The Aikido Journal has posted a new article by James Williams called The Eye and the Mind. Interesting article discussing the ancient samurai methods of vision and perception. The brain takes time to process visual stimuli, and how the eyes are used determines how effectively the brain can process events and allow you to react.
From the article:
Defocus your vision. While your eyes must be directed somewhere your vision is most effective in a chaotic situation when it is defocused. Focusing, in the sense of fixating, causes several problems; the first one is that it limits the field of information flow. This is a bad thing in combat as your survival depends upon your ability to perceive as much as possible in every possible direction.
The article isn't overly long and is definitely worth a read. There is a lot of useful information in there for both martialists and, really, anybody who has to deal with very stressful situations (although James is referring specifically to life-and-death situations). If you can take some of James' pointers about relaxation and focus to heart, the next time a network attack or failure arises, the solution will probably present itself.
When we are in the proper mind-body relationship, our Transition Coefficient, the time that it takes to adapt to change, is at its most effective. Our ability to respond to pressures and threats by spontaneous adaptations seems phenomenal to those who have not allowed themselves to accept what is, Universe Reality, with faith.
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The Universe is not about us and what we think or feel. To become in harmony, it is necessary to give up expectation, assumption, anticipation, and judgment.
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