Melanie Gibson Guest Writers, Mental Health

Guest Writer: Grief and Aikido: Relaxing Under Pressure

I’ve discussed the connection of martial arts to mental and emotional health for over a decade; in fact, that’s the reason why I started this blog. I have never, however, approached the topic of using martial arts to manage grief until grief counselor and Aikido student Gyani Richards suggested the topic. The suggestion was timely. I lost my two remaining grandparents within a day of each other earlier this year, which was already a very stressful time for a number of reasons. At first I wasn’t quite sure how to handle my grief. Practicing taekwondo and being among my martial arts friends was one of the best things I did to regain a sense of normalcy and positivity. Please enjoy this beautifully written and thoughtful post and information about Gyani at the end.

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Grief and Aikido: Relaxing Under Pressure

“Heaven is right where you are standing, and that is the place to train.”
— Morihei Ueshiba, founder of Aikido

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Melanie Gibson Book, Mental Health

My Book Is About Taekwondo…and Mental Illness. There, I Finally Said It.

I mean, it’s right there in the title.

Spoiler alert: my upcoming memoir is about mental illness as much as it is about training for my black belt.

I mean, you probably got the gist from the title, but I thought I’d go ahead and spell it out.

This is the most difficult post I’ve ever written, and I know once it’s published and shared I will be questioning my choice. I’ve tried several times to write this under different themes and different titles for the last several years, and until now I’ve never had the courage to click the “publish” button.

Continue reading “My Book Is About Taekwondo…and Mental Illness. There, I Finally Said It.” →