Key Words

Aikido, Authentic Movement, Daoism, Dance/Movement Therapy, embodiment, harmony, heuristic self-inquiry, martial arts, spirituality, yoga therapy, Zen Buddhism.

Abstract

How does harmony exist in the body? Paying attention to the body cultivates empathy and care, which are crucial in problem solving and sense-making, especially in a world that cannot escape the likelihood of harmful encounters (Hervey, Embodied Ethical Decision Making, 2007). Aikido is one of the various Eastern holistic movement practices that are non- competitive yet ask the practitioner to rise in their relative abilities through mental resilience and introspection. Although there is specificity in the form, it is less about perfecting physical performance than allowing physical challenges to prompt insight. With insight, the practitioner is more capable in the dojo where they practice and the world where they live. This author has designed a Heuristic Self-Inquiry that explores states and sensations associated with harmony from her Aikido practice through Authentic Movement. The findings of this study suggest that through this broad research and self-study, the martial art of Aikido provides a compelling example of how a movement-based holistic art form that is oriented toward conflict can emphasize harmony between distinct forces, or encounters between one another, and create opportunities for therapeutic relationships.