Daily Aikido

Control, control, you must learn control!

- Jedi Master Yoda

One of the axioms in Aikido is “100% control 100% of the time”. Applying this to your daily life can help you

• Stay calm when under pressure
• Lower your stress levels
• Live a healthier life

Breathe Out

Breathing is key to control, how many times have you heard an anger management therapist suggest taking deep breaths when anger rises? However it’s not just about controlling your anger, whenever something threatens your peace of mind be it an unexpected bill, some shocking news or even a physical attack, the first thing to do is to breathe out.

The human body’s natural response to any perceived threat is called fight or flight, part of which is a sharp intake of breath. Furthermore this breath is usually held a little longer than normal which then leads to shallow breathing which lowers the Oxygen levels of your body which…well you get the picture. Consciously breathing out forces you to regain control so that you can better deal with the situation at hand.