SEITODO
"Stillness & Motion"

This three-part practice is intended to stimulate harmonious flow of seiki within the system.

It should be practiced seated on a chair, stool or bench, or in a crosslegged posture or in the seiza posture.

As with all the basic exercises, choose a time and place where you are unlikely to be disturbed. Take off your shoes. And ensure the floor/ground is both comfortable and warm. Do not practice this on cold floors/ground, do not practice in the cold, generally.

Begin with your hands resting palms down, on your thighs.

'Hara-centre' and become loosely focussed on the natural rhythms of your breathing - 'watching the breath'. Do not seek to consciously breathe - merely be aware that you are breathing effortlessly.

1.
After a few moments, slowly raise your hands up, bring your palms to rest high on the upper part of your chest - just below your collarbone.

Inhaling, move your hands out to each side, close to your armpits, allowing your elbows to raise as you do so.

Begin to exhale steadily, at the same time brushing slowly & firmly down the side of your chest, down your torso and along your thighs, to your knees.

As you reach your knees, smoothly begin to inhale again, whilst slowly raising your hands from your knees in a wide vertical arc up to chin level, then back to rest high on your chest, to seamlessly repeat the process:

Exhaling as you firmly brush down to your knees, then inhaling as you trace the wide vertical arc back up to chin level, coming to rest on your upper chest.

Maintaining an attitude of steady focus, continue the brushing action until you have completed a total of 18 repititions.

2.
After a momentary pause, ensuring you are sitting up straight yet relaxed, press gently yet firmly against the inner corner of each eye-ball (i.e. just above the tear-duct) with the pad of the middle finger of each hand.

Hold this position for a count of 18 heartbeats, being aware of any sensations arising in the fingerpads or eyes.

3.
Maintaining the upright yet relaxed position, pause for a moment, then bring the hands together in the gesture of prayer - palms flat against each other.

Lower your shoulders and bring your elbows in close to your sides, with your forearms/hands pointing forward at a 45% angle.

Hara-centred, relaxed, focus your eyes on the tips of your middle fingers, and allow yourself to be fully conscious of any sensations that arise in your fingers, thumbs and palms.

Maintain this state of awareness for as long as you feel comfortable.

[During the practice of this particular exercise it is not uncommon for students to experience 'pulsing' sensations or sensations of almost imperceptible motion - and not only in the hands.

Some may experience actual spontaneous movement, such as a mild 'rocking' motion.

This is nothing to be concerned about, and - provided the student is comfortable with the phenomenon - any such mild spontaneous movement should simply be acknowledged and permitted to 'act itself out' whilst the student stays with the sensation, maintaining a state of focussed awareness.]

To conclude this exercise, loosely shake your hands out by your sides, take a few
deep breaths, and gently stretch your arms and legs.

Copyright © 2002 James Deacon