I first had Don Dickie Sensei as a guest back in April, and he blew my mind with his vivid, coherent, and powerful description of meditation, inspiring me to finally pursue my own inner practice in earnest.

(Brief update on how that practice is going: I’ve so far cobbled together aspects of what I’m learning from Don Sensei, Linda Holiday Sensei, and Koichi Barrish Sensei, with some leftover vestiges of previous “astral travel” experiments. Overall, I’m feeling pretty connected to the universe.)

Don Sensei’s impressive background includes intensive studies in kinesiology, cognitive psychology, and Tibetan Buddhism. This unique perspectival expertise provides him a multifocal lens through which to examine the connections between movements, mental states, and spiritual aspirations.

His understanding of the mind-body connection is phenomenal.

He’s also the author of several illuminating books you can find at this link: dondickie.com

As someone who has attempted to juggle a fusion of creative writing and Aikido practice—while seeking to explore the dynamic flow of both—I’m thrilled to delve into an author’s work that consciously harnesses this synergy.

On this special episode, Don Sensei reads selected pieces from his deeply reflective volume of poetry, Silent Winds of Aikido.

This inspirational collection of poems is a vehicle for active spiritual inquiry, an eloquent path towards attaining greater awareness.

I’m in awe of how viscerally he’s able to describe both the inner and outer worlds we inhabit in our practice—the action and the stillness, simultaneously.

For instance, in the poem titled “Awareness,” this elusive concept is defined beautifully through metaphor, highlighting its subtle, pervasive quality:

It’s a soft thing, not hard or sharp. More a blanket enveloping without constraint. No matter how comfortable, other things demand our attention… An attack comes silently, unaware, unprepared. You are hit.

The lack of a soft, all-encompassing awareness ultimately leads to getting caught up in trifling conflict, describing the literal and figurative “Story of Randori.”

Don Sensei emphasizes that the practice of overall awareness is not an end unto itself; it’s the catalyst for refining our intuition, an inner guidance granted divine provenance by O Sensei. This development is a crucial step on the way to fulfilling Aikido’s true stated goal: making the world a better place.

But beyond the literary and metaphysical, we also, importantly, discussed Don Sensei’s extremely generous offer to help support this podcast.

He’s graciously donated a limited number (125 copies) of Silent Winds of Aikido.

They’re available to listeners who’d like to make a (badly needed) donation to help keep this project going.

If you’d like to receive a copy (or multiple copies—think New Year’s gift for your dojo), please email me directly at [email protected] for more details.

I’m extremely grateful for this gesture. Don Sensei has been a great friend and supporter of this project since the very beginning.

His faith in my mission means the world to me, and I’d love to introduce his writing to those who are otherwise unaware of his profound wisdom.

So please, reach out to me if you’re interested in receiving a copy. Even if you’re unable to make a monetary contribution at this time, sharing this episode on social media (or something like that) would go a long way.

The goal is to share the message.

Peace

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