Desire is of the animal Thought is of culture Ki is of the Spirit
Ki is generally referred to in English as, "life force” Japanese – Ki, Indian – Prana, Iroquois – Orenda, Greek - Pneuma, Chinese - Chi, Polynesia - Mana, Hebrew - Ruah, Ancient Egyptian – ka.
Aiki is the focus of the life force (Ki)
The exercises themselves are of yoga and animal moves and Aikido with yogic, shamanic and rebirthing breaths of control and surrender as well as tantric and shamanic mind/body development techniques. The purpose is to awaken to the flow of KI (prana, chi, mana, ruach) and to be able to direct it where we want it such as through the warrior, healer and lover. We will learn the trick of awareness of Hara (Tanden) and the enrichment of the senses.
Harnessing and focusing the life force (Ki) through Hara
Every single person who takes control of their own conditioning and aspires to live a conscious life must eventually start operating from their physical centre. This is the spot just above the pubic bone called in Japanese the Hara or Lower Tan Tien in Chinese. When a person is focused here then the energy is not all bundled up in conflicting ways and a person becomes streamlined and fluid. When we are fully relaxed in the way that animals relax, we are naturally in our Hara. (Osho on the Hara - click here)
“If every act in your life isn't one of gathering your life force so that you are consciously aware of your energy at all times, and you're gathering it for your own growth, then you have no sense of spirituality. To have a spark here or there, or an experience here and there, is nothing. This has to be a continual, living process where you're aware of your energy.” Swami Rudrananda (Rudi) December 1972 We study the The 5 yogic patterns of Ki flow (vayus) in the body, always remaining in Hara. This is so that we embody our experience. so many folk after expanded experience in life or workshops return to "normal", often wondering if their experience was real. This is because the way of embodying has been lost. When we stay in our centre we much more easily embody experience. The purpose of having a body is to embody. So ALL of our exercises are centred in hara...
We also learn to extend our Ki into our environment to develop the roots of the Healer, Lover and Warrior. My spiritual teacher Amma (Mata Amritanandamayi) says,
"The life force that pulsates in the trees, plants, and animals is the same life force that pulsates within us. The same life energy that gives us the power to speak and to sing, is the power behind the song of the bird and the roar of the lion. The same consciousness that flows in and through every human being, lends its power to the movement of the wind, to the flow of the river, and to the light of the sun. How can there be any sense of difference once this subtle principle is understood?"