Barefoot and rolling around in the grass

Brad LarsonFeatured Posts, Shintaido, UncategorizedLeave a Comment

It’s one of those sunny October days that feels like an early September day, doing keiko (Shintaido practice) outside, barefoot under a blue sky. It’s an old-timey practice, without sticks, doing some of the roots movements, going down on our knees, cutting our partner, rolling. To be honest, knee walking and rolling are not my favorites. More of a shorter, Japanese body … Read More

Experiment: Doing Taimyo Kata Meditation in the aisle at Walmart

Brad LarsonFeatured Posts, Shintaido4 Comments

There’s a moving meditation developed in Shintaido a decade (or two) ago called “Taimyo Kata”.  It involves a ten to fifteen minute sequence of relaxed and deliberate steps, reaching motions, and, my favorite, a section where you hold your hands together over your head and slowly bring them down across your face and chest.  In my mind, it’s as if … Read More

Shintaido Demo at the Japan Festival, West Hartford, CT

Brad LarsonFeatured Posts, Shintaido, VideoLeave a Comment

A pleasure to participate in the Japan Festival this weekend with longtime friends and Shintaido practitioners. The video shows a some of our movements, and ways we use them to connect with others and with nature — central themes in Shintaido. It was my first time wearing the hakama, the multi-pleated pants worn by instructor-level practitioners — grateful for help from instructors … Read More