Number 26

Summer 2006
Special Edition Newsletter
Focus:
Paul Linden
Creator, Being In Movement
AIKI
EXTENSIONS
Aiki Extensions Newsletter #26 2
In 1999, I had the good fortune of attending the frst
AE conference in Phoenix, Arizona. Amidst all the
excellent presenters, two in particular stood out as
cutting-edge. One was Wendy Palmer, the other Paul
Linden. While most Aiki people are familiar with
Wendys insights, fewer seem to know about Pauls
ground-breaking work.
Luckily, Paul lives only about 2.5 hours away from
me, so after AE #1, I arranged to train with Paul in
both Aikido and in his bodymind approach called Be-
ing In Movement, or BIM. I soon saw the power of
Pauls work at several levels. As an Aikidoka, I valued
Pauls powerful technical ability and non-dogmatic
teaching style. As a clinical counselor, I appreciated his
body-based approach to trauma. As a writer, I admired
Pauls logical precision and clarity.
When Don Levine recently asked me to guest edit
this newsletter focusing on Pauls work, I jumped at
the chance. While I have been unable to train with
Paul recently, his work continues to deeply infuence
my day-to-day work with clients.
We begin this special edition AE newsletter with
Refections, an interesting recollection by AE member
Richard Strozzi-Heckler, another pioneer in off the
mat applications of Aikido. Paul willingly submitted
to a Q & A session with yours truly. AE members
Zach Smith and Ted Braude kindly provided essays on
Pauls impact on their Aikido. Having recently passed
his shodan exam, Steve Kotev shares the experience
of having been a student of Pauls. Finally, well close
with an examination of Pauls extensive writings.
So without further adieu, welcome to this special
AE newsletter! If you are already familiar with Pauls
work, I invite you to reacquaint yourself. If you are
not familiar with Pauls work, then youre in for a treat!
Paul Linden:
AEs Own
by Tim Warneka, AE Guest Editor
Renaissance Man
AE member Tim Warneka is the author of Leading People the Black Belt
Way: Conquering the Five Core Problems Facing Leaders Today. A clini-
cal counselor and organizational consultant, Tim uses Aikido principles with
individuals, families, groups, teams & organizations. With a home dojo at the
Cleveland Aikikai in Cleveland, Ohio, Tim trains with Paul whenever he can.
Visit Tim on-line at www.blackbeltconsultants.com
Paul Linden At a Glance
Co-founder:
Columbus Center for Movement Studies
Chief Instructor:
Aikido of Columbus
Rank:
6th dan, Aikido
1st dan, Shotokan karate
Creator:
Being In Movement Mindbody Training
Degrees:
Ph.D., Physical Education, Ohio State Univ.
B.A., Philosophy, Reed College
Certifcates:
Instructor, Feldenkrais Method
Website:
http://www.being-in-movement.com
I am astounded at Pauls
ability to read the signifcance
of the smallest body response.
When I received mind/body
work from him, he guided my at-
tention in a way that resulted in
deep insight and healing for me.
I would like others to learn Pauls
system and use it in their teach-
ing and therapeutic work.
- Mary Heiny Sensei
Special Edition: Paul Lindens Work 3
ity was not loud
and ostenta-
tious but rather
an unfinching
commitment to
teach and help
whoever was
interested in an
uncomplicated
and straight for-
ward manner.
In his TAB
workshops we
participants
watched as
individuals from
war torn coun-
tries transformed in front of our eyes by engaging in
Pauls practices to heal trauma and deal with stress.
With a deeply centered countenance and genuine care,
Paul took a highly charged area and was able to bring
awareness to deeply held contractions so these indi-
viduals could open to life and energy.
Paul is an exemplar of someone who has taken the
deepest principles of Aikido and combined them with
other discoursesFeldenkrais and Somaticsto make
a major social contribution to healing from trauma. He
has published profusely and leads workshops here and
abroad. For those interested in healing and well being
I highly recommend his work.
A sixth dan in Aikido, AE member Richard Strozzi-Heckler holds a Ph.D. in
Psychology and is co-founder and President of Strozzi Institute in Petaluma, CA.
The author of fve books, including In Search of the Warrior Spirit [my personal
favorite! - Ed.], The Anatomy of Change, Holding the Center, The Mind/Body Interface,
and Aikido and the New Warrior, Richard has taught at the University of Chicago,
Harvard University, Sonoma State University, Esalen Institute, Lone Mountain
College, Naropa Institute, and the University of Munich.
