Perhaps, before answering that question, we should look at what a “trance state” really is and how you can identify it.

According to Milton H. Erickson “trance is the state in which learning and openness to change are most likely to occur.” (Quote from: My Voice Will Go With You – The Teaching Tales of Milton H. Erickson).

From the same book: “Trance, in fact, is a natural state experienced by everyone. Our most familiar experience takes place when we daydream, but other trance states can occur when we meditate, pray, or perform exercise – such as jogging, which has sometimes been called ‘meditation in motion’.”

Have you ever been in a meeting or at a lecture (for example) where the topic has been so interesting that you were so focused on the speaker that everything else around you seemed to simply blend into the background, almost disappearing? Have you ever seen a movie or a video where you had that same reaction? Listened to music and the world just vanishes as you drift off into the song? Driving home, getting there safely, but not remembering anything about the drive?

If you’re training Martial Arts, you’ll recognize similar experiences from training with a partner, sparring or if you compete, being in the ring. Eyesight focus on your opponent, while anything surrounding blends into the background, unless it can become a threat (or an aid), which can then bring that piece into your awareness. Sounds fade as well, unless they signal danger or anything else relevant.

If you can enter this state as well during a training class, you’re likely to find that you’re picking up things you never thought of, or even believed possible. In other words, your mind is more open to learning and absorbing new things.

Meditation or self-hypnosis can aid you in more easily enter such a state as well. Not to mention, it’s a great way to relax your head before you go to bed.

I find it very interesting to see people entering this state, during training or elsewhere. The only reason I have put in the context here of training is that I see this happening, both to myself and others, during training. However, it is beneficial to ones training, so it felt appropriate.

Now, have you experienced this during your training, in class, in school, at work? I would be highly surprised if you can honestly answer this question with a “No, never” …

I would like to note as well that during the weekend, these words proved its worth to me. I went to a seminar teaching Brazilian Ju Jutsu. As someone from a different discipline, it was quite interesting to see that not just those from other arts were doing their best to absorb everything shown, but also those already training in BJJ were absorbing as much as they could. Again, what each one of us brought home with us will be different, we all learned new things. No matter our grade, nor what art we normally train in, we all found new things.

The seminar Mats mentions at the end of his post is the Bujinkan Taikai taking place in Stockholm next weekend. More about that on http://taikai.se

//anders

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Sometimes I am asked by beginners wondering if it is worth it going to a seminar, if they will be able to keep up? Will they understand anything? I can understand that it may seem a little frightening or daunting to go to a seminar for the first time when there are so many high ranking buyu there, also training.

But I have to point out that even those that are higher ranking are “beginners” when you go to a seminar! There are perhaps those that take on a “helping instructor” role, warranted or not. But most goes to a seminar to develop, train, have fun and find inspiration.

What you can absorb is of course different depending on earlier experiences. If you have trained for a shorter period you will carry home a lot that can give you many years inspiration for your own training.

I know that there are instructors that rarely or almost never attend seminars, for which there may exist several reasons (I do not wish to judge them). If instructors do not encourage their students to go to a seminar, that may also have its reasons. Maybe they don’t know about the seminar, maybe can’t attend themselves and are worrying about the balance in the dojo will be disrupted if the students learn something new.

What I want to say is that it is you, the beginner, that is the future! It is you that has to look towards your own good. Do not worry about non-training friends wanting to get you out partying this one weekend. If you have good friends they will understand that you will be training this particular weekend. You have to decide on your own over what is important. Neither your controlling instructor or nagging friends can stop you from training if that is what you really want to do.

The instructors you look up to have gotten to their level and proficiency by themselves deciding that their own training comes before controlling instructors, girl friends, boy friends and friends. They too once were beginners and learned to set priorities. Ask them and I can almost promise you that they still see themselves as curious beginners. Which is why they are good practitioners and nothing else.

I remember a discussion about ten years ago with Soke in the Honbu Dojo. Soke was talking about different levels, dimensions etc. in Mikkyo. Someone asked what the highest level was and I remember Soke’s reaction.

He said that he didn’t know, but he was pretty sure that there is always a higher level (than where one is) and that this is why we must keep practising.

It is this which makes me think that the Bujinkan is so wonderful compared to other arts of Budo. Just diving head first into the training, trying to have as much fun as possible, without caring if it is hard or simple.

I hope this has encouraged some beginners to take the step and participate at this fantastic seminar next weekend.

Ganbatte kudasai!

