Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation

The Japanese Way of the Artist

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The Japanese Way of the Artist is a collection of three of H. E. Davey's most popular books. It's published by Stone Bridge Press (www.stonebridge.com). Included in a single volume are:

* Living the Japanese Arts and Ways: 45 Paths to Meditation & Beauty
* Brush Meditation: A Japanese Way to Mind & Body Harmony
* The Japanese Way of the Flower: Ikebana as Moving Meditation
The three works anthologized here are essential to understanding the spiritual, meditative, and physical basis of all classical Japanese crafts, fine arts, and martial arts. Living the Japanese Arts & Ways covers key concepts—like wabi and “stillness in motion”—while the other two books show the reader how to use brush calligraphy (shodo) and flower arranging (ikebana) to achieve mind-body unification. Illustrated with diagrams, drawings, and photographs.

An Excerpt from Chapter Two: Introduction to Mind & Body Unification

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As human beings we seek freedom—political freedom, religious freedom, freedom from discrimination The free use of our minds and bodies—freedom of action in general—is an innate urge.

Each action we take is an act of self-expression. We often think of large-scale or important deeds as being indications of our real selves, but even how we sharpen a pencil can reveal something about our feelings at that moment. Do we sharpen the pencil carefully or nervously so that it doesn’t break? Do we bother to pay attention to what we’re doing? How do we sharpen the same pencil when we’re angry or in a hurry? Is it the same as when we’re calm or unhurried?

Even the smallest movement discloses something about the person executing the action because it is the person who’s actually performing the deed. In other words, action doesn’t happen by itself, we make it happen, and in doing so we leave traces of ourselves on the activity. The mind and body are interrelated.

How do you feel when you’re unable to express yourself? Imagine you couldn’t speak or in some other way communicate. An extreme example perhaps, but how would it feel? In the same way that we suffer if we’re unable to express ourselves, we also languish when we cannot, for whatever reason, assert ourselves skillfully. Self-expression is natural, even inevitable, for all of us; and skilled, efficient self-expression goes beyond mere activity and enters the realm of art.

For instance, many of us realize that our handwriting tends to reflect our personalities or at least our state of mind at the moment we put pen to paper. However, when we become conscious of our handwriting as an act of self-expression, when we allow our creativity to flow through the brush or pen in a way that’s not only efficient but also coordinated and dexterous, we call what we’re doing calligraphy—the art of writing.

Just as writing can become calligraphy when it’s creatively, skillfully, and consciously performed, so can all other activities become art. In this case, we are reflecting upon life itself as an artistic statement—the art of living.

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Every new day alive is a gift from the universe, but some people begin what could be their last day by complaining. This not only wastes the day, it weakens the subconscious mind.

Nakamura Tempu, founder of the Shin-shin-toitsu-do system of Japanese yoga & meditation

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We are never separate from the infinite and eternal life of the universe. Within this eternal process of existence is life and death. Regardless of whether we’re alive or dead, we are always part of this immense course of existence. Though we may change form between living and dying, we’re never separate from the endless process of life that is the universe.

Before we were born, we were in the womb of our mother. And before we were in her womb, we were in the life of our father. Before we were in our father's life, we were in the great life of the universe. From this point of view we can conclude death is nothing but a return to our original state. We could perhaps also say death is what changes our present life into a new life. We return to the infinite and eternal life of the universe when we die.

So our minds must transcend both birth and death, being attached to neither. In a way, this is to go beyond rejoicing in birth and lamenting death. Thus we should ask ourselves if there’s any real reason to fear death. We must never fear death without a reason.

Nakamura Tempu, founder of the Shin-shin-toitsu-do system of Japanese yoga & meditation

Free Japanese Yoga & Meditation Class!

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On Thursday, November 3 the Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts will offer a free introductory class in the Shin-shin-toitsu-do system of Japanese yoga and meditation at 7 PM. The class will take place at 1053 San Pablo Ave. in Albany, California, right across the bay from San Francisco. You can read more about Japanese yoga at www.senninfoundation.com.

Wear loose clothing and bring a notebook. Preregistration... is needed and easily accomplished. Just leave a voice mail at 510-526-7518. Give us your name and phone number, then indicate that you would like to participate in one or both classes. Let us know if anyone else is coming with you, and we'll see you on Thursday. Please arrive a few minutes early for general registration.

The classes will be taught by Troy Swenson Sensei, who has been studying and teaching at the Sennin Foundation Center for several years. Don't miss your chance to learn how Japanese yoga can help you realize better health, deeper calmness, and enhanced concentration in everyday life.

Japanese Yoga

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Shin-shin-toitsu-do is the form of Japanese yoga and meditation offered at the Sennin Foundation Center. Shin-shin-toitsu-do, "The Way of Mind and Body Unification," was founded in the early 1900s by Nakamura Tempu Sensei.

Nakamura Tempu & Japanese Yoga

Nakamura Sensei lived in India, where he studied the art of Raja yoga, the yoga of meditation. After studying medicine at Columbia University, he blended Indian meditation and health improvement with his background in medicine, psychology, Japanese healing arts and meditation, and Japanese martial arts. He taught for many years in Japan, authored best-selling books, and counted among his students a large number of Japan's top executives, politicians, fine artists, athletes, martial artists, and people from every walk of life. But few Westerners have yet been exposed to these extraordinary teachings.

