{"id":148,"date":"2025-08-25T01:11:04","date_gmt":"2025-08-24T16:11:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nehan.life\/en-temp\/?post_type=staff&p=148"},"modified":"2025-10-07T10:50:32","modified_gmt":"2025-10-07T01:50:32","slug":"kokoniwa","status":"publish","type":"staff","link":"https:\/\/nehan.life\/en\/member\/kokoniwa\/","title":{"rendered":"Living Love, Here and Now"},"content":{"rendered":"
Profile<\/span>A devoted practitioner, lover, and teacher of breathwork, KOKO is the founder of Breathwork Japan. She is also a certified NVC (Nonviolent Communication) trainer and a sexual empowerment coach. Currently based in Costa Rica.<\/p>\n

She is the author of several books, including “Small is Beautiful”<\/i> (Fusosha), “Healing for Women to Awaken to Deep Love”<\/i> (Blue Lotus Publishing), and “The NVC Nonviolent Communication Workbook: Giraffe Language for Parents and Children to Connect from the Heart”<\/i> (Shogakukan).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

Could you tell us about the activities you are currently focused on?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n

With the life motto, “Peace begins here, with me,” I practice and share the inner work of aligning oneself, here and now. Specifically, this includes meditation, movement, NVC (Nonviolent Communication), breath, sexuality, and gratitude work. I only practice the modalities that I have found to be highly effective for myself, and based on that direct experience, I strive to share them in a way that is real and authentic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I live in Costa Rica, a country in Central America, and I often feel that Japanese people are incredibly earnest, but not accustomed to expressing themselves. I truly feel that this is such a waste! My deepest wish is to help us all live more freely, just as we are, and to shine our brilliant life force as beings of love. That is how I aspire to live, and how I hope to help others live as well.<\/p>\n\n\n

How did you first become involved with nehan?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n

It started back in 2017, when Yoshi invited me to be a breathwork guide for a retreat he was organizing in Guatemala. During one of my sessions, he had a powerful emotional release and broke down in tears. I believe it was a moment of immense transformation for him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He showed me a great deal of respect after that, telling me, “Koko-chan, you are one of the absolute best facilitators in Japan\u2014no, in the world.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later, I began visiting Yatsugatake, and as I learned more, I resonated deeply with nehan’s vision. And so, I became involved in the project.<\/p>\n\n\n

What is your role at nehan?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n

I guide the breathwork sessions and am also involved in the creation of the overall program. And program creation is truly a deep art. It\u2019s never about just repeating a set formula; it’s influenced by everything\u2014my own state of being as a guide, the energy of the participants, and the unseen energies of nature and all other connections. Each and every time, it is a high-stakes, earnest endeavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is only by authentically deepening the “here and now” that we can begin to reach what is real, what is essential\u2014the profound depth of a human being. For me, that is the ultimate reward of being a guide.<\/p>\n\n\n

A final message<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n

nehan is a crossover point, a place where people who shape society from all walks of life come together: social entrepreneurs, corporate professionals, artists, hippies, mothers, children, community elders, and investors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here, protected by the forests of Yatsugatake, this gathering is vibrantly alive and breathing. At first glance, it may look like chaos, but in truth, it is a living organism\u2014the most powerful form of organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please look forward to what will be born next from this living entity that is nehan!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":216,"template":"","staff_category":[9],"class_list":["post-148","staff","type-staff","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","staff_category-retreat"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nehan.life\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/staff\/148","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nehan.life\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/staff"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nehan.life\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/staff"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nehan.life\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/216"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nehan.life\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=148"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"staff_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nehan.life\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/staff_category?post=148"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}