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SPIRITUAL AIKIDO
WEEK TWO
“In short, misogi is a washing away of all defilements, a removal of all obstacles, a separation from disorder,
an abstention from negative thoughts, a radiant state of unadorned purity, the accomplishment of all things,
a condition of lofty virtue, and a spotless environment. In misogi one returns to the very beginning, where
there is no differentiation between oneself and the universe. (Ueshiba 1993, 98) “
This week, I would like to spend the time discussing, Misogi. As you can see from the paragraph above, misogi
deals solely with the spirit of Aikido. Master Morihei Ueshiba would spend countless hours focusing his training
on misogi.
One of the exercises my instructor taught me was Misogi no jo. Purification with the jo. You can catch
O’sensei doing this exercise in videos, although it seems as if he his doing something different each time,
we tend to focus on only one pattern of this exercise.
Please remember that misogi is done at all times while we train at the dojo, not only when we pick up the
jo to do this exercise, and more specifically, at all times throughout our lives. This will take us and our
Aikido to a spiritual level.
Throughout my learnings of Aikido, I have heard and read many times over that the universe is our dojo, and that
we are training/learning 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The one hour you spend at the dojo doing the physical
side of Aikido is but the smallest part of your journey in the art of Aikido.
“Train sincerely in Aikido and evil thoughts and deeds will naturally disappear. Daily training in Aikido allows
your inner divinity to shine brighter and brighter. Do not concern yourself with the right and wrong of others.
Do not be calculating or act unnaturally. Keep your heart set on Aikido, and do not criticize other teachers or
traditions. Aikido embraces all and purifies everything. (Ueshiba 1993, 99) “
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