/Mats (translated by Anders Holm)

How one wishes to perceive these things are usually in their own separate incarnations. Which is completely and utterly wrong in my mind. One side feeds the other while it is diminishing in size. These “opposite” sides can take on a life of their own in a sense, growing, shrinking as they pulsate. Though, one cannot survive without the other. Neither can exist in a vacuum. Consider the symbol of Yin and Yang. Each side is utterly dependant on the other. Without one, the other also perishes. Such is life and such is death, because what would death be without life? A vacuum? No even less, as vacuum is something that can be defined and quantified.

A door has two sides to it as well, showing two completely opposite areas on either side, opening into different parts of different spaces. As it swings, that space changes, hinting at something different than where you are. One has to walk through that opening to see what the other side holds, at the same time leaving behind what is on (what is now) the other side. Passing from life to death is exactly the same thing. Passing from Yin to Yang is yet again the same. All symbolic of a complete transition from one state (of being) to another.

New experiences in ones life can be just as dramatically changing. Sometimes it just takes something small, perhaps just a little thought. Sometimes more extreme things are needed to understand that things have changed without you being aware (not that you didn’t see them, you didn’t look for them or understand them).

In the same fold, the theory of relativity also falls. Everything is relative. Even relativity. Consider something as absolute as time. Even time is relative. How it is perceived. “What time is it?”, “How long did that take?”, “Only five minutes!”, “Felt like two hours!” and so on. There is nothing that isn’t relative to something else. There is nothing that doesn’t have two sides to it.

Love & hate. Rage & serenity. Male & female. Horizontal & vertical. Forward & backwards. Omote & ura.

Everything has two sides, at least. Some have 8. Some have infinite. You just have to find them.

With “Letting go” I don’t mean “dropping like a hot plate”. Letting go as a principle has many uses. Most people would think of it in terms of someone close dying and they carry a grief with them, that they eventually need to let go of. This is exactly true, but you can also use the same principle in other areas.

You can let go of:

as a few examples. If you wish, you can split those up into external and internal as well, up to yourself really. First three are internal and the last three are external, of course. Or are they?

As a principle, it is very powerful. All you really have to do is to “let go” of a fear you have? Yes, really. By insistently “hanging on” to it, all you do is feed it. Let it go and feel it shrink and disappear.

Letting go of someone else, well, you hang on they may not like it. If one looks at it from a Martial Arts or fighting perspective, you hang on to someone, they’ll respond by thrashing you more than likely. Same applies if you hang on to someone who wants their own space and their own freedom. Be sure that they will respond by pushing you away. If it is someone you love and cherish, you should step back a bit…

What becomes interesting here is the results of this principle, depending on how you have executed on it. You can harshly let something go, in a fight you may “let someone go” while they get a farewell punch, or you can be gentle and loving while letting go…

You “let go” of someone you love, to allow them space to breathe for themselves, if you have executed well, they’ll return. Such an exercise may even deepen the connection between you. At the same time, if the one you love is no longer going to be there, then “letting go” is of your grief, and ultimately your love, for that person. It all depends on your situation which it is.

On the other hand, in a fight situation, you really do not want them to return, do you? (Unless you really like to hit people I suppose!) Letting go of them harshly then shows them they should probably just stand up, turn around and walk away.

It’s a concept, a principle. It has many uses.

It’s a principle I recently picked up or rather, realised it existed even. By no means have I perfected or even fully understood it. However, it goes hand in hand quite well with space (see previous post) and similar concepts/principles. If you still do not understand what I am talking about here, you can really only realise what I mean by actually trying it. Just remember, every coin has two sides to it. It will become what you make it to be.

Spending even just a few moments on quiet contemplation, or drifting away while reading a book or listening to music are moments I cherish, as they are spontaneous. Anything may pop up in the back of my head as I drift away from reality.

However, this is not the only kind of “space” I need. I also like to be completely and utterly alone at home sometimes. Might not even be at home! Could just be a walk somewhere. Especially enjoy walking into a thick forest and just listen to what is happening around me. Enjoying all the sensations one get when you’re in a deep forest all alone. It is a liberating experience. Some people love a walk along the sea, I love the trees and the wildlife that inhabits it

If you’re in a relationship, you also need “space” from the spouse, kids, etc. Seriously, getting a bit of time for yourself is great. Not only can you focus on yourself for a while, it also makes everyone realise what is so important about the others in a family or relationship. Just because your with someone doesn’t mean you have to spend every wake (or asleep!) moment with your counterpart!

Being apart also creates space for time to spend together and enjoying that time even more! Being apart can be a great way to be together!

Just because you miss someone, that doesn’t have to mean you must see them right away. Leaving it for a while means seeing the one you want to be with that little bit sweeter. It also allows you to be free on your own, on your terms.

