▁G le ason ▁began ▁the ▁Sh ob u ▁Ok ug yo ▁Te acher ▁Training ▁Center , ▁a ▁unique ▁forum ▁designed ▁to ▁integrate ▁the ▁spiritual ▁and ▁physical ▁aspects ▁of ▁A ik ido . ▁The ▁sem in ars ▁are ▁ 5 - day ▁retre ats ▁where ▁students ▁do ▁med itation ▁and ▁a ik ido ▁twice ▁per ▁day , ▁macro bi otic ▁cook ing , ▁and ▁reading , ▁discussion ▁and ▁practice ▁of ▁kot ot ama . ▁ ▁Publications ▁G le ason ▁wrote ▁two ▁books , ▁the ▁first ▁book ▁was ▁The ▁Spirit ual ▁Found ations ▁of ▁A ik ido . ▁Based ▁on ▁research ▁that ▁began ▁during ▁his ▁ 1 0 ▁years ▁in ▁Japan , ▁G le ason ▁wrote ▁this ▁book ▁to ▁introduce ▁the ▁underlying ▁spiritual ▁principles ▁of ▁A ik ido . ▁This ▁is ▁the ▁first ▁book ▁in ▁English ▁to ▁address ▁the ▁kot ot ama ▁( word ▁sou ls ) ▁and ▁teach ings ▁of ▁Sh into ▁and ▁A ik ido . ▁Mor ihe i ▁U es hib a ▁had ▁intended ▁that ▁his ▁mart ial ▁art ▁would ▁give ▁form ▁to ▁prof ound ▁spiritual ▁truth ▁and ▁saw ▁A ik ido ▁not ▁as ▁a ▁fighting ▁method ▁or ▁as ▁a ▁compet itive ▁sport ▁but ▁rather ▁as ▁a ▁means ▁of ▁becoming ▁one ▁with ▁the ▁laws ▁of ▁universal ▁ki , ▁or ▁life ▁energy . ▁U es hib a ' s ▁teach ings ▁were ▁subt le ▁and ▁used ▁es oter ic ▁Sh into ▁termin ology ▁and ▁are ▁therefore ▁difficult ▁to ▁interpret , ▁especially ▁by ▁Western ▁aud ien ces . ▁This ▁book ▁has ▁been ▁translated ▁into