17/04/2025
Just Sit Still...
Mokusō (黙想)
It’s important to just sit still sometimes. That’s why, in our dojo, we always take a moment to follow the ritual of mokusō (黙想) at the beginning and end of every class. Mokuso, loosely translated as “meditation,” is a combination of two characters: moku (黙) – silence, become silent, stop speaking; and sō (想) – concept, idea, thought. Together, they suggest “silence the mind.”
During mokuso as we prepare to begin class we sit seiza (正座).The spine is held straight, as the crown of the head extends upwards and the tail bone sinks earthwards; the chin pulled lightly in with the softly closed eyes gazing forward and (ever so slightly) down into the infinite mind. As we kneel, the knees are two, no more than three, fist widths apart to ensure stability, the tops of the feet are flat to the floor with the right big toe crossed over the left. The hands turned inwards with fingers together and thumbs tucked, rest on the thighs (closer to the hips and not on the knees). Shoulders are down and lightly pulled back.
The tongue tip softly contacts the palate behind the two front teeth as we inhale and exhale through the nose – the breathing cycle consists of three stages: inhalation, exhalation, pause. On the inhale the breath travels down to the root (perineum) filling the belly, sides, back, chest, and then pervades the entirety of the skull before receding – just as the tide rises and then falls. With the fall (exhale) the breath exits with control; so, the inhale and exhale cycles are or equal length. The pause stage is where silence will be found at its loudest.
With the pre-class mokuso the breath is energized with the lower tanden. However, post class mokuso brings us down from our excited training state (so we may exit the dojo with calmness and positivity) and therefore we refrain from animating the lower tanden, and we extend the exhalation cycle while shortening the inhalation.
The purpose of mokuso before class is twofold; to exorcise any baggage and accompanying stress we carry with us so that we may gain the most from our training for ourselves and our dojo mates, and to energize our mind/body through the power of stillness and breath.
In today's age, constant connectivity and digital noise make it rare to simply be present with ourselves. From smartphones to constant scrolling, our attention is often diverted. In karate, we require students to just sit still, we prioritize moments of quiet reflection, allowing students to connect with their inner thoughts.
While some may view this tradition as outdated and unnecessary, time-consuming, and a distraction from “real” training, for us, we continue to embrace the practice, with the knowledge it enriches not only our training, but also in the hope that this simple practice of stillness might migrate into at least a part of our everyday lives.