A Dynamic Teacher of Mind/Body Unification

H. E. Davey Sensei, Director of the Sennin Foundation Center, has studied with several of Nakamura Sensei's top students, including Hashimoto Tetsuichi Sensei and Sawai Atsuhiro Sensei. Both teachers are Senior Advisors to the Sennin Foundation Center. Davey Sensei began studying Shin-shin-toitsu-do as a child. He is the award-winning author of the book Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation (Stone Bridge Press), which was featured in Yoga Journal in the U.S. and Tempu magazine in Japan. He's also a member of Tempu-Kai, the Japanese association that preserves the legacy of Nakamura Sensei.

Unique Methods to Improve Physical & Mental Health

Our Shin-shin-toitsu-do class offers you practical forms of seated and moving meditation, breathing methods for health, stretching exercises, autosuggestion for altering negative habits, stress management, and self-healing techniques that are little-known in the West. Emphasis is also placed on the development of ki (chi in Chinese). Ki amounts to life energy, and its cultivation has a profound effect on mental and physical health. You, like many of our students, may experience greatly enhanced concentration, willpower, calmness, relaxation, and physical fitness.
Make a positive and life-altering decision. Consider adding Shin-shin-toitsu-do to your life, and discover a way of living rooted in health, happiness, and harmony.

Testimonials from Japanese Yoga Experts

Recommended Websites

Visit www.senninfoundation.com for more information.

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"Do not think of work—any work—as a duty. If it is a duty it will become a burden. How do you turn a burden into a pleasure? Live respectfully, correctly, positively, and boldly."--Nakamura Tempu Sensei

Fudoshin

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"Immovable mind." Fudoshin does not indicate a state of mind that is inflexible, but rather, it points to a condition that is not easily upset by internal thoughts or external factors.

Excerpt

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Thus, the young should not think of themselves as immature, and the elderly need not view themselves as feeble. Our minds control our bodies. Have no age--transcending both past and future--enter into naka-ima . . . the eternal present. --From Japanese Yoga

Change

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Always remember that the future comes one day at a time.
Dean Acheson

The Calligraphy of Nakamura Tempu Sensei

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"Fame and Fortune are Both Empty"

"Nothingness"

"Virtue has Friends"

Nakamura Tempu Sensei

Click on the images to enlarge. Nakamura Tempu Sensei, founder of the Shin-shin-toitsu-do system of Japanese yoga and meditation. Shin-shin-toitsu-do = "The Way of Mind and Body Unification."

"Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation," is a book focused on the mind and body unification principles and exercises of Nakamura Tempu Sensei. New, signed copies of this book by H. E. Davey can be purchased at http://senninfoundation.com/davey_yoga.html.

Nakamura Tempu Sensei

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Nakamura Tempu Sensei, founder of the Shin-shin-toitsu-do system of Japanese yoga and meditation. Shin-shin-toitsu-do = "The Way of Mind and Body Unification."

"Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation," is a book focused on the mind and body unification principles and exercises of Nakamura Tempu Sensei. New, signed copies of this book by H. E. Davey can be purchased at http://senninfoundation.com/davey_yoga.html.

Free Class!

2011-07-12T12:27:00.001-07:00

The Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts will offer a free introduction to the Shin-shin-toitsu-do system of Japanese yoga and meditation. The class will take place in Albany, California on Thursday, September 14 at 7PM. If you would like to take part in this introduction to mind and body unification principles, call 510-526-7518 to reserve your place for the class.

Reviews

2011-05-25T04:14:00.000-07:00

Reviews of Japanese Yoga: The The Way of Dynamic Meditation

From the Publisher

Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation is part of Stone Bridge Press's MICHI: JAPANESE ARTS AND WAYS series. From chado—"the Way of tea"—to budo—"the martial Way"—Japan has succeeded in spiritualizing a number of classical arts. The names of these skills often end in Do, also pronounced Michi, meaning the "Way." By studying a Way in detail, we discover vital principles that transcend the art and relate more broadly to the art of living itself. Featuring the work of H. E. Davey and other select authors, books in the series MICHI: JAPANESE ARTS AND WAYS focus on these Do forms. They are about discipline and spirituality, about moving from the particular to the universal . . . to benefit people of any culture.

From Amazon.com Reviewers

Learn techniques to master your mind, body, spirit, April 23, 2007
By Reader Views "www.readerviews.com" (Austin, Texas)
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (3/07)

Japanese Yoga: the Way of Dynamic Meditation introduces the form of Shin-shin-toitsu-do, which means "the way of mind and body unification." The author describes it as "the direct investigation of universal principles for living." He believes that we can transform our lives by following this practice. It was created by Dr. Nakamara Tempu, also a sensei, when he went to India in the early 1900's to study yoga. In developing Shin-shin-toitsu-do Dr. Tempu incorporated his knowledge of martial arts, western medicine and psychology, and healing into this form.

Shin-shin-toitsu-do is different from Indian yoga. It uses a variety of stretching exercises, breathing methods, methods of seated and moving meditation, massage-like healing techniques, auto-suggestion techniques, and mind and body coordination drills. Included are also principles for the unification of the mind and body. This practice is very practical and can be used in our everyday life.

We are encouraged to use this practice because it will teach us to transcend our bodies and it places a higher importance on mental and physical health over material wealth. In reading and learning about this practice, I appreciated the humbleness of Mr. Davey. He encourages the reader to look inside ourselves to find truth, not at him.

I think that this is a great book for anyone interested in meditation and healing techniques. I think that people with a passion for the Japanese martial arts will really benefit from the training. It is in no way difficult to follow and Mr. Davey keeps it very interesting. He also provides resources to accessing instruction and supplies, and a glossary for quick reference.

