Re: Using Aikido to overcome or cope with serious chronic illness
Onegaishimasu. Training the breath is always available. There are breathing exercises that some shihan have said made all the difference. My own practice of kokyuho at 5th kyu more than twenty years ago made a profound difference not only in my aikido practice, but in my daily life practice! Now, breathing practice does not need to take up a lot of time. At the bare minimum I practice breathing for ten minutes on my daily commute to work. The practice is to exhale though the mouth twice the count of inhaling through the nose. An easy exercise is to breath in through the nose to the count of two, hold your breath for the count of two, and then breathe out through the mouth to the count of four. The exhale, making a silent 'ha' sound is the most important point. I think the exhalation is most important because it is a 'giving' breath.
In gassho,
Mark
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