On Awareness

About a year after I began taking ninjitsu classes, I started joining my instructor to help out with the self defense classes that he taught on campus. We would get there early, warm up, discuss what would be taught, and watch as the students filed in. Most of them were a little nervous and not sure what to expect.  Some of them were really excited at the prospect of learning how to punch, kick, throw, etc. As we got started it was usually clear that everyone there was ready to start their training in some bona fide kick-assery.  But I don't think any of them ever anticipated how each class would begin.

"Ok, let's get started. How many doors are in the room? How many windows?"

Immediately heads turned to look around, but the students were instructed not to "cheat." The point of the exercise is to test your awareness of your surroundings, and not letting the students look was a way to get them to realize their failure to pay attention to the room they were in. After the point set in, then we considered together all of the doors, windows and any other possible escape routes from the room. Once that was done, the real curveball got thrown.

"Ok, now where's the tiger?"

A puzzling look descended on the students' faces and you could see the question on their minds: what tiger? Usually at least one astute student would proudly say, "There!" and point to a small stuffed tiger perched in a corner or atop another object in the room.  The tiger had been hidden before class began in a spot that was not in direct line of sight but still out in the open. The instructor used this teachable moment to talk about how awareness and instincts can be tied together. We need to be able to identify when there is something unusual or "off" in our surroundings so that we can be quickly alerted to cues for danger. While the stuffed tiger posed no danger, an unattended box or knapsack may not prove to be so inocuous depending on its location in public.

Most self defense teachers I've talked to say that if they could, they would spend the entire self defense class talking about the importance of paying attention to surroundings and discussing good strategies for how to do so. The only problem is that if they did that, no one would ever stay for the classes because people want to learn the physical techniques associated with self defense. Most people consider these to be the "real" tools to use in the face of danger. Yet the importance of self awareness cannot be stressed enough.  I don't care how proficient I become at a technique to break a choke hold, I would rather never have to use the technique at all and avoid any situation where I would ever need to break a choke hold. And that starts with smart decisions: do I need to walk down this dark path, or can I take the more brightly lit path one block further? Do I need to listen to my iPod and block out the noise around me right now, or can I wait a few minutes until I'm in my car to hear music? Do I stare down in my purse hunting for my keys and cell phone as I walk blindly, or are those objects I can have in hand before leaving my initial location? In order to make the best decision for the situation you're in and to really avoid danger, full awareness of your surroundings is absolutely imperative.

In the same way, we must constantly be aware of our spiritual surroundings. If our physical surroundings affect the amount of danger threatening our bodies, then likewise our mental and spiritual surroundings will affect the danger threatening our psyches and our souls. While we often consider the safety of our bodies to be of utmost importance (and indeed it is a significant matter, not to be taken lightly), the fact remains that no matter how safe our paths are, our bodies will inevitably die. The soul, however, is eternal, and to disregard its safety would be foolish at the least and fatally tragic at worst.

Spirital dangers are harder to observe, and they will differ for each of us. The following are a few things to consider regarding recognition of mental/spiritual dangers:

-Where are you at spiritually? That is, what do you believe about your own soul? If this isn't something that you've ever seriously sat down to think about, I'd encourage you to take the time to consider that now.

-What are you surrounded by? What's talking to you the most during the day? What are you looking at for most of your day? Everything around you is sending you a message of some sort; it is worthwhile to consider what those messages are.

-What do your instincts tell you about your surroundings? How do you react to those instincts? For instance, if you're in a situation where your instinct is to be angry or afraid, stop and consider- why do I feel this way? What is the source of my anger/fear and what I should be doing in response to this?