Just seconds before a tsunami crashes into towns and cities, where unsuspecting men, women and children go about the business of their daily lives, the earth begins to rumble and shake, providing little warning of things to come.

Within moments, a crushing ocean wall hits the land destroying everything in its path. And, just like suddenly, the great almighty sea recedes only to strike again and again, slowly diminishing to leave total devastation in its wake.

A personal tsunami is similar in that there are very few warnings of the destruction that will occur on your world in just a few momentous seconds. And like a tsunami, as the wall of tragedy crumbles, subsequent shocks and minor waves continue to shake the ground of your being, leaving little time to recover from the frontal collision, let alone rebuild what is now. your new life. .

New, being the operative word. Not “new”, like shiny and shiny. But new as in the old you, the old life you lived is forever shattered, forever swallowed up in the deep dark underworld of the sea. When the roar of violent destruction is finally silenced, the eerie silence screams in disbelief.

During a time when the space between the aftermath of our own personal tsunami grew more distant, my brother called to invite my family to his home, where we were to meet a good friend from his visit from Japan. My brother thought that my son would especially enjoy meeting Sensei, since as a child he earned a brown belt in Karate. While as a yoga teacher for many years, I would appreciate not only Sensei’s level of mastery, but also his dedication and commitment to the discipline.

Sensei had accepted my brother as a favor to perform a Kendo demonstration. He traveled from Japan, via Las Vegas, to Scottsdale AZ with the heavy equipment he deemed necessary to provide us with a proper introduction to the art.

What I mainly remember from that day several years ago was Sensei’s calm presence and Dali Lama’s smile. His calm strength was palpable and his sense of humor contagious.

After demonstrating himself, he invited us to repeat some movements that he patiently instructed. It was much more difficult than it seemed to hold and wield the Kendo stick, while focusing the movements with the breath. On this beautiful spring afternoon, when each of us took our stance, we understood that what Sensei was imparting was a gift of great meaning and value not only to him, but also to us, as we regained our balance after the storm. .

What we did not know at the time was that this kind and modest gentleman was the most prominent and recognized Sensei in Japan, of Kendo and the teachings of the Bushido Code.

Although Sensei did not know that my family and I were in full recovery, he felt our pain and sadness. And his gift to us was to plant seeds of the Code in our wounded hearts, where they would turn into fruit as we struggled to reshape our lives.

The Bushido Code refers to the code of ethics, or virtues, when it comes to samurai. The Samurai originally means “the one who serves”. Although the Code seems to vary somewhat, the most commonly agreed upon ones consist of: Righteousness, Courage, Benevolence, Respect, Honesty, Honor, Loyalty, and Character.

Although it originates from the warrior class of feudal Japan, today’s Bushido Code is an invitation to any man or woman seeking to live an honest and ethical life. Like The Code, Yoga and asanas, (poses) has its roots in the warrior caste system, as it is considered the physical and energetic discipline of the spiritual warrior.

The code of Yoga, The Yamas and Niyamas, is also centuries old. And also, these ethical guidelines established for the yogi are considered relevant to contemporary life. The Yamas and Niyamas are a support system for the yogi, or spiritual warrior, who wishes to build a life of integrity and personal worth.

They are: loving-kindness towards oneself and towards others, honesty, greed, moderation, detachment, order, satisfaction, self-discipline, self-study, and a willingness to serve.

In both cases, the Samurai code and the Yoga code are frameworks, or perhaps even lifesavers, in which the individual is powerfully held above the waters of despair to build or rebuild a life.

Because a life that is consciously sculpted from a strong internal and external moral compass will be a life that, given the opportunity, will not only survive a personal tsunami, but will far exceed what was previously imagined.