My personal interests lie in Japanese martial arts and healing. I am pursuing my third degree black belt in karate and have been attuned to mastery level in Reiki. I was very excited to read "Japanese Yoga," because I felt that in addition to assisting me with my everyday life, it will also help me to achieve my next levels of training in the other art forms. Physically and mentally, I will benefit, especially as I feel myself physically aging. I also think that incorporating something new into my life will bring an additional excitement to my training.

Leading life in a positive way, April 8, 2007
By Ashwini Aragam (Lansdale, PA)

One of the key principles of Japanese Yoga or shin-shin toitsu do is being and staying positive. When you stay positive, the ki or the energy starts to flow in you. When you turn negative, the ki stops flowing. It is as simple as that! H. E. Davey writes in a simple and most effective manner to instill in one this simple principle.

If you are practicing Yoga for some time, you will know that Yoga is not all postures. Living life to its maximum is yoga; letting that universal energy flow through you uninterrupted is yoga. The author writes about the teachings of his master-Nakamura sensei. While acknowledging the roots of Japanese Yoga lies in the ancient practice from India, Nakamura sensei went on to form the foundations of Japanese yoga through his own interpretations and experiences.

As with staying positive, concentration of the mind is a big part of the book. There are several exercises/techniques (candle gazing, listening to the fading of the ringing bells to eternity) explained in the book and how, with such exercises once can connect to the universal energy. The exercise with a pendant is a simple and profound way to illustrate the effects of the mind on the body. You will find the many gentle stretching and ki stimulating exercises easy to learn and practice. This is one of the yoga books that I could read through without the express need to 'know' the steps of postures, the sequences and combinations of different categories of postures, etc, etc.

I found the book to be simple and devoid of the numerous asanas that one needs to learn to 'practice' yoga. You need to read quite a bit of the book to get a sense of what Dynamic Meditation is. That's how this book is different. If Yoga were to be condensed into a two-page booklet readied for a crash course, then there wouldn't be so many books on the subject. Each author and each way of yoga uses a different and often unique way to get the message across. H. E. Davey speaks from his own experience and practice in writing this book and in it you will find a different and welcome way of practicing yoga. This book will be a unique addition to your Yoga library.

The connection between the Body and Mind, August 13, 2005
By Abdul Nasheer "Nasheer" (Singapore)

`Japanese Yoga' is comparatively an easy book to read and to follow. The author has a good gasp of Japanese culture and its philosophies. His explanations are relatively easy to follow. I think the paradox of Japanese is that they don't say much as most of their communication is through their actions and Davey has managed to explain many of demonstrated action into simple words. Although the book has fewer illustrations of yoga techniques which was rather disappointing but the explanation behind `Japanese Yoga' concept was well handled by the author. I will certainty recommend this book to any student who is keen to understand the basic principles and the source behind various exercises discussed in the book and those who are keen to understand the primary connection between the body and mind.

affects you daily life from DAY ONE...., July 2, 2003
By J. Perre (Belgium)

'Japanese Yoga' is a surprising book that affects your daily life from day one that you practice it. The fact that I keep on practicing it everyday is a solid proof that the exercises are helpful in many ways.

The author H.E. DAVEY reveals in a clear and instructive way the teachings of NAKAMURA TEMPU SENSEI. Both the psychological and spiritual background of his method is written in a down-to-earth way and without acting as a 'guru'.

Each of the principles has a PRACTICAL pendant as an exercise or test to make you really feel what is meant. In this way these principles are not mere assumptions, but become true and real, here and now. For example: the principle that the mind moves and controls the body: the author includes several tests and exercises to make you find out for yourself what is meant.

The practice of Japanese Yoga has a lot to offer: stretching exercises, improvement of posture and breathing, centered movement, healing skills, meditation etc. These are not too difficult for most people, if practiced in the right frame of mind. And they are beneficial indeed.

The author suggests that there could follow a second volume of this book. I would be very pleased to read and learn more about Japanese Yoga.

H.E. Davey also wrote "Living the Japanese Arts and Ways", 45 paths to meditation and beauty. This volume further explores the Japanese Ways (do) and is equally interesting and revealing. It looks at "body-and-mind-unification" through the traditional crafts and arts of Japan.

Not Just a How-To Book, July 31, 2002
By Mike Donnelley

If you're just interested in whether I liked this book or not, I'll get that out of the way first. I enjoyed this book and I expect to read it again in the near future.

I should mention, before discussing the contents, that this book is well-constructed. I like to read on airplanes and took this book on several short trips. It not only fits well into carryon luggage, but also withstands the rigors of travel and hotels extremely well.

This is not just a how-to type of book. Readers will not be overwhelmed by images of slim, svelte individuals in contortionist stances or situations. Rather, this book discusses the mental process of meditation. Any physical postures or exercises mentioned seem to be designed to facilitate the meditation process, not merely to lose weight or fit in with the burgeoning yoga crowd.

I don't think there is any one good manner of addressing the mental processes, especially those of meditation. It is just too complicated an area. This author takes the approach of discussing some of the short-term goals of the incremental steps of his method, Shin-shin-toitsu-do, rather than ephemeral discussions of long-term, years-down-the-line goals. He repeats important points, usually from different angles and perspectives. This approach can be heavy-handed and burdensome, if not done correctly.