Visit Richard online at www.ranchostrozzi.com.
I frst met Paul Linden in the mid-seventies during the
early days of Aikido of San Francisco. I believe he
had been training with
Robert Nadeau Sensei
at Aikido of Mt. View
and the Unitarian
Church before the San
Francisco dojo was es-
tablished. I remember
Paul as a sincere, quiet
training partner who
was very committed
to the deeper aspects
of the art. At coffee shop keiko after practice he was
a respectful listener to the conversations, especially
when sensei spoke, and his input always contained a
keenness of observation and insight.
When Paul moved to Ohio he sporadically came
by Richard Strozzi-Heckler
Refections
Paul is an exemplar of some-
one who has taken the deepest
principles of Aikido and
combined them with other
discourses...to make a major
social contribution...
to my attention as he began to weave his Feldenkrais
work and Aikido more closely together. I also read a
few of his articles on trauma which were clearly break-
ing new ground. So it was a great pleasure when I saw
him again at the Training Across Borders (TAB) in
Cyprus in 2004.
At TAB, I recognized the same refective, attentive
demeanornow coupled with a passion about the
discourse he was building around trauma and stress.
What stood out the most for me was Pauls generosity
as well as his ability to take a complex issue and make
it simple and operational for everyone. His generos-
Special Edition: Paul Lindens Work 4
I caught up with Paul recently and he readily agreed to
answer a few questions for the AE community.
Q: Can you please describe Being In Movement
(BIM) mindbody training for us?
PL: BIM
is form of
bodywork that
focuses on
helping people
develop body
awareness and
experience
how intention
operates to
shape posture
and movement.
A key feature
of BIM is a systematic way of linking structural/func-
tional bodywork with psycho-spiritual change. The
emphasis is on integrating power and compassion in
the body as a foundation for effectiveness in daily life.
I have applied BIM with clients in areas such as com-
puter use, sports, and music. My primary focus has
been on the areas of abuse recovery and peacemaking.
Q. Why Aikido? What is it about Aikido that
makes it ft so well into your BIM framework?
PL: Thats a good question, but its backwards. I
started Aikido in 1969 as a result of seeing a video-
tape of OSensei. I was captivated by seeing OSensei
move. As I practiced, I came to a halting realization
that something was missing in me, and it was prevent-
ing me from executing the Aikido techniques at all
well. Now Id say that I wasnt aware of my body. I
started to make up experiments to study the effects
of thought on movement. For example, I spent about
a year observing the effects on my walking gait if I
sent my attention in various different directions. The
experiments I did were suggested by the various things
I had trouble with in Aikido. When I started teach-
ing outside the context of Aikido the processes Id
by Tim Warneka, editor
Q & A with
Paul Linden
Aikido is a marvelous
practice for developing
body awareness, if it is
done with that as a
specifc emphasis.
developed, that became BIM. BIM comes out of the
laboratory of Aikido, so its no wonder that Aikido fts
well with BIM.
Q: If someone wanted to begin developing body
awareness, what advice would you give them?
PL: I wouldnt give them any advice. Id give them
exercises to play with. For example, as you read this,
take a moment to let your tongue get soft and relaxed.
What does that do to your breathing? Can you devote
some attention as you go through your days to no-
ticing whether and when your tongue is tensed? Of
course, Aikido is a marvelous practice for developing
body awareness, if it is done with that as a specifc
emphasis.
Id suggest they get my free book Reach Out or any of
my other books. Other than that, Id suggest that the
person seek out teachers of the various body aware-
ness modalities. A good place to start learning about
the various modalities would be with Mirka Knasters
book Discovering the Bodys Wisdom.
Q: As a writer myself, Im amazed at how prolifc
you are. Any secrets?
PL: I love writing. Wrestling words and ideas into a
clear, aesthetic form feels just like Aikido on a good
day. The other thing is that I am irked by the amount
of discomfort in the world. I have developed some
tools for self-awareness that are modular, concrete, ef-
Aiki Extensions Newsletter #26 5
fective and rapid, and I want to get them out. Writing
seems like a good way to do that.
In particular, what I write comes directly out of my
teaching experience, so I know what I wish to say, and
its just a matter of writing it down. The best secret I
can give you is to keep a pen and paper with you at all
times, and whenever you have a thought that should
go into an article or a book, jot it down. When your
box is full of scraps of paper, take the scraps out,
physically organize them into an outline, and then start
writing. Use a laptop computer: you can keep it with
you and put in ten minutes of writing here and there.
