Morihei Ueshiba meditates on top of Haleakala, Maui, 1961. Photo archives of Maui-Ki Aikido.

“The Art of Peace is the principle of nonresistance. Because it is nonresistant, it is victorious from the beginning. Those with evil intentions or contentious thoughts are instantly vanquished. The Art of Peace is invincible because it contends with nothing.”

– from The Art of Peace by Ōsensei (“Great Teacher”), Morihei Ueshiba, founder of Aikido.

Like presence and being wholly in the body, nonresistance is deep practice … for me, at least. Like many, I was well and deeply conditioned to roll the boulders up the hill, ‘make it happen’, push the river …

Can you think of other metaphors that you’ve used for your own experience with pushing it rather than trusting and allowing?

Yet, wow, with the practice, I notice a huge shift and release of all the tension and other ‘psychic…