Mr. Davey keeps his approach light. Just when it seems he is going to spoil things, he is off on another tangent that brings the reader back to the same goal.

I couldn't read this book in one sitting, although it is not a ponderous tome. I felt the need to break it into many short, educational readings. Sometimes just a snippet, sometimes reading longer. The material was presented in an easy manner, free of self-importance, yet not disrespectful. I know I probably didn't pick up all the important material discussed, but I put it down with the feeling that I had found something that was important. I will read this book again, soon.

Excellent, easy to follow guide for all ages, August 27, 2001
Reviewer: A reader

This is an excellent resource for anyone interested in improving their mental and physical capabilities. It is more than a picture book of yoga poses; it is a thorough examination and guide to achieving a state of mind-body unification. The premise is "body reflects mind; mind reflects body" and a goal is positive relaxation. Japanese yoga (also known as "shin-shin-toitsu-do") was developed in the early 1900s by Nakamura Tempu Sensei, one of the first Japanese to receive a medical degree from the U.S. Who he was and how he came to combine yogic disciplines with his own discoveries and experiences is a fascinating story in itself; it also provides a solid foundation for the meditations and exercises to follow. In addition to demonstrating the stretches and movements designed to increase flexibility and coordination, the book offers practical ways to improve concentration and perception. Different forms of meditation and attention exercises are presented in a clear, concise manner-no shrouds of mystery or mysticism here, just a practical how-to guide that anyone with the inclination can follow. The book is applicable for all ages. The exercises are simple yet thoughtfully challenging (total mind-body unification can be a tall order), and there is enough variety not to be repetitive and boring. Davey is very good at taking us through each step. He explains not only the "how-to" for each but the "why" and "how" it relates to positive relaxation. I found this book immensely helpful and highly recommend it!

Simply click on the "Buy Now" button to order your BRAND NEW autographed copy of Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation for just $18.95. (PayPal and all major credit cards accepted.)

Who is H. E. Davey?

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H. E. Davey

H. E. Davey Sensei has received extensive instruction in Shin-shin-toitsu-do, a form of Japanese yoga founded by Nakamura Tempu Sensei in 1919. He practiced under four of Nakamura Sensei's senior disciples and is the sole American member of the Tempu Society, an organization founded by Mr. Nakamura. His training in Shin-shin-toitsu-do, or "The Way of Mind and Body Unification," has taken place in both Japan and the United States.

Mr. Davey has also received comprehensive instruction in Nakamura Sensei's methods of healing with ki ("life energy") and bodywork, which he teaches as well. Davey Sensei's emphasis is on yuki, or the "transference of ki," as a way of aiding recovery from illness or injury.

In addition, Davey Sensei studied shodo, or Japanese brush writing/ink painting, under Kobara Ranseki Sensei of Kyoto. Kobara Sensei, the late Shihan ("Headmaster") of Ranseki Ryu shodo, was also the Vice President of the Kokusai Shodo Bunka Koryu Kyokai, an international shodo association headquartered in Urayasu. Mr. Davey holds the highest rank in Ranseki Ryu and exhibits his artwork annually in Japan. He has received numerous awards in these international exhibitions, including Jun Taisho, or the "Associate Grand Prize."

H. E. Davey Sensei's involvement in Japanese cultural arts started during his childhood. He began studying the martial art of aiki-jujutsu at the age of five under his late father, who trained in Japan, and who held instructor certification from more than one Japanese martial arts association. Mr. Davey has also studied the martial arts extensively in both the U.S. and Japan. Davey Sensei presently is the highest-ranking person in North America in the Kokusai Budoin's Nihon Jujutsu and Kobudo Divisions. He received a seventh-degree black belt from the Kokusai Budoin, a worldwide martial arts federation sponsored by Japan's Imperial Family.

Davey Sensei's articles on Japanese arts and his calligraphy have appeared in such magazines as Karate Kung-Fu Illustrated, Furyu-The Budo Journal of Classical Japanese Martial Arts and Culture, The Journal of Asian Martial Arts, Body Mind Spirit, and Yoga Journal. His artwork and writings have been printed in Japanese publications such as Hokubei Mainichi, Nichibei Times, and Gendo. He is also the author of Unlocking the Secrets of Aiki-jujutsu (McGraw-Hill), Brush Meditation: A Japanese Way to Mind & Body Harmony (Stone Bridge Press), The Japanese Way of the Flower: Ikebana as Moving Meditation (Stone Bridge Press), Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation (Stone Bridge Press), and Living the Japanese Arts & Ways: 45 Paths to Meditation & Beauty (Stone Bridge Press), and The Japanese Way of the Artist (Stone Bridge Press). Brush Meditation was one of the top ten best-selling Stone Bridge Press books in 1999.

In 2003, Spirituality & Health magazine presented Davey Sensei with its Book of the Year award for Living the Japanese Arts & Ways: 45 Paths to Meditation & Beauty. Also in 2003, the same book was one of ForeWord magazine's top five books and a finalist for their Book of the Year award.

H. E. Davey Sensei is the Director of the Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts, President of the Sennin Foundation, Inc., and the editor of Michi Online: Journal of Japanese Cultural Arts.

Simply click on the "Buy Now" button to order your BRAND NEW autographed copy of Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation for just $18.95. (PayPal and all major credit cards accepted.)

The First Book in English on Nakamura Tempu's Japanese Yoga

2011-05-25T03:59:00.000-07:00

Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation
By H. E. Davey

Stone Bridge Press
ISBN 1-880656-60-4
224 pages
$18.95

For a limited time only, we're offering autographed copies of H. E. Davey Sensei's landmark book Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation for just $18.95. These are BRAND NEW copies of an out of print book, which is becoming increasingly hard to find and going up in price.

