“It was so amazing, the word ‘best’ doesn’t even do it justice.” Drawn in by these words from a friend, Mr. Kuriyama decided to join. As the CEO of a marketing firm in Tokyo, what he experienced at the nehan retreat was the true meaning of the phrase “listening to your inner voice.” He spoke with us about how spending three days in nature allowed him to encounter a voice within himself he had never noticed before, and how that experience will influence his life going forward.
Q. What made you decide to join the nehan retreat?
KURIYAMA
When I was talking with a friend, the topic of retreats came up. I heard him say, “I recently went to this place called nehan, and it was so amazing, the word ‘best’ doesn’t even do it justice.” When I heard that, I knew intuitively that I had to go, so I decided to join on the spot.
Q. What was the retreat experience like for you?
KURIYAMA
“Listen to your inner voice.” I think it’s a phrase everyone has heard at least once.
I myself have always tried to live by those words. I believe my decision to become an entrepreneur and live independently is one testament to that. However, what I realized at the nehan retreat was that I hadn’t been able to listen to my inner voice at all.
For three days, I didn’t make eye contact with anyone, didn’t speak, and said goodbye to my smartphone and all electronic devices. I had never had such an experience in my entire life. To place myself, completely alone, in the midst of great nature… Day by day, I felt as if I could hear a voice emerging from deep within my heart.
I believe what you gain from this experience is the profound realization of connecting with the self that lies dormant within you.
Q. How do you think this experience will influence your life going forward?
KURIYAMA
I believe humans have the ability to remember something once they have truly embodied it.
The ability to dive deep and know yourself during those three days at nehan gives you the capacity to converse with yourself at that same depth for the rest of your life. I feel that this is the true impact the retreat experience has on one’s life.
Q. Who would you recommend this retreat to?
KURIYAMA
I would recommend it to anyone who has ever asked themselves questions like, “What is the meaning of life?” “Why am I alive?” or “Who am I really?”—and who can find value in knowing the answers.
Q. Do you have a final message for our readers?
KURIYAMA
Humans have a wonderful ability to have a vicarious experience just by learning about something. However, I feel there is a seemingly infinite wall between a vicarious experience and an embodied one—an experience that is remembered by the body. I sincerely hope you will take the step to cross that wall.
