kTokbegin,kfirstkfindkakcomfortablekseatkwhichkwillkenablekyouktoksitkerect,kbac kstraightkwithkyourkhandskfoldedkcomfortablykinkyourklapkandkyourkfeetksquarelyk onkthekfloorkinkfrontkofkyou,kshoulderkwidthkapart.kYoukmaykalsoksitkcrosslegged konkthekfloorkorkonkakcushionkifkthatkiskcomfortablekforkyou.kYoukmaykalsok neel kinkwhatkisk nownkaskSeizakinkAi ido.kEventuallykyoukwillkbekablektokapplykthisk techniquekstandingkupkorkmovingkabout,kbutkforklearningkandkpractice,kthekseated kork neelingkpositionkiskmostkeffective.kThekvisualkaidkatkthekleftkonkthiskwebp agekshouldkbekprinted,kcutkoutkandkplacedkinkfrontkofkyoukatkeyeklevel,kperhapsk tapedktokakblan kwall.kYoukshouldktryktokridkyourselfkofkallkexternalkdistractio nskduringkyourkpracticeksessions.

kTenkorkfifteenkminuteskperksessionkisknormally kadequatekatkfirst,kalthoughkyoukmaykwishktokincreasekthektimekaskyoukbecomekmor ekaccomplished.k\par Now,krelaxkyourkbodykcompletely,k eepingkyourkspinekerectkandkconcentratekonkyou rkbreathing.kThiskiskakcommonkformkofkmeditationkinkmanykdiferentkworldkreligion skandkdisciplines.kBreathekdeeplykin....kout....kink....koutk....kink....koutk.. ..kTryktokdrawkthekbreathkfromkdownkdeepkinkthekabdominalkarea.kThiskisksometime skcalledkdiaphragmatickbreathing.kItkhaskbeenkprovenkphysiologicallykthatkthiskm ethodkofkbreathingkiskmorekbeneficialkthankshallowk'chest-only'kbreathing.kIfkyo ukhavekdifficultykwithkthiskformkofkbreathing,kitkmaykbekusefulktokta eksomektim ekandkliekdownkwithkyourkbac kflatkonkthekfloor,k neeskraisedkandkpracticekthisk preliminarykexercise.kPlacekakboo konkyourkabdomenkandktrykbreathingkdeeplykagai n.kThekboo kshouldkrisekandkfallkwithkyourkbreath.kPracticekinkthiskpositionkunt ilkyoukcankbreathekcomfortablykandknaturallykinkthiskmanner.kItkiskessentialktok masterkthiskdeepkorkdiaphragmatickbreathingkinkorderktokbeginktokawa enkawarenes skofkyourkphysicalkcentrekorkHARAkaskitkisk nownkinkJapanese.kAllkeffectivekphys icalkendeavorkdependskuponkproperkbreathing.kFocusingkyourkenergykinkHARAkthroug hkdeepkbreathingkiskthekfirstkstepkofkthisktechnique,kwithkwhich,kafterksomekpra ctice,kyoukwillkbeginktokharnesskthekinfinitekpowerkofkgravitykorkUniversalkKi.. k\par Now,koncekagain,kseatedkcomfortably,kbac kstraight,khandskfoldedkinkyourklap,kfe etksquarelykonkthekfloork(orkcrosslegged),kandkfocuskyourkeyeskonkthekfirstksymb ol,kHARAk(hah-rah).kImaginektheksymbolkiskthekcross-hairskofkakriflekscopekandkv isualizekitkiskdirectlykoverkakpointktwokincheskbelowkyourknavel,kHARA,kthekphys icalkcenterkofkyourkbody.kThiskfirstkstepkinvolveskakdeep,kslowkinhalation,kdraw ingkyourkbreathkinkfromkyourkabdominalkareakorkHARAkwithkyourkattentionkcalmlykf ixedkthere.k\par Second,kshiftkyourkgazektoktheksecondksymbol,kMUSHINk(moo-shin),kwhichkiskankemp tykcircle.kAskyoukexhalekslowly,k eepkyourkattentionkonkyourkphysicalkcentre,kyo urkHARA,kbutk eepkyourkmindkfocusedkonkthekemptykcircle.kWithkpractice,kthiskemp tykcirclekshouldkbecomekakreflectionkofkyourkmind,kwhichkiskalsokemptykofkallkth ought.kThiskiskthekmeaningkofkthekancientkSans ritkword,kMUSHIN...korkliterallyk "mindkofknokmind".kThiskiskthekstatekthatkhighlyktrainedkmartialkartistskenterkd uringkcombat.kOncekmushinkiskattainedkthroughkthekpracticingkorkstudyingkofkmart ialkarts,korkthroughkotherkartskorkpracticeskthatkrefinekthekmindkandkbodykli ek thiskpracticekdescribedkhere,kthekobjectivekisktokthenkattainkthisksameklevelkof kcompletekawarenesskinkotherkaspectskofkthekpractitioner'sklife.k\par Yourkmindkshouldkbekempty,kopenkbutkfullykalert,kawarekandkresponsive.kIndeed,ko nlykwhenkyourkmindkiskempty,knotkcaughtkupkinkextraneouskthoughtkprocesses,kcank itkbekfullykalertkandkaware.kJustkaskwhenkyoukarekbusyktal ingkoutkloudkorkthin ingkaboutksomethingkelse,kyoukcanknotkbektrulyklistening.kYoukmustkfirstklearnkt okemptykyourkmindksokthatkyoukcank'listen'kforkthekforcekofkgravity.kActuallykit