Emphasizing gentle stretching and meditation exercises, the ultimate goal of Japanese yoga (Shin-shin-toitsu-do) is enhanced mind/body integration, calmness, and willpower for a healthier and fuller life. Developed by Nakamura Tempu Sensei in the early 1900s from Indian Raja yoga, Japanese martial arts and meditation practices, as well as Western medicine and psychotherapy, Japanese yoga offers a new approach to experienced yoga students and a natural methodology that newcomers will find easy to learn.

After a brief history of Shin-shin-toitsu-do, H. E. Davey Sensei presents Mr. Nakamura's Four Basic Principles to Unify Mind and Body. These principles relate the meditative experience to the movement of everyday living and thus make it a "dynamic meditation." Each of the Four Basic Principles is illustrated with step-by-step explanations of practical experiments.

Readers are then introduced to different forms of seated and moving meditation, health exercises, and self-healing arts. All these are linked back to the Four Basic Principles and can enhance performance in art, music, business, sports, and other activities. Readers learn to use Japanese yoga techniques throughout the day, without having to sit on the floor or seek out a quiet space.

Included at the end of the book are simple but effective stretching exercises, information about ongoing practice, and a glossary and reference section. Amply illustrated and cogently presented, Japanese Yoga belongs on every mind/body/spirit reading list.

Synopsis
Based on the eclectic Western-Eastern teachings of Nakamura Tempu Sensei, this step-by-step introduction to Japanese yoga (Shin-shin-toitsu-do) presents stretching, healing, and meditation exercises designed for mind/body integration. It is the first book in English to detail the life and teachings of Mr. Nakamura. In Japanese yoga, which is based on mind and body unification principles, the ultimate goal is enhanced concentration, calmness, and willpower for a longer, healthier, and fuller life. H. E. Davey Sensei also shows how Japanese yoga relates to various classical Japanese arts as part of a tradition of spiritual practice with spiritual and aesthetic roots in India, Japan, and the West. Illustrated, with a glossary and reference section.

Reviews

"Will make many yogis feel right at home... Davey's readable, friendly guide is definitely worth a look."
— Yoga Journal, July 2002

Simply click on the "Buy Now" button to order your BRAND NEW autographed copy of Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation for just $18.95. (PayPal and all major credit cards accepted.)

The Essence of Japanese Yoga

2011-05-08T18:09:00.000-07:00

Four Basic Principles to Unify Mind and Body

1. Maintain a positive mind.

2. Train the mind to arrive at full concentration.

3. Use the body obeying the laws of nature.

4. Train the body progressively, systematically, and regularly.

Nakamura Tempu, founder of the Shin-shin-toitsu-do system of Japanese yoga and meditation

Simply click on the "Buy Now" button to order your BRAND NEW autographed copy of Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation for just $18.95. (PayPal and all major credit cards accepted.)

Free Japanese Yoga Class

2011-04-06T14:47:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, April 7, the Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts will offer a FREE introductory class in Japanese yoga and meditation. The class will start at 7 PM at 1053 San Pablo Ave., Albany, California. The teacher will be Kevin Heard Sensei, who has nearly 30 years of training. He will focus on principles of mind and body unification. To attend, call 510-526-7518, and leave your name, phone number, and indicate that you would like to participate. Wear loose clothing and arrive 10 minutes before the class starts. Take a look at the text below for more information.

Japanese Yoga & Meditation

Make a positive and life-altering decision. Consider adding Shin-shin-toitsu-do to your life, and discover a way of living rooted in health, happiness, and harmony.

Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

2011-03-11T08:00:00.001-08:00

Our thoughts go out to our friends and teachers in Japan, which was recently hit by a large earthquake and tsunami. We hope all our friends are OK, and we hope you will donate to help people in Japan. If you’re not sure how to do this, you can go to http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/japan-earthquake-tsunami-relief/.

An Amazon.com Review of Japanese Yoga

2011-02-23T16:52:00.000-08:00

5.0 out of 5 stars

Much more than yoga

December 30, 2010

By David Orman

If you are interested in anything Japanese, this is one of those books that you will find yourself reading multiple times. . . and still learning per each read.

When I first read the title, I anticipated teaching on stretching and perhaps breathing and other elements associated with traditional yoga, albeit from a Japanese perspective. This book does include these aspects but so much more. From visualization to Shodo and a dozen other topics in between, this book covers more of a lifestyle vs. a how-to-do-yoga.

I found it extremely helpful and would highly recommend it.

Simply click on the "Buy Now" button to order your BRAND NEW autographed copy of Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation for just $18.95. (PayPal and all major credit cards accepted.)

Movement

2011-02-13T15:24:00.000-08:00

Movement never lies. It is a barometer telling the state of the soul's weather. ~Martha Graham

The founder of Shin-shin-toitsu-do (Japanese yoga) also taught that the body reflects the mind, and that physical training can help us understand and develop concentration, willpower, a positive attitude, and other mental qualities. Learn more by reading Japanese Yoga by H. E. Davey. Order the book at www.senninfoundation.com.

Hashimoto Tetsuichi

2011-02-06T21:40:00.000-08:00

This is a recent photo of Hashimoto Tetsuichi Sensei, Sennin Foundation Senior Advisor. Hashimoto Sensei is a direct student of the founder of Shin-shin-toitsu-do, a system of Japanese yoga and meditation taught at the Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts in California. Hashimoto Sensei holds the highest teaching certification in this art.

