There probably hasn’t been as much rampantly enthusiastic idealism surrounding a president since the election of John F. Kennedy than there is around Barack Obama. In the Integral community, this naturally translates into the question, “Is Obama Integral?”

I have put off responding to this question until now, first, because I didn’t want to get involved in active politics (because there is as yet no Integral Politics in place), but second (and over-riding the first), I don’t think we’ve have enough genuine information to tell. Notice, for example, that a major watchdog organization ranked Obama in the top 1 or 2 most liberal senators in Congress—hardly a badge of integral inclusiveness.

And yet, particularly as the campaign progressed, Obama began making increasingly Integral-sounding pronouncements. In fact, an Integral analysis of his acceptance speech by Corey deVos and Clint Fuhs showed a genuinely high percentage of Integrally-comprehensive language and ideas (especially compared to the other candidates). It seems, in fact, that somewhere during the campaign itself, Obama went from green exit (the pluralistic stage of development, with its inherently high liberalism) to initial teal Integral waves (the first Integral stages of development, with inherent Integrally-oriented political stances). Increasingly his language and his values systems seemed to shift, right before one’s eyes, into Integral spaces.

It is, of course, still too soon to make a solid judgment about this, but it seems safe to say that Barack Obama is likely moving into truly Integral waves of development and therefore beginning to evidence truly Integral values and positions. Combined with his already significantly developed states (which gives the very notable Radiance and Presence to his being), this means we might very well be seeing, certainly for the first time in this century, a truly Integrally-oriented President of the United States. In this climate of possibility, reigns the intense idealism and sense of promise that this new President brings with him: the hope and promise that a new tomorrow is truly possible, and that it is beginning now, right now. If so, this is indeed a genuinely historical moment, when Integral consciousness has actually descended in and through the voice and vision of the most powerful person on the planet. We are truly beginning to enter the Integral Age, and Barack Obama’s voice might be the most notable and important Integral voice in the political arena. How can we know for sure? Stay tuned!

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Two of the most challenging aspects for anyone claiming the Integral perspective is first discovering how to translate Integral into their life, and then actually applying that translation as a practice personally, culturally and professionally. Here at Integral Aikido we are constantly pursuing these two aspects. We place a high value in having a solid foundation in traditional aikido practice but what really excites us is using our practice as a vehicle to push the leading edge in the evolution of consciousness and culture.


As a transformational path Aikido provides a traditional cultural context, a trans-personal philosophy and effective practices that nurture development across many lines. Aikido is a well established way and point of view from which to translate and give meaning to the world. It has been around a while and you pretty much know what you’ll get.

Integral, on the other hand is still an emerging structure in consciousness and culture and it’s applications are in a dynamic process of discovery. As an emerging potential for me Integral’s real gift is that it gives us permission to venture out there on the evolutionary cutting edge where we become the agents for change. By applying the integral frame to aikido we are laying down tracks for aikido’s culture to evolve in an integral way. Where as traditional aikido gives us a beautiful holding and depth of established traditional structures, Integral gives us an evolutionary orientation and permission for exploration,  discovery and creativity. It supports and encourages us to manifest the world we want to live in.


Over the past 3 1/2/ years Integral Aikido has endeavored to provide a traditional aikido learning context with (almost) daily aikido classes, periodic aikido seminars and workshops, and regular meditation gatherings and retreats. Furthermore, we have hosted traditional events such as an International Aikido seminar with Christian Tissier Sensei, 7th dan, as well as 3 10-day Vipassana meditation retreats with Sayadaw U vivekananda.



As for pushing the leading edge of culture and consciousness, Integral Aikido’s past evolutionary activities have included regular Integral Practice workshops, Integral Aikido seminars, Integral Meditation workshops and courses, and the innovative merging of aikido and contact improvisation w/ our “Aiki-contact” jam sessions. We have also been honored to host Integral teachers such as Integral Zen Sensei and Big Mind facilitator Diane Musho Hamilton and Aikido Sensei Patrick Cassidy. And, of course this includes  the project that is dear to our hearts “Aikido Without Borders”, which is an Integrally informed N.P.O.

Below is a quote form Integral musician Corrado Rustici that expresses beautifully the exciting potential for all of us riding on the emerging wave of integral.




“From one point of view, you can say that if you're a person who's into integrative activities, then you will obviously manifest that in whatever you do. But from my point of view as a musician, I enjoy the fact that I can also be very pragmatic about defining this new genre. To me, being an integral musician is not only about where I'm coming from as an individual but about pushing the edge technologically and culturally as well.... By accepting and not refusing new technologies, [we] are creating a new art form that will mirror the trans-modern world that humanity will eventually belong to.”

Corrado Rustici
Integral Musician
EnlightenNext magazine, Oct-Dec 2007




“We are creating a new art form that will mirror the trans-modern world that humanity will eventually belong to.”

What a beautiful quote. Integral brings a depth, breadth and greater meaning to an art that is already rich and boon bestowing. How we apply that to a world that humanity will eventually belong to is totally up to us.




*I've included some of the flyers of our activities that express how we are exploring the leading edge of Integral in both consciousness and culture.

Below I’ve posted a TED video of a talk by Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of the best selling book “Eat, Pray, Love”. In this vid she gives a beautiful talk about the nature of creative genius that questions the modern/ post-modern assumption that acts of genius come from and belong to the self. In a nut shell, Gilbert challenges us to ask the question “is creative genius something that comes “from” us, or is it something that comes “through” us?” These two points of view are easy to confuse but as it turns out the ability to discriminate between them is truly important to the psycho-spiritual health and happiness of the creative-self.

Taking a 1st person ownership of any of our creative achievements may indeed bring a certain amount of narcissistic satisfaction. But taking this ownership often results in leaving the self pressed (and perhaps, as Gilbert suggests, even doomed) to repeat previous moments of grace. However, if we shift our perspective of creative genius to a 3rd person "thing" that we have a 2nd person relationship with, everything changes. Creative Genius then becomes a “thing” that is outside of us, a “force” that we surrender to and make ourselves a channel for. When we make this shift the genius we participate with is allowed to move through us, taking the pressure of the whole universe off of the self. This simple shift in perspective from 1st person owner ship to 2nd person surrender, relieves the self of the heavy burden of being the creative source of the universe (which is quite a burden to carry).

We both come from and return to the source greater than the self. In moments of grace the self can become a manifestation of this source. But as for the “source of the source”, it is beyond anything belonging to the personal self regardless of any confusion we may have. Our job in relation to the creative genius is simply to surrender the personal and all its agendas, and to allow this creative genius to come through should it choose.

A mistake in these perspectives can have dire consiequences for the self. As Gilbert says:

“One of the most painful reconciliation's for any artist to make is accepting that maybe he may never ascend to the genius, or glimpse of God again. This can be hard. What is he supposed to do with the rest of his life? This is one of the most painful reconciliations to make in life. But maybe it doesn’t have to be full of anguish if you never believe in the first place that the most extraordinary aspects of your being don’t come from you. But maybe if you believe that they are just on loan to you, form some unimaginable source to be passed along to someone else when you’re finished... If we think about it this way, it starts to change everything.”

In the below vid Gilbert cleary articulates the nature of the creative genius, and in doing so it appears before our very eyes. There it is....there's God, Allah, Allah, Allah...

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