monk on the embarcadero

 Aikido of Santa Cruz

Monk on the Embarcadero

chaos theory

Riding isn't life... 

it's training for life

Left to left, this world keeps shuffling us around. 

Left to left, we keep going. 

Keep galloping. Keep jumping. 

But left to left, we must keep loving. 

Keep thinking. Keep inventing. Keep changing. 

Because left to left, we must keep riding~ Carleigh Fedorka

I know she said ground and grow up like tree branches and down like tree roots..but, as usual, you've overdone..

.

it's academic

Alexander technique in Aikido

The central principle of inhibition, is one that is very useful in aikido practice,

but not very easy to apply, or to describe either. 

In Alexander's technique, inhibition is the ability to not react to something. 

It doesn't mean suppressing a reaction with some force of will, but just simply making a choice not to react. 

 Ask someone to move your arm about to shake it lightly..

Make a decision not to help them, but don't prevent them from moving your arm.

That decision that you make is the mental skill called inhibiting.

 It's a quieting of the signals that your are sending, in this case to your arm. If you try to force yourself to not interfere with the movement, the person moving your arm will inevitably feel that you are tightening. 

If you can make a clear decision of allowing the other person to move your arm about, they will feel it moving in a freer, lighter way.  

~edited from AikiWeb

http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15872

Gleanings

Denny Emerson..

http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/amateurs-us-where-there

Natalie Voss

"I guess it just depends on the meaning of the word ‘there,’” said Emerson. “

’There’ for some Grand Prix dressage rider, or ‘there’ for Beezie Madden or Michael Jung, is a lot different than the ‘there’ of someone who’s trying to get their horse fit enough to do a 15-mile competitive trail ride. 

I think it’s about having a goal that’s realistic within your own physical realities—your physical condition, your age, the horse, your background.”

It sounds so simple, but I’ve realized the key is to set reasonable goals, not just for your career as a rider, but for smaller things like a horse show or a lesson. 

Part of what constitutes a “reasonable” goal, Emerson told me, is what the horse will tolerate—you have to have a horse who won’t be so stressed by the learning process that they revolt. 

You also have to recognize whether you have a trainer who can explain things in a way that they will “click” and allow you to reach those goals. 

And, perhaps most importantly, don’t overdo it.

“Look, who’s going to be a McLain Ward or a Mark Todd?” Emerson asked. 

“We all have to settle somewhere. As long as we’re doing a pretty good job, that’s fine. 

You don’t have to overstress and over-intellectualize. 

Pretty good done most of the time is pretty darn good, you know?”

And so it is.

as Dad used to say .."no hope.. no hurry."..
reality bites..
just love what you do..