Hashimoto Sensei is over 80 now, and he is one of the teachers of H. E. Davey Sensei, Sennin Foundation Director and author of Japanese Yoga. This picture was taken at his home in Tokyo by his son Hashimoto Koji, also a teacher of Japanese yoga.

Dream

2011-01-08T13:12:00.000-08:00

All men who have achieved great things have been great dreamers.

Orison Swett Marden

Nakamura Tempu was the creator of Japanese yoga, and as a young man he was inspired by the positive thinking advocated by Marden's writings. To learn more, pick up a copy of Japanese Yoga at http://senninfoundation.com/davey_yoga.html.

A Positive Mind

2011-01-05T12:45:00.000-08:00

Always turn a negative situation into a positive situation.

Michael Jordan

Japanese yoga aims at the culitvation of a positive mind through autosuggestion and meditation. Learn the art of meditation. Pick up a copy of Japanese Yoga at http://senninfoundation.com/davey_yoga.html

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T12:09:00.000-08:00

We hope all of the fans of the Japanese Yoga Facebook page and Japanese Yoga Blog have a very Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-20T13:56:00.001-08:00

Thanks to all the readers of Japanese Yoga for their interest and support in 2010. Thanks as well to all our friends for supporting this blog. We hope everyone has very Happy Holidays and a great New Year.

Fudoshin Calligraphy

2010-11-09T17:10:00.000-08:00

This is H. E. Davey’s calligraphy of fudoshin, or “immovable mind.” You can click on the images to enlarge them.

Fudoshin is the goal of many Japanese arts and forms of meditation. It doesn’t describe a rigid, hardheaded state of mind, but rather a condition of complete mental stability, one that isn’t easily disturbed by whatever comes up in life.

It is painted using sosho and gyosho scripts, in the style of master calligrapher Kobara Ranseki Sensei. This piece of artwork was featured in Furyu magazine, along with the books Brush Meditation and The Japanese Way of the Artist.

All skillful Japanese calligraphy should display a unity of calm and action. In this case, Davey Sensei’s brushwork is so dynamic that it appears to be moving, but each character is still balanced and composed. This is the result of over 25 years of shodo training in the USA and Japan.

You can commission Davey Sensei, Japanese Yoga author, to create this fudoshin calligraphy for your home, office, or meditation room. He can be contacted at hedavey@aol.com.

Japanese Yoga

2010-11-07T12:46:00.000-08:00

"Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation" is the first and only book in English on the original Shin-shin-toitsu-do system of Japanese yoga. It received outstanding reviews in various magazines around the world, including "Yoga Journal "in the USA and "Tempu" magazine in Japan. On Amazon.com, Borders.com, and Barnes & Noble.com, it received an overall five star top rating, but you can't get BRAND NEW autographed copies of this out of print book from anyone but us!

How to Order

Simply click on the "Buy Now" button to order your BRAND NEW autographed copy of "Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation" for just $18.95. (PayPal and all major credit cards accepted.) Go to http://senninfoundation.com/davey_yoga.html to order your copy today.

Unification of Mind and Body

2010-10-31T19:27:00.000-07:00

Unification of mind and body releases an extraordinary power. How to unify mind and body is fully detailed in Japanese Yoga. Go to http://senninfoundation.com/davey_yoga.html to order your copy today.

Stretching for Health

2010-10-31T19:23:00.000-07:00

Stretching for health is important for everyone. You can learn simple stretching exercises in Japanese Yoga.

Go to http://senninfoundation.com/davey_yoga.html to order your copy today.

Self-Healing

2010-10-31T19:20:00.000-07:00

Japanese yoga includes massage-like forms of self-healing. These methods are used for preventing health problems and the healing of common injuries and ailments. You can learn simple self-healing in Japanese Yoga. Go to http://senninfoundation.com/davey_yoga.html to order your copy today.

About the Author of "Japanese Yoga"

2010-10-19T11:10:00.000-07:00

"I would like to recognize and praise H. E. Davey Sensei's long years of great effort and sincere teaching of Shin-shin-toitsu-do, or Japanese yoga. In Japan, there are a number of teachers of the methods discovered by Nakamura Tempu Sensei, founder of Shin-shin-toitsu-do. I am one of ...those teachers, but we teach on the average of once a month at best. With the exception of the late Nakamura Sensei, Davey Sensei is the only member of the Tempu Society that is a fulltime instructor of Shin-shin-toitsu-do."

"More and more people in Japan are coming to know of Davey Sensei's teachings and practices across the Pacific Ocean (as well as the activities of his students and assistant instructors). They are greatly impressed—especially by the fact that Master Davey has been teaching Japanese yoga professionally almost every day for many years. Our head of the Tempu Society in Japan, Mr. Omi Koji, is among the people that admire Master Davey's talents and efforts." — Sawai Atsuhiro Sensei is a direct student of Nakamura Tempu Sensei, the founder of Japanese yoga. He has attained the highest level of instructor certification in Japanese yoga, and he is one of the most advanced practitioners of Shin-shin-toitsu-do in Japan. He began studying Shin-shin-toitsu-do in 1958, and he eventually served as a personal assistant to Nakamura Sensei.

Simply click on the "Buy Now" button to order your BRAND NEW autographed copy of Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation for just $18.95. (PayPal and all major credit cards accepted.)

