways to use leverage to turn them into strengths. In this chapter, I'll show you how to clearly assess your own strengths and weaknesses, and how to look for ways to blend with obstacles, instead of trying to meet force with force.

Chapter 9. Zanshin: Calm Awareness

Zanshin (zahn-sheen) refers to a preternatural state where you are calmly aware of absolutely everything around you, the way a warrior must be aware of the entire battlefield in order to survive. It builds on mushin. It's crucial not only in a life-or-death situation like a battle, but any time you need to make a decision. In this chapter, I'll explain how moving into a state of zanshin can help you see the true nature of your choice, understand the consequences of the decision you're about to make, and act decisively.

Chapter 10. Wa: Harmony

Aikido asks practitioners to approach battle with a radically different mind-set than the one most of us have been taught. You are not competing with others; you are striving for harmony, or wa. That is the secret to true victory in any situation – but most of us think of battle, and business, as dog-eat-dog and winner-take-all. In this chapter, I will show readers how taking this countercultural approach can become a differentiating strength. I'll also explain that seeking harmony doesn't mean being passive or putting aside your own needs. In aikido, harmony is achieved when you know how to protect everyone – including yourself.

Conclusion. Sumi-Kiri: Clarity of Mind and Body

Finally, I'll close the book by talking about what it looks like when you combine all of these principles into a total clarity of mind and body. Sumi-kiri (sue-me-key-rhee) is a martial arts term that means “cutting through the clutter.” It's the ability to find your calm energy, hold on to your one-point, achieve mushin, and see the essential heart of a problem with zanshin. It is the sum of everything we have talked about in the book: the almost supernatural clarity of mind and body that allowed Master Ueshiba to dodge bullets.