kisksomethingkyoukwillkbeginktokfeelkratherkthankhear,kafterkyoukhaveklearnedkto kemptykyourkmindkofkallkthought.kThiskisknotkeasy,kforkthekmindklovesktokchatter konkincessantly,kbutkifkyoukcontinuektokfocuskonkthekemptykcircle,kseeingkitkask akreflectionkofkyourkemptykmind,keventuallykthekmindkwillkbekstill.kIfkyoukdipka kclearkglasskintokakrushingkriver,kandkholdkitkupktoktheklight,kthekwaterkwillkb ekcloudykwithksedimentkfloatingkaroundkinkit.kButkifkyouksetkitkdownkandkletkitk bekstillklongkenough,ktheksedimentkwillksettlekoutkandkthekwaterkwillkbecomekcle ar.kSokitkiskwithkthekmind.k\par Now...kpracticekthesekfirstktwokstepskoverkandkover:kHARAk-kMUSHINk\par

Rememberktokbreathekinkslowlykwithkthekfirstkandkoutkslowlykwithktheksecond.kEve ntuallykyoukshouldkachievekakstatekofkdeepkrelaxationkinkwhichkyourkmindkiskclea rkandkalert,kyourkbodykerectkbutkrelaxedkandkyourkattentionkfixedkfirmlykonkyour kphysicalkcentrekorkHARA.k\par Whenkyoukhavekmasteredkthekfirstktwoksteps,kyoukarekreadyktokshiftkyourkgazektok thekthirdksymbol,kSHIZENk(shee-zen).kThiskiskthekJapanesekwordkforkNature.kYoukm aykrecognizektheksymbolkaskthekscientifickdesignationkforkfemale,kwhichkwekgener allykthin kofknaturekinktermskof,ki.e.kmotherknature,kthekforcekwhichkencompasse skallknaturalkphenomenakincludingkgravity.kNotekthatkthekcross-hairskfromkthekfi rstksymbolkhavekmovedkoutsidekendkbelowkthekcircleksymbolizingkyourkcontactkwith kthekearth.kAfterkakbriefkpausekinkyourkbreathing,kafterkthekexhalationkofkMUSHI Nkinktheksecondkstep,kdrawkinkaksecondkdeepkbreathkfromkHARAkbutkattemptktokfeel kthekforcekofkgravitykunderneathktheksoleskofkyourkfeet.kItkiskactuallykakpulsat ingkrhythm,kli ekallkforceskinknature,kandkyoukmustkallowkyourkownkbodilykrhythm ktokadjustktokthisksubtlekpulsation.kFeelkthiskforcekpullingkthroughkyourkfeet,k upkyourklegsktokyourkphysicalkcentre,kyourkHARA.k\par Inkthekfourthkandkfinalkstepkofkthiskprocess,kyoukagainkexhalekslowly,kextending kyourkenergykfromkyourkcentrekinkwhichkeverkdirectionkyoukchoose,kthroughkyourkh andskforkexample,kifkyoukwerektryingktokliftksomething.kThiskiskKIAIk( ee-eye),k anotherkJapanesekwordkusedkinkmartialkartsktokdenotektheksharpksoundkonekma eski nkconjunctionkwithkakforcefulkexpulsionkofkbreathkaskhekdeliverskakblowkorkabsor bskonekfromkankopponent.kForkthekpurposeskofkthiskexercise,ksimplykexhalekyourkb reathkslowly,kpullingkthiskgravitationalkforcekupkthroughkyourkfeetkthroughkyour kphysicalkcentrekorkHARAkwherekyoukarekfocusingkitkatkaksinglekpoint,kandkextend ingkitkthroughkyourkeyeskbac ktokthekfourthksymbolkKIAI.kYoukmaykrecognizekthisk symbolkaskthekscientifickdesignationkforkmale.kThekarrowkrepresentskthekextensio nkofkthiskforcekoutward.kkYoukhaveknowkcompletedkthekfourkstepkprocess:kkHARAk-k MUSHINk-kSHIZENk-kKIAI Ifkyoukpracticekitkfaithfully,kitkwillkultimatelykallowkyouktokdrawkuponkthekinf initekforcekofkgravity,kfocuskitkthroughkyourkownkphysicalkcentrekandkextendkitk inkwhicheverkdirectionkyoukchoose.kOncekyoukhavekfullykinternalizedkthekprocess, kmasteredkthekbreathingktechniquekandkfeelkyoukarekreceivingkandktransmittingkth ekgravitationalkforcekorkUniversalkKi,kyoukmaykstartkexperimentingkwithkit,kstan ding,kmoving,klifting,kpushingkpulling,kpunching,k ic ing,kthrowing,ketc.kVirtua llykeverykmovementkyoukma ekwillkbekgreatlykenhancedkifkyourkmovementkandkentire kphysicalkbodykiskcentered,kbalancedkandkinkharmonykwithkandktransmittingkthekun iversalkforce.k\par Whilekthisksimplekprocesskinitiallykwillkhelpkyoukwithkyourkphysicalkendeavors,k especiallyksportskactivities,kyoukwillkultimatelykdiscoverkhowktokapplykitkmenta llykaskwell,kforkyoukareknowkinktouchkwithkthekgreatestkforcekinkthekuniverse,kK i.kWithkthekaidkofkthiskforce,kyoukwillkfindkallkyourkeffortskcontinuallykmoreka ndkmorekeffective.k MaykthekForcekalwayskbekwithkyou,kinkyoukandkmovingkthroughkyou.