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Old 05-22-2011, 01:18 AM   #8
Linda Eskin
 
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Dojo: Aikido of San Diego, San Diego, California
Location: San Diego County, California
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 335
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Lightbulb Re: Learning Through Feeling

The mind/body discussion reminds of a point from "A Soprano on Her Head," which is a great book about learning music, learning to sing, and learning any motor skill. One thing the author talks about how people who can read music fluently often have trouble making the transition to learning my ear, and people who can pick out a tune after hearing it once or twice find if difficult to bother to learn to read written "little black dots" music. Even though each gets by very well using the way with which they are most comfortable, they are limited by having only the one way.

It's similar in Aikido. If you can get by pretty admirably by using your mind to figure out (however quickly) which technique is called for in a particular situation, it's hard to back away from that place of comfort and competence to explore the awkward new territory of feeling and responding from the body. At first it doesn't seem like a better way at all. But being able to appropriately access both approaches, in music or Aikido, makes more options available and offers more freedom of expression.

Hmmm... I'm going to have to go back and read that book again now.

Linda Eskin - Facebook | My Aikido blog: Grab My Wrist

"Heaven is right where you are standing, and that is the place to train." - Morihei Ueshiba
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