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Old 08-17-2011, 04:22 AM   #25
Anita Dacanay
Dojo: Cleveland Aikikai, Cleveland, Ohio
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 80
United_States
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Re: Why is Easy So Hard to Learn?

Wow - this column was written before I joined aikiweb, so I am glad that it resurfaced at this time. Your words hit home in a deep way right now for me, as it seems they have for others as well.

We have these stored ways of living with anxiety and acting out of that feeling. We store the patterns in our minds and bodies. Aikido, if practiced with sincere desire to learn, seems to bring these patterns to light and allow us numerous opportunities to try and learn a new way.

I am always amazed when I am in class, sweating and struggling to "get" something to work... then, somehow, for one moment, I release and let it work - WOW! I'm so happy - I got it! Right? Then I try to repeat what I just did, and, as my 11 year old son would say: epic fail!

I find it so hard to release these patterns, but I also think this is where Aikido helps us find unity and compassion. We realize that everybody else is struggling just as hard as we are - or did struggle at some earlier point. It makes the notion of blending possible, because we realize that we have acted out of fear or anger any number of times in our own lives, how can we judge others for doing the same?

Thank you for one of many great columns.
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