Denise Barry has always been committed to a life of service. At a very young age it was clear to her that she was meant to teach. By age 9, she was spending her summers volunteering in a day treatment program for severely disabled adults and spent her middle school years working in a Special Education classroom at her school. Her civic engagement kicked in at that same time as she successfully lobbied the local city council to provide trash cans around her town.

Denise has always been deeply curious about life, the psychological make-up of people and the ways of the Universe. She was aware early on that there was a gap between her inner truth and that which she revealed to the world. Knowing who she is in essence and having the confidence to embody and reveal these truths has been a lifelong journey. Her path in life has been to find peace by living in deep alignment with her essential self.

Although Denise was an accomplished athlete, she never felt embodied or comfortable in her own skin. She sought to feel whole and at ease with herself but did not know how to achieve this state. As a teenager she remembers thinking that there had to more to life than just her thinking mind.

At that time, the consciousness movement in California was just beginning to take hold. During her junior year in high school and to her great relief, she got to experience what she was longing for while taking a day long workshop on the principles of Aikido. She experienced her mind, body and spirit being unified for the first time and by the end of that day, she felt whole and at peace. She knew she had found her path and that these practices would change her life.

Thus began her study of Aikido and her pursuit of healing, wholeness, and mastery. Almost 50 years of the joys, hardships of daily rigorous training and teaching have led her to the creation of The Agatsu Method. While Aikido is a non-violent martial art that focuses on peace and oneness with the Universe, it is for many, simply a physical/technical practice. Given the complexities of the world in which we live, Denise sought to expand the reach of these teachings to people who are suffering, seeking to heal or to have more tools for navigating the pressures of daily life.

Through teaching and embodying The Agatsu Method, Denise’s own healing journey has gained clarity. Her inquiry into the intersection of trauma and mastery as a path for healing has been an evolutionary process. Trauma comes with its own set of maladaptive responses to relationships and the challenges of life. When conscious awareness is brought to moments of dis-regulation, distress or dissociation, healing is possible and it can happen quickly. This process is a path of mastery.

Denise’s core areas of study have been education, psychology, spirituality and martial awareness. These disciplines have been a potent alchemical mix that has brought deep healing and transformation to herself and those who study with her. Denise is excited and delighted to share this process with anyone who seeks to heal, feel peaceful, cultivate mastery and in the process, make the world a better place.