THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

"Meditation & Breathing"

By Dale Adamson, Naples Karate Club

Though I am not an authority on meditation, I would like to share this thought. Many years ago in Medical school, I was introduce to Transcendental Meditation, but I did not actually apply the concepts that were taught until I met Sensei Judy. During an introductory class, we sat opposite one another in Seiza, with hands folded and eyes narrowed to slits. I'll admit that the only thought I had then was how my feet hurt sitting in that position, but with time and training Seiza became easier. The few minutes before and after our classes are used to clear the mind of all thoughts except of Karate. Now when I sit to meditate I hear the words of my sensei "Breathe in through your nose, Breathe out through your mouth. Breathe in strength and energy, Breathe out tiredness and weakness." Recently I have read medical journal articles re stress in the workplace, and the consensus was that regular exercise and meditation improved a workers performance. Meditation was preferred as it could be performed in the workplace in a quiet environment easily. Work performance was measured and it was found that employees that meditated 5 to 10 minutes daily were better performers. This certainly can be seen in a workout, if one doesn't concentrate about karate, katas are weak, injuries occur and even accidents occur. For myself, I meditate before and after class, I try to meditate before board meetings, before I give a lecture and before doing minor surgical procedures. It may be only for 5 minutes, but I find a quiet environment, close eyes, breathe in through my nose and out through my mouth, and I hear my sensei's phrase " breathe in strength and energy, breathe out tiredness and weakness." Arigato, Dale