Q: How has Aiki Extensions helped you develop
your work?
PL: It has helped me a great deal by giving me a home,
a community of people who are working on taking
Aiki off the mat and into their lives in various ways.
I feel honored that AE values my work enough to
devote an issue of the newsletter to it.
Q: In the past several years, youve given a num-
ber of presentations internationally. Can you tell
us a little about the wheres and whats? What
have you learned most from presenting at an in-
ternational level?
PL: Ive taught
Aikido (infused
with BIM) for Peter
Schettgens and
Bertram Wohaks
dojos near Munich.
Ive presented
workshops on
BIM methods of
trauma recovery in
Munich, Berlin, and
Buenos Aires, and
of course, at the
wonderful AE TAB
seminar in Cyprus. I am struck by how universal body
and movement processes are. They cut across borders
and cultures.
Q: Finally, any thoughts youd like to share with
the AE community?
PL: Yes, two things. I have been thinking about the
Aikido practice of learning to take the attack as a
gift. It is a profound teaching, applicable to all of
life. It may be more important than the self-defense
function of Aikido. It starts with learning to take the
attack calmly, it goes on to extending kindness to the
attacker, and I think perhaps it goes in the direction
of feeling gratitude as one faces the attack. I was
diagnosed a couple
of years ago with
Parkinsons Dis-
ease. (With all my
Aikido and body
awareness train-
ing, I have been
less affected than
I otherwise might
have been. Im
still doing Aikido.)
It took me a few
months of breath-
ing meditation to
stop feeling the terror of this particular attack. And
just in the past few days, Ive begun to experience
that it may be possible for me to meet this attack with
gratitude.
Second, I think that Aikido is too profound to easily
change the world. Aikido takes too much time and
effort to learn. What we need is an Aiki method that
can be broken down into chunks that can be learned
in a few hours and then used or taught to others right
away. I have tried to design BIM to fll that need, and
I have been hearing success stories about its use. Aiki-
doka could incorporate BIM exercises in their regular
Aikido training. Or they could offer no falling/no
throwing Aikido classes utilizing the BIM exercises
to teach Aiki, which would open the doors of Aiki
to large numbers of people who would never train in
regular Aikido. It would be great fun to do a profes-
sional training in BIM for Aikido brown and black
belts. Id love to hear from Aikidoka who would be
interested in adding a somatic education modality to
their teaching expertise.
Q: Thanks for your time, Paul.
PL: Youre quite welcome.
Aiki Extensions Newsletter #26 6
From Aiki principles to healing
modalities and back again, Paul
has created a fantastic two way
street for people to travel on. I
very much respect Pauls efforts
as a leader in the Aiki
community.
- Charlie Badenhop
AE member, originator of the human potential
discipline of Seishindo (www.seishindo.org)
Transforming a Bad Day:
A Life Changing Encounter with Paul Linden
by Zach Smith
Early in my Aikido training I had an experience with
Paul Linden that started me off on my own journey
of taking Aikido off the mat. One cold Decem-
ber evening I arrived at the dojo after a hectic day of
Christmas season customer-service, looking forward
to a good workout to wash away the days frustrations.
When class began, however, my techniques seemed
even less effective than usual. Although I didnt know
it at the time, my body had stored up tension and an-
ger from my work day. While I had hoped to leave my
hectic day behind me, it had followed me into the dojo
and was affecting my practice.
Somehow, Paul saw this. In the middle of yet
another ineffective technique, Paul stopped me and
asked permission to make an adjustment on me. I
wasnt sure what he was going to do, but agreed
mostly out of curiosity.
What happened next
was amazing. Paul
placed his hands on
my lower back and my
stomach. Suddenly I
felt like someone had
cracked an egg inside
my back. I distinctly re-
member the sensation
of warm liquid running
down my back and into
my right leg. Feeling as if I could start laughing or cry-
ing at any moment, I stood as released energy fowed
through my body.
Paul asked, Hows that? While I dont remember
my answer, what I do remember is that everything
seemed a little brighter. I had a great night on the mat.
From that night, I changed the way I thought about
and practiced Aikidoit became more than just a
physical practice. My experience with Paul also infu-
enced a number of life choices I have made, including
my decision to come to Japan almost nine years ago,
my use of Aikido off the mat, joining AE and even
writing this article. Thanks Paul!