Purchase Japanese Yoga

2010-10-19T11:06:00.000-07:00

"Japanese Yoga" can be purchased at http://senninfoundation.com/davey_yoga.html

Art of Japanese Yoga

2010-10-19T11:04:00.000-07:00

Vist the Art of Japanese Yoga blog to learn more about Japanese yoga and meditation (http://artofjapaneseyoga.blogspot.com/2008/06/what-is-japanese-yoga.html)

New Teachers of Japanese Yoga

2010-06-25T13:21:00.000-07:00

The Sennin Foundation Center has two new teachers of Japanese yoga: Wesley Keppel Henry Sensei and Troy Swenson Sensei. They both received Shihan–dai (“Associate Instructor”) certification, and they are now teaching Shin-shin-toitsu-do classes for children and adults at the Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts in Albany, California.

Swenson Sensei also recently received Menkyo Shodan in Saigo Ryu, which is the first classical teaching license in this form of martial arts. Keppel-Henry Sensei is working toward teaching certification in Saigo Ryu as well, and both instructors are studying Japanese healing arts at our dojo. Swenson Sensei is also practicing in our Integrated Shodo & Meditation program, where he is learning the ancient art of Japanese brush calligraphy.

Congratulations to Keppel-Henry Sensei and Swenson Sensei! To learn more about Japanese forms of yoga, healing arts, fine arts, and martial arts, visit www.senninfoundation.com.

Free Japanese Yoga & Martial Arts Classes

2010-05-03T12:21:00.000-07:00

On May 6, 2010 the Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts in California will offer introductory classes in Japanese yoga and martial arts. The Japanese yoga class, which will start at 7 PM, will feature yoga and meditation principles. It will be an introduction to how these principles of mind and body unification can help us in Japanese yoga and daily life.

The class is free to both Sennin Foundation members and the public. The instructor will be Kevin Heard Sensei, who has been studying Japanese yoga, healing arts, and martial arts for over 25 years. He has a Shihan teaching license in Japanese yoga, a very advanced rank.

Following the Japanese yoga training, Heard Sensei will present an optional introduction to Saigo Ryu aiki-jujutsu, a traditional Japanese martial art. Since he will incorporate Japanese yoga principles of mind and body unification in the martial arts practice, participation in the preceding Japanese yoga instruction is required. Heard Sensei has an advanced teaching license in Saigo Ryu, and he has received a fifth-degree black belt from the Shudokan Martial Arts Association Jujutsu Division (www.smaa-hq.com).

If you and/or your friends would like to participate, please call 510-526-7518 (PM) to register. Then, drop by 1053 San Pablo Ave. in Albany, California at 6:45 PM. If you are not already a Sennin Foundation member, you will need to fill out a registration form and waiver. Wear loose clothing and bring a notebook.

After the class, you will have a chance to purchase related books and CD-ROMs, and you and/or your friends can also make arrangements to join the Sennin Foundation Center if you like. We hope you will make plans to attend this special event.

Troy Swenson Receives Japanese Yoga Teaching Certification

2010-03-30T13:43:00.000-07:00

Sennin Foundation member Troy Swenson recently received Shihan-dai ("Associate Instructor") certification in the Shin-shin-toitsu-do system of Japanese yoga and meditation. Swenson Sensei also studies in the Sennin Foundation's healing arts, martial arts, and fine arts programs. He is working toward teaching certification in these disciplines as well. Mr. Swenson joined the Sennin Foundation Center in 2005, and he lives in El Sobrante, California. He works as a structural engineer. For more information about Japanese yoga, visit http://www.senninfoundation.com/.

Purchase "Japanese Yoga"

2010-02-04T10:03:00.001-08:00

Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation is out of print, but you can still get NEW, signed copies of this important book from the Sennin Foundation Center. You can order it using PayPal or major credit cards. Just drop by http://www.senninfoundation.com/davey_yoga.html. Be sure to check out the reviews and information on this blog for more information about Japanese Yoga.

Free Japanese Yoga Class

2010-01-04T11:05:00.000-08:00

On January 7, the Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts will offer a FREE introductory class. The class, which will start at 7 PM, will feature Japanese yoga and meditation principles. It will be an introduction to how these principles of mind and body unification can help us in Japanese yoga and daily life. The class is open to both Sennin Foundation members and the general public.The instructor for this class will be Kevin Heard Sensei, who has been studying Japanese yoga for over 25 years. He has a Shihan teaching license, a very advanced rank.If you and/or your friends would like to participate, please call 510-526-7518 (PM). Then, drop by 1053 San Pablo Ave. in Albany, California at 6:45 PM. If you are not already a Sennin Foundation member, you will need to fill out a registration form and waiver. Wear loose clothing and bring a notebook.After the class, you will have a chance to purchase related books and CD-ROMs, and you and/or your friends can also make arrangements to join the Sennin Foundation Center if you like.

Anjo Daza Ho Meditation CD

2009-05-26T13:25:00.001-07:00

The Sennin Foundation Center is now offering a new Anjo Daza Ho Meditation CD for just $8.95 (plus $2.00 U.S. shipping, $5.00 international). This unique CD is only sold by us, and it features the soothing sound of a classic Japanese meditation bell, timed at particular intervals, which can be used for Anjo Daza Ho meditation (as described in H. E. Davey Sensei's book Japanese Yoga). These kane, Japanese bowl-shaped bells, aren't widely available outside of Japan, and Anjo Daza Ho uses this sound to powerfully focus the mind for meditation. A special buzzer can also be used to effectively concentrate the mind, and this distinctive hum is included in our new CD as well.

