「Mindfulness」タグアーカイブ

Washing away “Self” with yoga practice

When I went Zen meditation meeting the other day, I heard an interesting story on “Self” from the master.

According to him, he makes time to wash his “Self” away, at least once a day.

In this text, “Self” means the self as the oldest son, the self who had certain experiences in his/her youth, or the self who is called certain nickname, etc…

By washing such “Self” away, the master tries to take a proper distance from the past self, and the self seen or thought by others.

Not only in Zen, yoga philosophy also has the idea similar to this”Self”. This is called Ahamkara.

My master washes off his “Self” by Zazen, reading sutras, and taking bath. These are quite similar to yogic practice.

By concentrating on Asana and meditation, or practicing Niyamas such as Shaucha (purity) and Īśvarapraṇidhāna (Contemplation to the holy beings), yogis can wash away negative aspects of Ahamkara, the self.

It often happens that “my decision” is actually decided by just a habitual power, or something or someone other than me, such as our past history or experience, and common sense.

Besides, overdriven “Self” turns out to be “Ego”, and suffers you from negative emotions such as anger and despair.

To be free and happy from those habitual power and future sufferings, washing off “Self” seems very important.

If your troubles are caused by “Self” as I introduced here, why don’t you try to wash that “Self” off by concentrating on asana and meditation, or think about practicing yoga philosophy in your daily lives?

Not only improving your physical condition, Seed Training will also do the best to support improving your mental condition through yoga, pilates. and Thai traditional massage.

Seed Training welcomes your questions and bookings on yoga, pilates, and Thai traditional massage through contact form and telephone.

*You can take an initial consultation & short trial of Private / semi-private lessons (YOGA / PILATES) for free!

090-6756-5136

（I cannot get the phone when I’m having lessons, treatment, and moving. In such a case,please leave a message so that I can call you back later)

Mind & Body are instruments, Breath is the player

Breathing in yoga & pilates practices maybe similar to playing the music instruments.

Through my own yoga & pilates practice, I get to believe like that.

From my experience, for example, let say, Wadaiko.

If you beat strong, it sounds strong, and if you beat weak, it sounds weak.

Winds and strings instruments maybe the same. The sound will vary depending on how players breath or control their body & mind.

Through the precise control of players’ body & mind, the sound varies very different.

That’s what I think the same as the breathing.

What our mind thinks, how our body moves, how our consciousness works… those things can be different depending on how we control the breath.

When our breaths are shallow and unstable, we’ll be easily get angry.

When our breaths are stable and quiet, our concentration gets sharp.

When our breaths are rhythmic, our body moves rhythmic.

It maybe possible to say,

Mind & Body are instruments, Breath is the player

By deepening your understanding on breath through yoga & pilates practice, you can be Maestro of your own mind & body.

Including breathing techniques, Seed Training in Amagasaki teaches yoga & pilates from the very basic.

If you are interested in learning yogic or pilates breathing for making better relationships with your mind & body,

please feel free to contact us.

If you are living in Hyogo / Osaka and interested in yoga, pilates, and thai traditional massage, please check following links as well.

Seed Training welcomes your questions and bookings on yoga, pilates, and Thai traditional massage through contact form and telephone.

*You can take an initial consultation & short trial of Private / semi-private lessons (YOGA / PILATES) for free!

090-6756-5136

（I cannot get the phone when I’m having lessons, treatment, and moving. In such a case,please leave a message so that I can call you back later)

Remembering Yama & Niyama from “Into Great Silence”

Last day, one client told me about the movie titled “Into Great Silence”.

Her impression on this movie moved my heart so much, and finally I went to experience it by myself.

The movie shows the inside of the strict monastery,

without lightings, narrations, music except for sacred songs and chants.

There were no “intentions” throughout the film.

・・・

But every single cuts was so beautiful as if they were masterpiece pictures.

The quiet, calm, and content eyes of monks seemed to show why the monastery requires strict rules in their daily lives.

In my case, as Yogi,

it was a good opportunity to think again about why do Yogis have to follow “Yama” & “Niyama” (content of Yama & Niyama can be checked from the past article “Buddhism 10 commandments and yogic Yama, Niyama“) in our lives.

Calmness, peace, and contentment of our body, mind and spirit cannot be gained without quiet and non-selfish daily lives.

Even if the purpose of our yoga practice was to improve our physical body, only practicing asanas are not enough. If the daily choice of our behaviors (food, postures, etc…) remains still, the improvement will be so slow and small, and even can be lost very soon.

So, keep Yama & Niyama in our heart much stronger and practice them, not to make our asana practices just stretching.

Seed Training is pleased to offer free consultation & trial for private / semi-private yoga / pilates lessons.

If you are living in Hyogo / Osaka and interested in yoga, pilates, and thai traditional massage, please check following links as well.