A nidan in Aikido, AE member Zach Smith is an Organization Development
consultant and trainer living in Tokyo, Japan. Zach began his study of Aikido with
Paul Linden over 10 years ago. Zach can be reached at: zsmith@gol.com.
Discovering Paul Linden
By Ted Braude
I was introduced to Paul Linden by a magazine. Read-
ing the Letters section of an old issue of Aikido Today
Magazine, I discovered that a guy named Paul Lin-
den had written a book called Winning Is Healing that
received a poor review in a previous issue. The letter
writers challenged the review and my response was
Wow! I want to know more about this guy. I went
straight to Google which led me to Pauls website. We
became email friends and colleagues. Paul invited me
to Chicago for a seminar to raise funds for Training
Across Borders (TAB). I attended, met and trained
with Paul and joined Aiki-Extensions.
I probably speak universally in describing Paul as
an extraordinarily gifted observer and teacher. Paul
pays attention to the details: the minute movements,
the smallest subtleties, the nano-nuances which reveal
the state of the embodied soul in a human being. In
recognizing these particularities, Paul can (with grace
and grit) guide someone to a fuller and healthier ex-
pression of himself or herself.
In Paul I found a colleague/friend who speaks a
common language: an understanding of power and
love as two sides of the same coin. From Paul, Ive
received the generous gifts of his works, his gracious
efforts to include me, and his humble requests for
feedback and input.
I have only one regret: failing to spend more time
with him. I hope to change that in the future.
A nidan in Aikido, AE member Ted Braude is a psychologist in private practice
and is the Director of BoysWork. Visit Ted online at www.tedbraude.com.
Special Edition: Paul Lindens Work 7
Soften your tummy, relax your throat, and let the
movement emanate from your hips. Now open your
breathing and allow your center to expand. Let the
tension out of your shoulders. These phrases bring
back fond memories of training with Paul Linden.
I began training with Paul in October of 1998 after
attending one of his public workshops. During the
course of his presentation Paul emphasized the neces-
sity of understanding the physical dynamics of con-
fict in addition to mental and emotional factors. As a
Confict Resolution professional, I had been exposed
to extensive verbal training. I was well aware of the
conceptual ways of dealing with confict and stress.
Pauls comments struck me with biblical force. I had
never considered how stress and fght-or-fight re-
sponses affected my performance in resolving confict.
I realized that many in my feld were completely oblivi-
ous to this concept. With this revelation I realized that
Paul was on to something and decided to check out his
Aikido classes.
Training with Paul was never boring or dull. He
like his former teacher Robert Nadeauis willing
to make his own
path and never
look back. Paul
would combine his
medical knowledge
of the body with
concepts from Be-
ing-In-Movement
and Feldenkrais
movement disci-
plines to create a
truly unique
experience. We
would learn how
our iliacus and pso-
as muscles helped facilitate proper seiza and posture
and how poor breathing and stress-based contraction
that is inherent within Aikido. He has dedicated his life
to illustrating the connection between Aikido prin-
ciples and concepts and everyday life.
As I work to develop my own practice I feel very
fortunate to have had Paul as my frst Aikido teacher.
He is an excellent example of how to maintain per-
sonal integrity and illustrate nascent links between
divergent disciplines. Thank you Paul for your dedica-
tion and commitment, I believe that your actions have
truly made the world a better place.
AE member Stephen Kotev is a former student of Paul Linden and a newly
minted Shodan (hooray!) currently training at Capital Aikikai under Clyde Takegu-
chi Shihan. He is a Deputy Program Manager with the Dispute Resolution Section
of the American Bar Association. Contact Steve at kotev@hotmail.com.
Memories from a
Former Student
by Stephen Kotev
Through all of my
training with Paul I was
struck by the sincerity of
his motivations.
inhibits our movement and randori.
Through all of my training with Paul I was struck
by the sincerity
of his motiva-
tions. Paul has
clearly dedi-
cated his life to
helping others.
Through the Co-
lumbus Center
for Movement
Studies work
with survivors
of abuse and
trauma or his copious written works; Paul is genu-
inely committed to making the world a better place.
