Two more baby pictures

Myo-O

Shimei Naomi

Meditation on breathing

For many years, I've stopped once in a while to enjoy breathing. Sometimes I do this every day, sometimes I forget until something reminds me. I think youraverage person on the street would be baffled by this– what's to enjoy? It's breathing. Everyone does it.

The first time I thought of this, I had a bad cold,with stuffy nose, dry mouth, and aching throat, until it was unpleasant and painful no matter how I tried to breathe. I tried telling myself it could be worse –I've had asthma attacks where every breath was painful and my lungs were so tight I felt like I would suffocate. This didn't ease my misery really, but I decided that when I could breathe normally again, I'd take a minute to enjoy it. I needed to get through this cold until I could try this new idea. It sounded kind of weird, and I'm always ready to try some new, weird thing.
Since then, I've tried to remember to do this fairly often. Sometimes I just marvel at the easy, natural ebb and flow of air, in and out again.
Sometimes I take a big, deep breath, loving the way I can take in all the air I want, keep it for as long as I like, then when I'm tired of it, let it go and get some more.
And all this air is free! It's good stuff, too, not like when I was a kid. Especially downtown, I try to notice how the air these days is crystal clear and sweet. I remember when every car, truck, and bus had it's own little gray-brown cloud behind it. I used to hold my breath a bit when a bus went by, because they smelled so bad. All the pollution control and air quality laws passed in the past thirty years have had a tremendous impact. Nowadays, you could almost suck the stuff straight out of the tail pipes.
When I have a chance to lay down in the fresh grass, I sometimes think about our symbiotic relationship with plants. Exhaling nice, moist, carbon dioxide ladenair all over the grass, then inhaling the sweet,oxygen rich air the grass gives off in return. I hope the grass enjoys this as much as I do.
So enjoy breathing. Pay attention to the smooth flow,the natural way your body knows just how much it needs, and the easy availability of air. Take a moment to breathe freely.
Enjoy it.

-Jaqi

Below is one of my favorite quotes that I think is particularly relevant, especially in light of our recent discussions surrounding fear and diversity. It is a quote taken from part of Nelson Mandela's Inaugural speech in 1994. It's very sweet and I thought it would be nice to post on our blog.

- Shanna

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It is not in just some of us; it is in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
-Nelson Mandela
Inaugural speech, 1994

Why I joined FEMA

The shortest answer possible is that I got fed up. I've been pawed, and I've been groped, and I've been stalked, and simply got fed up with being afraid.

After a particularly bad encounter with a creepy man on a bus late at night, I was standing at a dark bus stop talking on my cell phone with my girlfriend trying to find the courage to make it the rest of the way home. It was at this point, when she kept suggesting that I carry a gun and I kept telling her no; I decided I had to take a self-defense class.

The next day I started doing research on the web. I found a lot of martial arts classes that I didn't think I wanted to take. Then I found an article on Women's Self-defense by Laura Kamienski that sounded true to my way of thinking. And this article lead me to Chimera. From Chimera I followed the search engine to NWMAF (National Women's Martial Arts Federation) and from there to FEMA.

I emailed Shifu Kore' to find out if I would be welcome. I came and observed a class; and here I am in the beginners' class. And now I am developing the confidence to believe that I don't have to be afraid anymore.

-Lisbeth

Shifu/Sensei

In my red cowboy skirt, boots and hat complete with two six shooters. Age 3 or so

Singing "VOLARE" was my favorite thing to do at that time. Age 5 or so

-Shifu Kore

Tenacity

Age in pic: 1

Age now: 26

Belt level: red

This is a pic of me doing what appears to be push-ups in the grass a month after my third or fourth hip surgery. I think it represents tenacity, especially when faced with challenges related to my hips. I've always been one to push myself and go beyond what some people believed I was capable of. Or perhaps that's just a Taurus thing. ;)

- Rose

Woo! Theme!

On Monday, Shifu asked the advanced class to submit childhood photos that demonstrated qualities that students still have today. They will be updated on the blog as I receive them. Stay tuned for more!

-Megan