It also means that when you are together, both does things for each other. But things they want to do for the other part. Not doing things because they are asked for, or expected, but because one wants to do something for the other. What that thing is, well, that is a different matter. It can be anything, from just going to dinner in your partners favourite restaurant, taking them out to a venue to see something together, or anything else you may want to give your partner or family member.

But taking that space is the crucial part here. It allows you to separate yourselves from each other, while at the same time building on that special thing shared between you. One might say this goes back to my topic on duality. All things are connected somehow, some way. When you get that space for yourself, you have a much better chance to figure out what exactly is connecting you to those you love and hold dear.

So, do take your space. Take some time for yourself. Enjoy it, just for you. Allow yourself that freedom. It is a freedom that is exceptional and valuable. If you haven’t done this yet, give it a try! Be without your significant other for a week and see how you get on. Did it go well? What did you learn about yourself and what did you figure out about those you cherish? Does it change anything for you? Have you found more things you value? How do you value them? What is good and what is bad? Are you getting the things out of life that you truly want? If not, what can you do about getting closer to that goal?

So many questions that only you can answer for yourself does require this space.

Then, when you have had your space, you can so much better share that space with those you want to share it with. Understanding so much better what you wish to gain from it, and what you are willing to sacrifice of yourself. Yes, sacrifice of yourself. Every relationship holds an amount of self-sacrifice. Most people call it “compromise”. A compromise always holds a certain amount of sacrifice, from both sides.

So, get that space for you. It is a great way to open new doors to new experiences in your life. It is also a great way to close doors that need to be closed. In your own space, you can also let go of things that hold you back, drag you down or even imprison you. Get that space and experience that freedom.

Looking towards holding a presentation on Hypnotherapy and Hypnosis for a set of therapists, which will be really fun to do. Quite different to what I’ve done before, so will be an interesting challenge.

My Martial Arts training is moving along with seminars coming up as well as progressing along with my own training. Lots of interesting things coming up there too! Always something to improve upon and figure out. Always new things to discover and there’s always one more mind blowing experience to grab on to with both hands.

Getting the house in order also feels really good. Unbelievable how empty it felt those few weeks ago. Now? Not at all! Now I’ve made it mine and I continue to change things here and there, fixing this and fixing that. Feels really good at this stage. Always something to improve there too!

At the moment I’m saving up for a trip back to Sweden. If I can afford it there’s also a wedding coming up in August in Poland which I’d love to attend. (Hey there Mac and Liz!) Would be great to see my family back home right now and experience that hot burning sun back home.

If I can scrape together the money I need, I would most definitely go to Tokyo for a week as well. That would be a real highlight of the year. Not that there hasn’t been a number of highlights already, but that one would be fairly big for me anyway.

I will also be writing and helping to moderate things on a website that is about to launch. Where does all my time go? I keep way too busy, but I do enjoy it. There will be mentions here once things gets closer to the launch of that as well!

There’s more news as well, but hey, those who wait for something good never wait too long!

In other words, keeping going! Upwards and onwards folks!

I’ve always been a lazy sort of guy, so finding I enjoy this pressure and amount of work surprises me somewhat. Finding I do enjoy fixing things in the house, the way I like to have them, is also a slight surprise. Going through a lot of stuff here at the moment and finding that it is not only easy to do all of this work (not just the house) but I also have found an enjoyment in it all I haven’t had in a very long time.

So, apologies to all, I’ve just been taking time for me recently. Time I well needed and felt I deserved.

I guess the biggest enjoyment has been in keeping going, moving to a brighter future and the smiles it has brought. Three key ingredients.

It has been great finding all the smiles and laughs along the way, the buzz from helping a client, making progress on the projects at work, seeing my fitness level coming up at training, noticing progress with everything, really, that I have focused on recently has been absolutely fantastic.

Now, as to this blog, it will find competition over the next few weeks with another website that is also launching soon. A friend is starting something, what exactly will be revealed soon to those who not already know. I will however make some time to write things here too. It means I’ll have presence on 3 blogs, a couple of forums I will moderate etc. so getting even more busy! All in a good way too and I’m looking forward to it!

Keep going and keep smiling folks!

What is honesty, really? Sometimes you’re honest to others, sometimes you hide your true intentions. Sometimes you hide it both to others, but worse, you hide it to yourself. Not being honest, to yourself or others, could be lying or it might not be. It all depends on the situation, but mostly it depends on if you are firstly honest to yourself, your very own self to be precise. Once you can’t be honest to yourself, you are not just lying to others, but you are also fooling yourself. I see this as the worst kind of betrayal one can do. Because, by fooling yourself, you betray yourself. If you betray yourself, there is no way you can be fully honest to others. Those around you will be hurt, and you are the one that will suffer the most.

