Samoto

About me

There are moments in life that quietly change everything.

For me, one of those moments was the day I first entered a dojo at the age of sixteen. What began as curiosity became a path through life. I was not only fascinated by how to defeat an opponent. Another question moved me: What truly makes a person strong? What allows us to move freely, act freely, and be fully ourselves? What abilities do we actually have?

These questions have stayed with me to this day.

I have been practicing Aikido for more than forty years. The dojo became a place of learning – not only about movement, but about life itself. I spent countless evenings and weekends on the mat, always searching for what lies beyond technique.

At the same time, I developed my profession as a piano maker and concert tuner. I was fascinated by tuning instruments in such a way that they could unfold their own unique sound and inspire the player to the fullest. Looking back, I can see that this path has been a common thread throughout my life: supporting people and things in rediscovering their natural resonance and resources.

Driven by the same desire, I trained as a naturopath and explored a wide range of healing methods in depth. For me, martial arts, healing arts, and personal development were never separate worlds. They all tell the story of the same journey – the journey back to ourselves.

In 2012, together with Dagmar Thürnagel, I founded a training and coaching company to support people in rediscovering their inner wisdom and unfolding their own potential. In 2017, together with Dagmar Thürnagel, Katharina Kaifler, and Michaela Kaiser, we developed the FeelingsPractitioner work – a path that supports people in discovering their inner healer and learning to live from their own inherent power.

Alongside all these paths, I am above all one thing: a father of three children and, today, with deep gratitude, a grandfather of seven grandchildren. To me, this is true wealth. They remind me again and again how important curiosity, trust, and being truly human are. I learn as much from them as I am privileged to pass on to them.

My Purpose

Many years ago, I read a sentence that touched me deeply:

“The sword is the soul of the samurai.”

I still remember that moment clearly. Tears came to my eyes because I could feel that there was a truth in those words that could not be explained with words alone.

For me, the sword is not a symbol of combat. It is a mirror. It reveals clarity and doubt, courage and fear, determination and devotion. It makes visible what is already alive within us.

Wielding a sword means far more than mastering movements. It invites us to be present, to take responsibility, and to find our own center. With every practice, we encounter not only the sword, but ourselves.

That is why the trainings on this website are more than a collection of techniques. They are an invitation to walk a path – a path on which body, mind, and heart can come back into harmony.

Because I am convinced that everything we are looking for is already within us. Sometimes all it takes is the right impulse at the right moment to remind us.

Dedication & Acknowledgements

Dedicated with gratitude to my teachers:
Nobuyuki Watanabe
Günther Braunger
Norbert Mayer
and to everyone with whom I have had and continue to have the privilege of practising

Concept
Samoto Michael Hallinger, Dagmar Thürnagel

Voice
Samoto Michael Hallinger

Transcripts & Translation
Dagmar Thürnagel

Consulting, filming & editing
Christoph Kunze

Music
Path of a Samurai, epidemic sound

Contact
samoto@feelingspractitioner.org

Eine Produktion der Hallinger & Thürnagel GbR
Copyright 2026