The Practice of Freedom: Aikido Principles as a Spiritual Guide

by Wendy Palmer, Jack Kornfield (Foreword by)

Drawing on the poetic wisdom of the Tao Te Ching, American sensei Wendy Palmer translates the powerful teachings of aikido for use in everyday life—all without practicing the vigorous exercises of the martial art, itself. With poignant reflections on her own life, including her Conscious Embodiment work and teaching inmates in a woman's federal prison, she describes how we can lose our sense of freedom, vitality, and integrity when under the duress of life's "attacks." She explores a process that responds to the question How? How do we transform our negativity into budo, or love, and how do we move from reactivity to freedom? The Practice of Freedom is invaluable not only for students of aikido and other movement and martial arts, but also for those who seek to live with confidence and self-reliance, to establish clear and compassionate boundaries, and to deepen their capacities for loving and honest relationships.

Genres: Spirituality, Psychology, Buddhism

256 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2001

Reviews

[David]

an open letter to the author: I am prompted to drop you a note thanking you for your new book, "The Practice of Freedom"; it struck a strong, resonant chord in me. I, too, attempt to follow the Tao (for many years)
and practice aikido (for four years). Many of your thoughtful insights are ones I have felt but have been unable to articulate to friends and family regarding the value of aikido to my life.

Recently, I was challenged by the deaths of my parents; my father's 15 year long decline from heart disease and Altsheimer's and my mother's 1 year battle with a horrific brain disease, both dying within 3 months of each other. The aikido principles of entering and blending helped me not only summon up the courage to engage death but also to "dance" with it, to make peace with it, thus enabling my latent compassion and deep love for my parents and, hopefully, giving them a measure of comfort and peace as their lives wound down. I then felt I was able to be the loving caregiver my father never had (which made me rethink Wordworth's line, "The child is father to the man").

By "surrendering" to what was being offered (as you note in your book), I feel my true self, my soul if you will, benefited greatly; I was able to be emotionally and spiritually engaged with my parents during that ultimate transition. Paradoxically, through this engaged experience with death, I now better appreciate my life and my close relationships and have attained a level of serenity.

As you elegantly mention in your book, I see us all as fellow travelers; each a separate universe, yet united in a larger continuum. You acknowledge Mitsugi Saotome in your book and I must mention that when I was researching aikido, before I started practicing, I was fortunate to read "The Principles of Aikido" and "Aikido and the Harmony of Nature" as my theoretical introduction to aikido. Both books, like yours, struck a deep chord. Some day I hope to attend one of his seminars when he comes into my area (Los Angeles).

Thank you again for articulating and validating important themes of spiritual growth that can mean so much to so many people.

[Kathy]

This was interesting, made me want to find an aikido group (though in reality, not sure if I could do it). I liked the philosophy.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and sincere book about the author's own life and her path studying Aikido. A good book for the martial artist of the general public.

One thing I especially like about Palmer is how she tells sad stories without self-pity, and tells stories of struggle and effort without false-toughness or arrogance (which regrettably pads the shelves of every martial arts shelf in a given library). The book is about Aikido as a way of life.

[Semi-Academic Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

19 Highlights in the 24 pages included in the free iBook sample - this suggests that I may wish to read more of this book.