Kendo’s Healing Message for November

In seeking to communicate the benefits of Zen peace to as many people as possible, Kendo would like to illustrate how universally positive ‘letting everything fall away’ can be.

This month marks the 55th anniversary of Kendo’s appearance, and on this occasion he is pleased to announce his Foundation’s new project, ‘Kendo’s New Horizons’, which will provide a Day Centre for adults with learning disabilities and autism, a sector with much need but little provision. Of course, adopting or practising Zen is not a requirement for attending, but the Nagasaki Retreat is built upon a foundation of complete peace which is why it is such a calming and healing place, and simply being in this environment could be of particular help to the many adults with what used to be known as Asperger’s Syndrome or ‘High-Functioning Autism’, now known as Autism Spectrum Disorder Level 1, or ASD1.

ASD1 is a complex variation of the human condition where there are often high levels of stress and anxiety linked to the hard work required for such people to function in social situations which they find challenging – this is often referred to as ‘masking’. It’s like being required to constantly ‘act’, following ‘scripts’ of learned responses for social interactions. Many ASD1 people have described masking as being absolutely exhausting, but a fortunate few who have found meditation have been able to let their stress and anxiety go and have a much better quality of life.

The numbers of autism diagnoses is rising all the time – it’s now thought to affect one in every 64 people but more and more adults are now being diagnosed – and Kendo’s simple and elegant ‘way of peace’ has already helped those who are ‘on the spectrum’.

Kendo has long advocated de-stressing because it allows us to see everything more clearly and ‘be ourselves’ more easily; stress and anxiety are obstacles to ‘being the best we can be’ and allowing our innate abilities to fully express themselves, and finding a way to let them go is positive on every level.

The current emphasis on mental health is an extremely progressive step for society as a whole, and finding peace amidst our own challenges is very helpful and healing for everyone, but particularly for those who find everyday interactions a challenge, such as those with social anxiety or ASD1. As the demands on us all increase in intensity and complexity, Zen peace can provide an extremely welcome way to feel empowered and productive and included.

As ever, Kendo seeks to inspire, empower, and heal. Whatever your situation, Kendo reminds you that taking a few minutes apart from your challenges and mindfully breathing deeply and slowly whilst visuaising your cares and worries falling away will be immensely healing to you; then you will naturally be the best you can be, which will benefit all those around you, and ultimately the whole of our society.

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