Mindful warming up combines diaphragmatic breathing with basic Aikido strikes and body lunges.
How is it done?
With each exercise, focus your attention on breathing. Pay attention to your breath as it goes in and out, synchronising uninterrupted breath with movements. Always remember to keep a good posture, don't go for speed, and pay attention to the form. Do each exercise for 90-120 sec, followed by a 10-20 sec rest.
Start each exercise with feeling your feet standing on the ground. Then, bring your attention to your center.
- Diaphragmatic breathing. To inhale, slowly breathe in through the nose, drawing the breath down toward the stomach. The stomach should extend forward, while the chest remains still and shoulders are relaxed and down. To exhale, tighten the abdominal muscles and let the stomach contract while exhaling through the mouth. Again, the chest should remain still.
- Breathing with extension. Continue with belly breathing and pay attention to drawing your breath. On inhale, push up with your legs so the movement of your body creates momentum to raise both hands. Observe space in your chest between your center and raised hands. On exhale, first lower down your center to create momentum for your hands to fall. Make sure your movement and breathing are synchronised – breath starts, body movement and hands follow.
- Lunge forward. Continue with step #2. Breathing with extension, add a forward lunge on your exhale and land softly on the ball of your foot, creating even more momentum for your hands to fall. On inhale, push yourself back with the front leg to an upright position, creating momentum for your hands to rise. Repeat on the other side. Make sure that hands follow the body rather than moving simultaneously.
- Holding bokken. Start with the left hand's little finger firmly grasping the edge of the bokken's handle. Continue with closing the ring finger a little bit softer, then the middle finger still a little bit softer. Finish your grip with the forefinger barely squeezing the handle. Put your right hand on the top of the handle a little bit more softly than the left hand and gradually reduce gripping power from the little finger to the index finger. The V shape formed by your thumb and palm should be on top of the bokken and not on the side. Your thumbs should be in a round shape. Hold the bokken gently, and keep your shoulders relaxed down and elbows close to your body. Maintain a good posture.
- Vertical strike. Combine #3 and #4. Focus attention on your breathing. In the lower position, align the bokken with your center point.
- Vertical strike with lunge. Combine #5 with forward lunge. Land softly on the ball of your foot. Don't start with your arms moving the bokken, instead – use your breath power to start the movement from your center, which in turn creates momentum for the hands to rise or fall.
- Diagonal strike with lunge. Start with the bokken behind your back gently touching your shoulder. On exhale, lunge forward to create momentum for the bokken to fall down diagonally on the opposite side. Don't force the bokken and instead let it fall using the momentum of its own weight. Keep your shoulders relaxed, open, and facing in front of you. Don't turn or twist your shoulders during the strike. Stop the bokken when it reaches your shoulder line by squeezing your palms toward the thumb. Repeat on another side.
- Strike with overhead change. Same as #7 but change the strike direction by moving the bokken above your head to another side. Make sure your wrists are relaxed and hold bokken as described in #4.
What is it good for?
This warm up routine is a great way to start a bokken practice. It is based on mindful principles and it increases positive psychological functioning in children and young adults. It develops positive coping skills and better mental health by creating space to think, space to breathe, and space between one’s self and one’s reactions.