Ha! Hey, Andrew. If you go to the seminar coming up with Igarashi, notice his hands. Look at the pic on the front of your dojo's website. He's taking a drink with one hand, and passing a drink with the other. : )
http://www.calgaryaikikai.com/
As humorous as this might seem, it's an amazingly effective tool for people to really become experientially aware of the texture and feeling in their upper body.
People tensing up, muscling, locking up, and being insensitive is a common problem in aikido. And it makes for ineffective techniques.