In any team, there is always someone who gets singled out as the problem.
Others might be thinking, “It is because that person is here,” or “Things would go well if only that person weren’t here.”
But in reality, even if that person leaves, the situation remains the same, and someone else will inevitably be seen as the problem. It just becomes a never-ending cycle of “If only that person wasn’t here.”
This arises from shifting the blame onto specific individuals without confronting the real problem. This mindset prevents the team from coming together and performing at its best. This phenomenon, “the problem moves”, occurs everywhere, in schools, workplaces, communities, and beyond.
In fact, the same thing happens in our bodies. When we are feeling overwhelmed or our emotion is running high, no matter how much we tell ourselves to calm down in our head, our churning mind will not easily calm down. The more we focus on it, the more impatient/ anxious we become, which will have the opposite effect.
To reset our state of having an excited/agitated mind, we need to release the tension in our body. Then, our mind will naturally calm down. The key is not trying to relax just one part of our body, but to “release all stress from your body.” In fact, it is very difficult to release tension from only specific parts of your body.
When we consciously try to relax only a specific area, such as trying to relax just our shoulders, we will end up creating new tension in another area. This “shifting of tension” is precisely what prevents true relaxation.
What I recommend is the “Full-body Relaxation Exercise” that anyone can do on the spot.
◆Full-body Relaxation Exercise
<Step 1: Check Your Natural Posture>
First, stand in place on your toes. Once your body is stable, gently lower your heels to the ground. The key is to lower your heels on the ground gently; not dropping down with a thud. If you feel unsteady while standing on your toes, you can lightly place your hands on a wall or handrail for support.
<Step 2: Vibration Travels Throughout Your Body>
Next, shake your fingertips while standing, as if you are brushing water droplets off your fingertips from top to bottom. The important thing is to feel the vibrations from your fingertips travel up your arms, spreading through your entire body, and all the way to your toes. If there is any area where the vibrations are not being transmitted, then that is where unconscious “tension” is occurring.
<Step 3: Gradually bring the movement to a rest>
Once the excess tension is released, gradually reduce the amount of movement of your fingertips. If you stop the movement abruptly, then your body will tense up at that moment (which will have the opposite effect). The trick is to gradually reduce the vibration, by half, then half again, and so on.
When you feel like you are being overwhelmed by nervousness in a crucial situation, when you have stiff shoulders, or when you have difficulty falling asleep at night, try this exercise to reset the tension in your body.
If you would like to experience the difference for yourself, please come visit and try it at one of the Shinshin Toitsu Aikido dojos.
Problems/tensions in organizations and in our physical body both will naturally resolve by adjusting the overall flow, rather than trying to eliminate a specific “someone” or exclude a specific “area.”
Instead of desperately trying to change our outside circumstances, how about starting with aligning our inner self?
As a leader of the organization, I also practice this every single day.
Translated by Mayumi Case
Edited by David Shaner
Eastern Ki Federation
https://easternkifederation.org/
Original article in Japanese: 問題が移動する (Mondai ga Idōsuru)
January 8, 2026
https://shinichitohei.com/japanese/01-%e3%82%b3%e3%83%a9%e3%83%a0/36784/
