So, here are the slides from my presentation at the Assoc. of Children’s Museum conference’s informal evening event.  The theme: the stick is an undervalued tool, one that I rely on in Shintaido to connect me with nature. Some of the major points:

• We use the stick (boh, jo, bokutoh) in Shintaido to extend our reach.  (Too often we limit our reach and think it ends at our hands)
• Since the boh is so important to me — if I practice with it regularly, it may add 2 years to my life or keep me walking upright the last five years rather than stooped over — I decided to make my own with woodworking tools
• Practicing outdoors builds our connection to nature. Can do it summer, winter, at dawn and dark night.  One of my favorite practices at night: “knocking down the stars” with a boh
• Throughout history, art, and among nature, the stick has been revered as an essential tool