Category Archives: Spirituality

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3 Key Bridging Practices For Aikido

Plus 1 Bonus Practice

Being skilled in Aikido or any other “path practice” does not mean that you are also skilled in every aspect of your daily life. The sad truth is that the development you gain in the dojo does not automatically translate into the world. In order to take your Aikido from the dojo to the world, you need more. You must create “bridging practices” that will help you with the important practice of integration. In this blog post, I’m going to teach you 3 Key Bridging Practices For Aikido that will effectively help you take your Aikido from the dojo to the world.

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Aikido & The Absolute Perspective

Community Call w/ Dan Messisco & Miles Kessler

What is the difference between the “relative” and the “absolute”? And how do these 2 perspectives relate to Aikido? Recently I held another “Aiki-Discussion” in the Integral Dojo Community Call series on this very topic. In this call, I was joined by Dan Messisco Sensei and members from our global sangha, as we explored “Aikido & The Absolute Perspective.”

Dan Messisco & Miles Kessler | "Aikido & The Absolute Perspective"
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The Mindfulness Of Aikido

5 Characteristics Of "ZANSHIN" (Encore Post)

The biggest trend in personal development these days is “mindfulness.” The popularity of Mindfulness today is especially interesting because even though it is adopted as a post-modern practice, it has been the core transformative practice of spiritual awakening traditions for millennia. Mindfulness also happens to be the primary awareness training that lies at the heart of Aikido practice. We call it “Zanshin” – the mindfulness of aikido.

Miles Kessler On Zanshin
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“From Emptiness To Spontaneity”

Teja "Fudo Myo" Bell & Miles Kessler

The below “Dharma Bite” is an excerpt from a longer dialogue I did with Teja “Fudo Myoo” Bell Roshi for our “Meditation For Aikidoka” online course members. We had such a wonderful dialogue that I decided to share this excerpt here with my blog readers on “From Emptiness To Spontaneity”.

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Self, Identity, & Flow

"Aiki-Discussion" w/ Eran "Junryu" Vardi & Miles Kessler

I recently had an “Aiki-Discussion” with Aikido Sensei and Zen Roshi Eran “Junryu” Vardi for my “Meditation For Aikidoka” online course. We had a wide-ranging conversation on Aikido, Meditation, and enlightenment and I was left with the feeling that we had only scratched the surface. I have taken an excerpt from our discussion to share with you here called “Self, Identity, & Flow”.

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Have Few Desires, But Have Great Ones

Diane Musho Hamilton & Miles Kessler

How intentional are you about your practice and what do you ultimately hope to gain? Do you even consider your desired outcome? In this “Dharma Bite” with Zen teacher and author Diane Musho Hamilton, we discuss how meditation gradually brings you into a greater sense of simplicity in your life. But part of gaining this simplicity is understanding what it means to have few desires, but have great ones.

Diane Musho Hamilton & Miles Kessler
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To Be Defeated By Greater And Greater Things

Diane Musho Hamilton & Miles Kessler

Do you see defeat as a good or bad? If you’re like most, defeat is something you would probably rather avoid. In fact, in some cases, the thought of defeat can be so unacceptable that you’d rather not participate. But even though defeat may feel completely undesirable, what are the possible upsides to defeat? What did the mystic poet Rainer Maria Rilke mean when he said: “the purpose of life is to be defeated by greater and greater things.”

Diane Musho Hamilton & Miles Kessler
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Embracing Conflict As Path

Diane Musho Hamilton & Miles Kessler

What is your relationship to conflict? Is it something you prefer to avoid? Or do you like to lean into a good fight? Recently, Diane Musho Hamilton and I held our 3rd Community Call in our “Dharma & The Evolution Of Conflict” 3-part series. In this call, together with the global sangha, Diane & I dove into this very topic as we explored “Embracing Conflict As Path.”

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The Inherent Potential In Difficult Moments

Diane Musho Hamilton & Miles Kessler

There are no two ways about it; from time to time, life can be tough. Creating the skill to work with life’s arising challenges is essential. Meditation, for example, is a sort of “superpower” that gradually increases your capacity to hold and be with life’s challenges. It will help you to weather the storm. But you also need to develop competencies to skillfully work with, and discover the inherent potential in difficult moments.