Post-Lillsved Syndrome

Lillsved is over for this year and it appeared like the week flew by with the speed of light. It goes on from Sunday until Saturday and on the Monday and Tuesday it feels like you have an eternity ahead of you, but once you blink with your eye it is Friday, seminar party and then the last practice Saturday morning. The weather has been back and forth, but pleasant and according to tradition the sun was shining on the day of departure. It is truly a bitter-sweet feeling with which we are strolling around the beautiful surroundings on the last day.

To borrow a well-known phrase, Lillsved is not a place, it is a state of mind. It is not uncommon that people experience emotional, physical and psychological crises during this week. Hard physical exercise combined with the heavy mental and emotional impact from this large gathering of extraordinarily conscious people, will open up channels and dissolve blockings in people and this often leads to radical cleansings. My first year I experienced an emotional breakdown where I cried for hours, but after I was done I felt brand new. Most often it also takes a few days to really get into Lillsved mode and I guess this also has to do with the necessity to open up before you can really start taking in.

This year the Israeli delegation received some major enlightenment. One of our teachers, Jorma, who I have praised so much, suddenly made sense to them, from previously being a total riddle. This makes the chances for more serious exploration in the Israeli aikido to grow dramatically and I look forward to that. I just hope we will be able to arrange more practice than we have had up until now. Aikido is one of the most important energy sources for me and I will be very unhappy and unfulfilled if we cannot expand the number of occasions per week.

I am fortunate enough to have 10 more days in Stockholm and they are completely dedicated to aikido and everything else has to adapt to the aikido schedule. There will be training at least once a day, but most often twice and the rest of the time I will spend enjoying a Stockholm in summer clothing. The Stockholm Pride is also happening this coming week and I will probably attend something, at least the parade. There will be daily reports from now on. Lillsved bubble is over...