My Journey and What I’ve Focused On
More than a decade ago, I worked as a firefighter for about seven years on the front lines, constantly facing matters of life and death. Later, a traffic accident led me to rehabilitation, and through that process, I discovered yoga. I was powerfully drawn to its spirituality and philosophy, and soon, yoga became my life’s work. It wasn’t long before I began my journey as an instructor.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, I chose to spend two years living the van life. It was a time I intentionally created to explore the great questions: “What is freedom?” and “What does it mean to be myself?” While it’s impossible to completely ignore the goals presented by society, I place far greater importance on cherishing this present moment and savoring the interconnectedness of all things—the relationships between people, objects, and events.
It is my deepest wish that everyone, myself included, can live in a state of true freedom (a life that stems from oneself) and authenticity (a life of being true to who they are).
How I Came to Be a Part of nehan
Before I started my van life, during the chaotic times of the pandemic, I was searching for a “counter-culture” perspective. It was during this period that I came across a blog post by Yoshi (our founder, Mr. Koitani). I contacted him through social media, and we ended up meeting in person the very next day.
Sometime later, I heard that Yoshi had returned from Tulum, Mexico, and was going to build a retreat center in Yatsugatake, so we reconnected. Although we had each been moving in different fields for several years, I found that our core beliefs were the same. In a very natural flow, I became involved with nehan as a facilitator.
My Role at nehan
Currently, at the nehan retreat center, I support people’s transformations as a facilitator, drawing upon my experiences in yoga, meditation, and Zen training.
In my sessions, I engage with my entire being—my whole heart and soul—and I ask that participants dive in with the same level of total commitment. It is in that shared space that I wish for us to greet the moments of “awakening” and “breakthrough” together.
The Joy I Find at nehan
“The joy of others is my own joy”—I truly feel the meaning of these words when I see the expressions on our participants’ faces after a nehan session.
My role is not to “do something for” them. Instead, I have the privilege of witnessing them break through their own shells and transform by their own power. There is nothing more moving than this. It is, in essence, the very reason I continue to share the practices of yoga and meditation.
The space and vision of nehan are unlike anything else you can find in Japan. And this is still just the prologue. I myself am incredibly excited to see how we will continue to evolve from here.
