nonresistance

Jones New York dress, Ross

   
      A friend shared the video linked below over the weekend, and it made an impression. I admit to usually not clicking on video links shared on Facebook or by bloggers, but this was the perfect video at the perfect time.

          This school year, for a variety of reasons, feels more stressful than usual. New curriculum, new mandated initiatives that impact instruction, and (surprise!) more assessments. Not that assessment in itself is a bad thing - far from it - but that is another post in itself.
        On Saturday, I was so worn out that I overslept my alarm for meditation class. I was disappointed to miss something I look forward to all week, but I figured it was my body's way of telling me to rest. After I got up, I was browsing Facebook and clicked on this video. Twenty minutes later, I felt inspired and full of hope.
          Aikido is often referred to as the art of nonresistance, or harmony. While I have been studying aikido for a number of years, I am just beginning to realize how subtle and pervasive resistance can be. On the physical level, I still find myself instinctively tensing up or trying to use muscle when someone grabs me hard at practice. It's even trickier to deal with on the emotional/mental/spiritual levels. When I leave a work meeting feeling stressed or overwhelmed, or disagreeing silently with what was shared, that is probably me pushing back against what I can't change. When I can't stick to the allergy/asthma medication regimen prescribed by my allergist, I'm fighting the idea that I have a chronic condition that affects me everyday.
          The speaker points out that resisting, or being "stuck," is natural - it's part of being human. But, we can learn how to deal with whatever coming's at us in ways that let us understand the other side as well as assert and protect ourselves.
       Whew, that is more than I planned to write, but writing about the video helped me think through its impact. A little about the outfit: I have a dress in the same style, also from Ross, but one size smaller than this one. I actually like the way this one fits belted: one size bigger means the skirt is a bit fuller, which is fun. It can be challenging to put together an outfit that's comfortable in the heat and professional, but this is one I'll be repeating.