From Practice to Natural Awareness:
Key Insights from My Journey

Learning Through the Body

• In aikido, Tomita sensei taught that everything flows from a single principle: maintaining natural balance while guiding the partner's balance. His saying "If the core is moving correctly, the limbs can manifest the techniques easily" revealed how fundamental principles govern complex movements.

• The body learns in its own time and way - first through forms, then by melting these forms through play, and finally by moving beyond them entirely.

• In iaijutsu, deep connection with a partner emerges when technical training falls away, leaving just the pure moment of meeting.

The Nature of Teaching and Learning

• Too much verbal instruction can become an obstacle. Through teaching aikido, I discovered that explanations often interfere with direct understanding.

• Letting go of insisting on technical perfection opened up more natural ways of learning. This "giving in" paradoxically allowed both teacher and students to mature beyond formal training.

• Teaching showed me that trying to pass on knowledge exactly as received isn't always possible or desirable. Each person must find his or her own way.

The Role of Unlearning

• Each new teacher required unlearning previous patterns - first with Tomita sensei in aikido, later with Benoit de Spoelberch in iaijutsu.

• The frustration of abandoning familiar patterns eventually gave way to deeper understanding.

• New approaches demanded energy at first, but gradually revealed their wisdom.

Integration of Different Practices

• Different disciplines naturally found their place - like when aikido shifted to the background while iaijutsu intensified.

• Each practice informed the others in unexpected ways. Aikido's influence continued even when direct practice decreased.

• Different approaches complemented each other - from the physical practice of martial arts to the inquiry-based approach of Mukesh Gupta, and from traditional training to mindfulness with Edel Maex.

The Nature of Direct Understanding

• Through Mukesh Gupta's approach of dialogue and silence, understanding emerged naturally rather than through accumulation of teachings.

• Both professor Krishna and Mukesh helped bridge Krishnamurti's insights into daily living.

• The journey revealed that learning happens not through gathering more, but through letting go - allowing each experience to reveal itself in its own way.

Gratitude

We would like to express our deepest gratitude to all teachers, students, friends and co-workers we have met on the journey, and those who came before us whom we never met personally. Their guidance, friendship, and shared commitment to understanding have made this ongoing exploration possible. Thanks to my close family Kim, Marieken & Andreas, I can practice and inquire. 🙏🏻

Contact

If you find resonance in this inquiry, feel free to explore the references below or reach out for further conversation or practice opportunities. May your own inquiry uncover the natural presence of awareness in each moment. If you have any questions or suggestions feel free to email

joost@dojo.be