Author(s): Ken McLean

Philosophy

This book is the culmination of many experiences, practices and studies undertaken over the course of my life. When I was young I loved sport; including Rugby League, boxing, judo and others. Disillusioned with competition and not overly enjoying school, at the age of fifteen, I retreated to live in a shack in a forest in the New South Wales North Coast with a few friends. Here we explored natural living; yoga, surfing, playing music and eating a vegetarian diet. After several years, I returned to Sydney armed with a newly discovered Macrobiotic diet and I began to explore yoga more deeply. Over time I became interested in oriental medicine and the healing arts. I moved into the East West Foundation in order to study and experience these ways on a full time basis. Around this time my interest in developing "Ki" or "Chi" energy arose and I began to train full time in Aikido - the way of harmonising Ki or the way of Spiritual Harmony. Eventually I began teaching these arts in various centres that I have founded over the years. I have been invited to teach these principles in universities, corporations, schools, businesses, prisons, various centres and dojos. I have worked with people from all walks of life - including mothers, actors, artists, professors, trades people, sporting professionals - the list goes on. The name of this book came about through a period of my life many years ago when I was experiencing some conflict in a relationship. Eventually I had overcome the conflict and had achieved a certain level of harmony and stability. I was attending a birthday party of my wife's teacher who was turning eighty. As I shook his hand to wish him happy birthday, he uttered one statement to me and then remained silent - that statement was "Harmony is Success". For over forty years now I have devoted my life to researching the principles of harmony. I have been particularly interested in what is called in Ki training - the unified Ki state, or in modern western language - "Flow state" or "being in the zone". When people have achieved a certain level of mastery and artistry in their chosen expression they will often fall into this state and achieve an effortless flow in what they do. Whether it's a great surfer on a wave, an artist creating a painting, or a business person doing a deal, there are times they experience this flow or oneness that is deeply nourishing and inspirational to them but moves others around them also. I am sure you, the reader, have also at times experienced this state, whether by doing something that you love, through meditation or some other activity that you do. I have personally experienced this state in many areas of my life and my research has been about how to bring this state out into everyday life. I have experienced this state through Aikido, my healing practice in Ki Shiatsu, surfing and at other times. However the main purpose of my research has been how to bring this state out in every day life and it not being limited to particular circumstances. I believe it can also be effectively practiced in communication which, to me, is the highest art. This is the purpose and the art of living; that this oneness or flow state can be practiced and created anywhere and at any time to turn the everyday ordinary experience into the extraordinary. This is the real meaning of living life to the fullest and the true and most effective way of creating world peace and having human beings living together as one world family. For any way to be practical or followed it must be based on truth and how the Universe works. The Universe itself is a complete, holistic, integrated, multidimensional entity - as we as human beings are also. The microcosm of the macrocosm. A true way is reflected everywhere, and is expressed at all levels and at all times. If a practice does not ful