If you are honest to your self and others, you also gain their respect and trust. If you fail to be honest to yourself, that respect and trust will wear out. How long and by how much all depends on how much they actually do care for you.

If you are in a situation where you are telling yourself things are a certain way, while at the same time you know deep down inside they are truly different, you have started lying to yourself. This may be because you are scared to face your true self, your own persona, your very own soul, the fabric that makes you what you are. You have only two choices here. Either you can keep living your life in a lie, telling yourself you are just fine. Alternatively, which is much more constructive and honest, is to face this fear you have. Stop being a coward and understand yourself. Let your ego go for a walk, face a mirror and look at yourself and see who you really are. All of a sudden you may realise what you have been missing in your life and who you really are.

Where I am in my life right now, I am facing those fears, taking a long hard look. Turning every little aspect about myself around, trying to be objective about what I find, embracing it. Only by actually embracing what I find can I make those things a real and true part of myself, helping me move along the path I am on. Sometimes it angers me, these things I find. Sometimes it makes me cry. Sometimes it makes me smile or even laugh. But, every thing I find makes me a stronger person. Makes me a whole person. Sometimes I realise something about others. What I take away from that is, “well, how would I behave in that situation? what would I do and what is the right thing to do?”…

This is being honest. This is being true to my self, myself & me (all slightly different things). Not being honest to myself will only bring disaster into my own life. I choose to be happy. I choose to denounce fear. I choose to denounce my ego. I choose to lead my life to the full, to learn new things every day, and to learn to see deceit in others, even if they have good intentions for my welfare, because nothing hurts more than someone wanting you good but actually isn’t honest about their intentions and thereby cause you grief instead.

Being honest takes courage. Courage to be the one who you truly are. Being honest isn’t always easy, but I see it as a must. To yourself and to others.

One may not always say the full truth, at the same time, that may not be the same as lying. Rather, it is not lying, but simply concealing a part of a truth. However, not answering honestly, even if concealing parts, is lying. Never lie. In the end, if your lie is uncovered, you are the one that will suffer the most from it. No, always be honest, even if you may not give the full picture.

So, I decided to chuck some silicone over it, being the lazy git I can be sometimes. While I was at the thing, I figured, why not replace some of that older silicone too? There had previously been leaks in the shower and various bits of work had been done to get it sorted. In the end, giving up on the builders (after 4 times having them in, re-tiling, re-grouting, whatever) I had simply grabbed silicone then too. Tube had claimed “White” and instead come out a shitty looking yellow. So, half the shower looked like a men’s toilet in a pub.

Right. Grabbed a knife and started carving the old silicone off, careful not to damage any tiles along the way. Took me bloody hours. However, at the same time, it gave me some space to think over things.

Amazing how ones life can be just like that. Sitting in a corner of the house, carving away old cruft you no longer want or need. Going through things in my head, I was doing the same thing in my mind as I was doing with my hands. Carving out something, looking it over. Figuring out, do I want this thing? Is this useful for me? Does it help me in any way? Ouch that hurt!

As I worked along, forgetting about time completely as one does when engrossed in something, I did also reflect on quite a few things.

Anytime I got upset or angry over some thought that came to mind, I put the emotions it stirred to the side and asked myself, “Why does this upset me so much? Is this something I should keep or something I should discard or something I need to review again later on?”

If I came across something that made me smile, or made me feel happy, I filed it away carefully, making sure I can keep that memory, that emotion, that feeling.

At the end of it all, I was exhausted. Mentally that is, the physical strain isn’t high when doing this kind of physical work. But the mental work was quite draining. Then again, it was also quite fulfilling, letting me understand a few things about where I am right now, and how I got here. More importantly, it’s helped me figure out where I’m going, why and what I want from it.

Then, I put some new silicone over the holes (in the shower, no holes in my head, thanks!) and all of a sudden I realised, it’s now almost 8PM. I’ve been at this for most of the day, being careful to remove as much crufty silicone I could, to replace with some good silicone.

Rewarding, yes. Exhausting though.

What better time to get the bike out from the garage and go for a spin? What better time to be outdoors and enjoying the treasures Mother Nature holds? As you probably gathered from my previous post, life recently hasn’t been what it used to be for me. We all have surprises in life. Some good and some bad. I’m not going to delve into that too much here though, other than saying, what better time for me to move forward than today? Carpe diem!

Instead, what I want to focus on today, right now, right here, is that one of the nicest seasons of the year is starting. Spring. I’ve always liked spring, and the promises it holds for tomorrow.

So, this weekend, I would like to hop on the bike and go for a spin, wind in my face, heading down a twisty road somewhere. Stopping for a coffe, a smoke, filling up the tank, perhaps a bite to eat, then back on the bike and just go. Let’s see where this road leads.