I was able to meet Reiko while she was making a short return trip to Tokyo, and I took the opportunity to ask about her lifestyle in Texas, about the studio where she teaches, the Cherry Blossom Retreat ’12 event that Black Swan Yoga is planning in Japan and many other topics.
One evening in the latter half of April, thanks to one of my yoga instructors, I set out for Tokyo Midtown with the inventor of Yogic Arts, Duncan Wong. He teaches a moon viewing yoga class through park yoga, so I went along as his interpreter. Despite being warm during the day though mainly cloudy, when the sun went down the wind gained strength, and it became cold. When we arrived at the meeting place in this environment, everyone was already there warming up on mats on the lawn.
Reading a lecture by legendary shakuhachi master Watazumi Doso Roshi last summer on the importance of full, conscious out-breaths (something yogis know all about) convinced me that the time had come to integrate chanting into my practice routine. Beginning with the five basic vowel positions as one finds them in the Japanese language, I started daily work on conscious out-breaths which led to the formulation of the simple chanting exercise
The Animal Rights Center (ARC) organizes an annual anti-fur march in Autumn, a time when many shops in Tokyo are stocking fur products on store shelves. This year’s was held on on October 23, 2011. Around 300 participants marched with banners and placards in hand through major commercial centers, Shibuya and Omotesando.
On November 12, 2011 HelloYoga.com and Be Yoga Japan collaborated to produce an informal, simple and fun gathering for Tokyo’s yoga community, called the “Bare Foot Yoga Party”. Everybody enjoyed trying many new and fun experiences for the mind, body and soul in one night! 50% of entry ticket proceeds will be donated to the Tyler Foundation, a charity which supports children with cancer in Japan and their families.
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