Meditation

Creating mindful individuals who are able to maintain a broad perspective is central to building a safe and compassionate environment whether within personal interactions or in addressing larger issues of global violence.

Thousand Waves' meditation offerings range from creating small moments of focused stillness within our movement classes, to bringing large groups of people from around Chicago to meditate together and then examine non-violent responses to social conflicts.

Meditation and Seido Karate

Meditation is an important part of the practice of Seido Karate. Before each class, we engage in a short period of sitting meditation - a time which allows us to be still, feel our breath, appreciate the moment, and leave aside worries and preoccupations in order to be fully present for class.

Ji ga sitekiru • Throw away your ego

Ji ga • Ego
All calligraphy from One Day One LIfetime by Kaicho Tadashi Nakamura

The founder of Seido Karate, Kaicho Tadashi Nakamura has written: "What a karate class does for your body, meditation does for your mind. Just as karate practice will strengthen and discipline your body, meditation practice will strengthen and discipline your mind... Each time we meditate, we work on our breath. We concentrate on the breath, maybe counting our breaths to keep focused... We monitor the frequency of our breath, letting it naturally slow down, freeing it from the constant goading of our ego, our anxieties, our pride. Control the body; control the breath; control the mind."

Seated Meditations:
Discussions of the Philosophical Foundations of Martial Arts

Thousand Waves supports its students in developing a personal mindfulness practice by offering instruction in seated meditation. This class is open to all members and takes place in our quiet, serene, Japanese-inspired training hall. Regular practice in a supportive environment can help you meet the challenge and gain the benefit of integrating a meditation practice into your daily life.

Gakkyo fukusenzu seishein kenjo • Face hard times with an unshakeable spirit

After each 20 minute zazen (seated meditation) session, Jun Shihan Nancy Lanoue, Kyoshi Sarah Ludden, and other senior teachers guide discussion on a wide range of issues that arise in martial arts training. Topics have included: "Benefits and Pitfalls of Competition,"
"Opportunities and Challenges of Sparring,"
"The Ranking System: Tradition and Innovation," and "Peaceful Conflict Resolution Inside and Outside the Dojo."

Making Peace: Meditations on Activism

This free public forum was inspired by an impromptu meditation class held at Thousand Waves after the September 11th attacks. The class provided a space to help members deal with the complex emotions of fear, sadness, anger, and confusion that the attacks engendered. It allowed members to share feelings and concerns and to begin to consider possible responses. Members expressed a desire to remain thoughtful and open-hearted in a stressful time and to seek ways to implement the principles of compassionate self-defense, not centered on revenge, embodied in Thousand Waves practice.

The Meditations on Activism series grew out of those discussions. It seeks to link individual and community experiences to events in the larger

world and to deepen understanding of violence around the globe. Since 2003, Thousand Waves has periodically invited anti-violence activists to speak about their work and members of the public to listen and engage in dialogue with the speakers. The Meditations on Activism series informs us about global conflicts, helps us draw connections between our lives and the causes of and solutions to violence, and provides a spur to discussion, reflection, and action.

For a full schedule of upcoming Meditations on Activism programs and a complete listing of past programs Thousand Waves has hosted, visit the Outreach / Meditations on Activism area of our site.