<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>

<!--
	Downloaded: 05-19-2013 07:05 PM
	From AikiWeb Aikido Forums, http://www.aikiweb.com/forums
	Userid: 7069
	User Name: mathewjgano
-->

<blogEntries>
<blogEntry id="4507">
	<title><![CDATA[Alone with Nature in the Night]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[Winds upon my face
The stars silently observe
Rain coats my form
Apple blossoms swerve

Venus echos the sun
The smell of grass infused
A bird sings to the night
As bokuto bounces imbued

Right side enters
Left side leaves
The chamber is the cut
The mind wanders free

And reigned in again
The ebb and flow of prana
Bellows echoe in the soul
The breath of Kamisama

The last couple weeks have found me practicing about an hour almost every night. Sometimes only 20 minutes, but sometimes an hour and a half. I've averaged about an hour though. 
Right now I'm mostly trying to get in touch with my body; to feel how different movements feel in different parts of my body; how to move "instantly" from one direction to another; mostly focusing on mugamae as a starting position and [I]trying [/I]to remember to put ki into my back to facilitate forward extension. 
Based on the last keiko, I'm going to start trying to stretch my shoulders more to loosen up their grip on my structure. This afternoon I'm going to do 100 cuts focusing on hips and shoulders relaxing...will be cutting fairly slowly.
Anyhoo, time to soak up some sun. It's a glorious day.
Oh and yesterday, after reading [U]The Hunger Games[/U] a rabbit wandered into my yard. It didn't stand a chance: I promptly caught it (it's clearly a domesticated rabbit), and am waiting to see if anyone claims it. I'm calling him "Bugs."  
Good times all around.]]></body>
	<date>05-06-2012</date>
</blogEntry>
</blogEntries>