The Power-word for June is Zanshin. Saotome Shihan defines zanshin as the "constant awareness of space and surroundings". As I was teaching the Week 1 lesson, I saw many parents listening carefully to see how I would present this idea!
The youngest students are just learning "awareness" - being awake and seeing what is around you.
The next word they stumbled on was "constant" - all the time.
Some students didn't know "surroundings" - everything all around your body
In the Week 1 lesson, we introduced these words and concepts and talked about using awareness in our daily life. When we lack zanshin, we trip, stumble, bump our heads, break bones, stub toes, spill milk, and run into people. When we have zanshin, we move gracefully, stay safe, and avoid accidents! What a handy ability to have! Finally, we discussed activities/places outside of Aikido when we might need good zanshin: on the playground, crossing the street, at the dinner table were a few examples.
Remind your student that "zanshin" is a skill that can be learned through practice. Gently remind them to "wake up" to their surroundings when you see them drifting off task. Tell them "You have great zanshin!" instead of "You need to focus".
