Why a Theme?

Choosing a theme for each series of gatherings helps all of us to focus our intention. Holding an intention helps to focus our minds and our energy as we connect through practice.

2024 Theme: Longing

Our longing illuminates the gap between the surface of daily life and the deep waters of the soul. 

What is your deepest longing?      Absorb / Release

What is the source of your longing? 

Where does your longing want to lead you? 

From Brody Hartman (used here with permission)

2024 Meeting in Community:    18 February    :    23 June    :    20 October             2 hours per meeting

To participate in any of these offering Register Here

Guidelines for our conversations:

We are sharing these conversation guidelines to create a space conducive to deep sharing. Our hope is to create a brave space rather than a “safe space.” The keiko analogy would be a perspective-altering kirioroshi kumite as opposed to an enjoyable keiko where you leave the same way as you arrived. It’s not that we feel unsafe in an incredible kirioroshi kumite - quite the contrary - we feel so safe with our partner that we can open ourselves to them.

Move up to listen, move up to share - Try to allow everyone to share once before anyone shares twice. Some of us naturally participate by listening more and others by speaking more. For those who listen more, try to move up to share. For those who speak more, try to move up to listen more.

Speak from your own experience (use “I” statements) - Each of our life experiences is unique. This is more insightful than generalizations about others.

Follow Aretha Franklin  - R - E - S - P - E - C - T  “Validate and support the ideas, feelings, or experiences of others. Strive to learn about experiences other than your own. 

Support others when they share openly - Acknowledge and thank folx for moving into their stretch zone because this opens learning for everyone.

Respect Privacy and Confidentiality - Let’s keep the stories we hear inside this group. This will allow folx to feel comfortable sharing more. DO take your own insights and learning from this process to share widely.

When we open our dialogue, remember that your role may be sharing or it may just be to listen deeply and witness those who speak. When I was unable to practice at a keiko, Ito would always remind me that mitori geiko - learning by watching - is an important form of learning. Please follow your own leadings as we gather for conversation.

Three questions for this year’s practice: 

The Challenge: What part of myself am I releasing and leaving behind?

The Release: What does it feel like to let go?

Emptying: How do I keep moving toward emptiness, so there is space for universal ki energy? 

Read more on the 2023 Theme in Tomi's article: 

Reflections on RELEASE and TRANSFORMATION:  free flowing movement and action in mind-body-spirit      English   French

"kin-tsukuroi"– the use of gold to mend and transform broken objects. All of us are broken in some way. Are we willing to gaze upon and embrace it, to prepare ourselves to help heal a broken world? 

Kintsugi (金継ぎ, "golden joinery"), also known as kintsukuroi (金繕い, "golden repair") 

Mending is one way to transform objects and ourselves. Yet before we can mend or make amends, we need to feel the brokenness fully, be it a personal weakness or the violence of war. Deeply feeling the brokenness is a personal responsibility and a collective responsibility that is painful and necessary. Over the rest of 2022 we will explore the dimensions of feeling brokenness, mending-making amends and healing, and transforming ourselves and our surroundings bit by bit. 

2021: 20th Anniversary of the Global Taimyo Community

Listening Hearts: Peace, Healing and Reconciliation