He truly cares about his students and clients. I believe
Paul embodies the true spirit of Aiki Extensions as he
strives to demonstrate the compassion and discipline
Special Edition: Paul Lindens Work 8
www.being-in-movement.com
Other Books by Paul Linden
This is only a partial list of Pauls works. Computer in Comfort is available through
Amazon.com and other on-line retailers. All other books are e-books and are
available (along with other free articles) through Pauls website at:
www.being-in-movement.com
Winning is Healing: Body Awareness and
Empowerment for Abuse Survivors
A self-help book for abuse survivors and
a resource for professionals based on the
understanding that powerlessness is the core
trauma wound and that growth and healing
must be anchored by tangible experience of
success. Focuses on practical, step-by-step
exercises to develop body awareness, power,
love, and safety. Includes extensive case stud-
ies and a valuable explanation of the theory
underlying the work.
Feeling Aikido: Body Awareness Training
as a Foundation for Aikido Practice
A practical manual showing how body and
movement awareness exercises can enhance
the effectiveness of Aikido techniques and
deepen Aikido practice as a meditative and
spiritual process. Focuses on intentionality as
the foundation for posture, coordination, and
love. Emphasizes improving the defenders
mind/body functioning as well the ability
to perceive attackers imbalances and utilize
them in controlling the attack.
Reach Out: Body Awareness Training for
PeacemakingFive Easy Lessons
Though peacefulness is usually thought of as
a psychological or spiritual state, it isfrst
and foremosta body state. This book
teaches fve simple and practical lessons
which show how develop kindness, inner
strength, and a peaceful attitude.
FREE DOWNLOAD.
Comfort at Your Computer: Body Aware-
ness Training for Pain-free Computer
Use.
If you own a computer, you should own this
book! A comprehensive approach to simple
and effective ways for computer uses to pro-
tect themselves from repetitive-stress injuries
that computers cause. Best of all, because this
approach focuses on proper body mechanics
and optimal body use, theres no expensive
equipment or furniture that you have to buy.
Part and parcel of teaching children to feel
their own bodies is teaching them to think for themselves.
Designed for teaching embodied non-violence concepts to
children from six to thirteen, in Teaching Children Embodied Peace-
making: Body Awareness, Self Regulation and Confict Resolution Paul
Linden has done a wonderful job distilling his BIM principles to
working with children.
Teaching Children is an 80-page book that consists of eight lessons
and thirty-three engaging somatic exercises such as Throwing Tis-
sues, Mouth Marbles and Samurai Patty Cake (my personal favorite).
The beauty of all of these exercises is that they can be used
equally well with child, teen and adult audiences, making this
book a valuable resource for anyone who takes Aikido principles
off the mat. Drawing on his 37+ years of somatic research, Paul
skillfully and sensitively covers the important topics of: Posture,
Kindness, Spaciousness, Sensitivity, Yielding, and Conficts.
With a specifc Notes to Parents and Teachers chapter and with teach-
ing suggestions liberally sprinkled throughout the book, Teaching
Children Embodied Peacemaking: Body Awareness, Self Regulation and
Confict Resolution is highly recommended for anyone teaching
Aikido to children as well as for counselors, teachers, social work-
ers, psychologists, physical therapists and other professionals who
work with children.
- Tim Warneka
Special Offer from Paul Linden to AE members:
I would like to donate to AE all proceeds from sales
of Teaching Children Embodied Peacemaking through the
AE affliate program for a period of two weeks after
the newsletter comes out.
To take advantage of this offer, etc., etc.....
Teaching Children
Embodied Peacemaking:
Body Awareness,
Self-Regulation
and Confict Resolution
New from Paul Linden!
Aiki Extensions Newsletter
For comments, information or submissions, write Dan Kimmel at dan@aiki-extensions.org.
Special Edition Guest Editor/Graphic Designer: Tim Warneka. Contact Tim at Tim@blackbeltconsultants.com.
Editors note: As there seems to be some difference of opinion on the capitalization of the word Aikido, I have consciously chosen to
spell the word with a capital A throughout this newsletter. For me, doing so feels more respectful of this profound art.
Photo Credits:
Cover: Paul teaching in Germany, Paul Linden; Page 3: Aiki Hands, Patrick Warneka; Shihonage, Paul Linden; Page 4: Paul Linden; Page 5:
both photos: Paul Linden, graphic design: Tim Warneka; Page 6: Ikkyo, Patrick Warneka; Page 7: Yin/Yang Throw, Patrick Warneka; Paul by
Paul Linden, graphic design: Tim Warneka.
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