Seed Training welcomes your questions and bookings on yoga, pilates, and Thai traditional massage through contact form and telephone.

*You can take an initial consultation & short trial of Private / semi-private lessons (YOGA / PILATES) for free!

090-6756-5136

（I cannot get the phone when I’m having lessons, treatment, and moving. In such a case,please leave a message so that I can call you back later)

Grow “Seer” in ourselves

Regardless of yoga or pilates, I often use one quotation from yogic philosophy to guide my clients.

It is to grow “seer” in ourselves.

Sometimes, this “seer” is called “Purusha” in yogic philosophy (especially Samkhya philosophy).

Anyway, in classes, I tell my clients

to take distance from their body and mind,

then observe,

posture,

motion,

and even thoughts, emotions, and senses,

mindfully and straightly.

In general, “Being objective” may be more popular. But I personally think growing “seer” in ourselves is more intensive in clearing our sight and measuring the best distance.

If you’re practicing pilates, the effect comes out sooner if the “seer” in yourself sees your breathing, posture, and the motion precisely.

If you’re practicing yoga for stress relief, for example, you’ll experience deeper relaxation if the “seer” in yourself sees your thoughts and emotions mindfully.

If such class style seems yours, please feel free to contact from the following links.

If you are living in Hyogo / Osaka and interested in yoga, pilates, and thai traditional massage, please check following links as well.

Seed Training welcomes your questions and bookings on yoga, pilates, and Thai traditional massage through contact form and telephone.

*You can take an initial consultation & short trial of Private / semi-private lessons (YOGA / PILATES) for free!

090-6756-5136

（I cannot get the phone when I’m having lessons, treatment, and moving. In such a case,please leave a message so that I can call you back later)

800 years of Zen & Kyoto, 80 years of you & yoga, pilates

Zen, it’s 800 years.

This is the phrase which I found at Kennin-ji temple, Kyoto, when I joined master Yosai’s memorial Zen assembly.

The phrase seems to mean the 800th memorial year since master Yosai has brought Zen into Japan. However, not only for Zen, it also seems to means the 800th memorial year for Kyoto.

For example,

Old temples in Kyoto are world famous sightseeing destination. Many of those temples such as Kinkaku-ji (the temple of golden pavilion) and Ginkaku-ji, Ryoan-ji (the temple famous for Zen garden), Tenryu-ji in Arashiyama, they’re all Zen temples.

In those temples, it is often set up tea ceremonies (Some tea ceremonies are opened for drop-in visitors). And Japanese tea culture is strongly connected to Zen culture (The founder of Kennin-ji, master Yosai is known as “Cha-so” (the bringer of tea) as well).

Also, traditional cuisine’s natural and simple cooking and presentation reminds me of Zen philosophy.

And maybe, there are Zen like accurate and severe practice in the backstage of Kyoto culture such as Maiko dancing and Nishijin textile.

If so, it’s not too much to call Kyoto as the “Zen city”, and Zen’s 800 years are Kyoto’s 800 years.

Of course Zen is not everything, but today’s Kyoto and it’s culture seems to have been brushed up by Zen more or less.

・・・

Actually, yoga and pilates share the same thing with Zen in this point. (I believe so…)

I believe learning the natural posture and movement through yoga and pilates can be the base of our daily lives, and the yogic lifestyle brings flexibility and freedom to our ideas and performances.

Just like Zen’s natural and simple way inspired traditional Kyoto cuisine and, and it’s accuracy and severity supports tradition and craftsmanship.

We individual’s history cannot be lasted for 800 years like Zen, but,

we still get along with our body & mind for about 80 years.

And, we create numerous actions, words and thoughts with our body & mind.

It’s my pleasure if you take yoga and pilates as the basic tool for your body, mind and it’s creation. And if you choose Seed Training for your partner, we will do our best with pleasure.

Gassho

If you are living in Hyogo / Osaka and interested in yoga, pilates, and thai traditional massage, please check following links as well.

Seed Training welcomes your questions and bookings on yoga, pilates, and Thai traditional massage through contact form and telephone.

*You can take an initial consultation & short trial of Private / semi-private lessons (YOGA / PILATES) for free!

090-6756-5136

（I cannot get the phone when I’m having lessons, treatment, and moving. In such a case,please leave a message so that I can call you back later)

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「Mindfulness」タグアーカイブ

Washing away “Self” with yoga practice

090-6756-5136

Mind & Body are instruments, Breath is the player

Mind & Body are instruments, Breath is the player

090-6756-5136

Remembering Yama & Niyama from “Into Great Silence”

090-6756-5136

Grow “Seer” in ourselves

090-6756-5136

800 years of Zen & Kyoto, 80 years of you & yoga, pilates

Zen, it’s 800 years.

090-6756-5136