The CD contains two tracks: one for beginners and one for more advanced meditators. The beginners' track features a longer sound, with shorter periods of silence, making it easier for novices to initially focus the mind and requiring them to maintain the meditative state for shorter periods. It lasts about 30 minutes.

The track for advanced students uses shorter periods of sound, with longer intervals of quiet, encouraging more adept meditators to focus the mind rapidly, and sustain soundless meditative consciousness for longer periods. This track is also about 30 minutes in length.

The production of this extraordinary CD was personally supervised by H. E. Davey Sensei, author of Japanese Yoga, and internationally acclaimed teacher of Japanese yoga and meditation. It represents your chance to more easily practice Anjo Daza Ho, a potent meditation created by Nakamura Tempu Sensei, the renowned founder of the Shin-shin-toitsu-do system of Japanese yoga and meditation. With our Anjo Daza Ho Meditation CD, you can experience heightened calmness, relaxation, concentration, and willpower.

You can order this meditation tool by visiting

http://senninfoundation.com/meditation_cd.html. Once there, you can buy your CD using a major credit card or your PayPal account. Transactions are handled via PayPal and are safe and secure.

Free Classes!

2009-02-03T12:20:00.001-08:00

On Thursday, February 5 the Sennin Foundation Center in Albany, California will be offering free introductions to Japanese yoga and meditation as well as Japanese martial arts. The classes will be taught by Kevin Heard Sensei, a Sennin Foundation instructor with over 20 years of experience. These classes are for age 14 and up, and we hope you'll participate. Please let your friends and family know about this special event, too. It's open to the public.Our free introduction to Japanese yoga and meditation (Shin-shin-toitsu-do) will start at 7 PM, but if you aren't a Sennin Foundation member, you should arrive at 6:45 PM to fill out a registration form. Loose clothing and a notebook is recommended.

Following this class will be an introduction to Japanese martial arts (Saigo Ryu aiki-jujutsu). Since principles covered in the previous class will be referenced in our martial arts training, participation in Japanese yoga is required. However, the introductory martial arts class is optional.You and your friends will need to reserve a place for this limited attendance event. To do so, just call 510-526-7518. Leave your name, and let us know that you want to participate on February 5. We hope to see you there!

FREE Classes

2009-01-06T12:11:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, January 8 the Sennin Foundation Center will be offering free introductions to Japanese yoga and meditation as well as Japanese martial arts. The classes will be taught by H. E. Davey Sensei, Sennin Foundation Director. These classes are for age 14 and up, and we hope you'll participate. Please let your friends and family know about this special event, too. It's open to the public.

Our free introduction to Japanese yoga and meditation (Shin-shin-toitsu-do) will start at 7 PM, but if you aren't a Sennin Foundation member, you should arrive at 6:45 PM to fill out a registration form. Loose clothing and a notebook is recommended.

"Japanese Yoga" Reviewed at Reader Views

2008-12-10T04:40:00.000-08:00

Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation
H.E. Davey

Stone Bridge Press (2007)

ISBN 9781880656600

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (3/07)

(From http://www.readerviews.com/)

“Japanese Yoga: the Way of Dynamic Meditation” introduces the form of Shin-shin-toitsu-do, which means “the way of mind and body unification.” The author describes it as “the direct investigation of universal principles for living.” He believes that we can transform our lives by following this practice. It was created by Dr. Nakamura Tempu, also a sensei, when he went to India in the early 1900’s to study yoga. In developing Shin-shin-toitsu-do Dr. Tempu incorporated his knowledge of martial arts, western medicine and psychology, and healing into this form.

My personal interests lie in Japanese martial arts and healing. I am pursuing my third degree black belt in karate and have been attuned to mastery level in Reiki. I was very excited to read “Japanese Yoga,” because I felt that in addition to assisting me with my everyday life, it will also help me to achieve my next levels of training in the other art forms. Physically and mentally, I will benefit, especially as I feel myself physically aging. I also think that incorporating something new into my life will bring an additional excitement to my training.

2008-12-09T14:39:00.000-08:00

The Writings of H. E. Davey

Selected Publications
Listed below are some of H. E. Davey’s award-winning books

Unlocking the Secrets of Aiki-jujutsu (McGraw-Hill)

“H. E. Davey’s book provides a useful overview of this fascinating art and a sampling of techniques from Saigo-ryu aikijujutsu . . . I would recommend Davey’s book to readers who are unfamiliar with aikijujutsu and looking for a concise introduction to this somewhat esoteric martial art.”
Journal of Asian Martial Arts
The first book in English about the techniques, history, and philosophy of aiki-jujutsu, a Japanese martial art. Published in 1997, Unlocking the Secrets of Aiki-jujutsu features Introductions by Sato Shizuya (jujutsu 10th degree black belt), Kawabata Terutaka (kobudo 9th degree), and Walter Todd (judo 8th degree, aikido 6th degree), among the world’s highest ranking martial arts experts.

Brush Meditation: A Japanese Way to Mind & Body Harmony (Stone Bridge Press)

“H. E. Davey combines a remarkable technical facility in the Japanese art of the brush with a deep understanding of its spiritual profundities. His book offers a marvelous practical introduction to Japanese calligraphy as well as insights into the essence of the art.”
Dave Lowry, author of Sword and Brush and numerous works on Japanese culture

One of the top ten best selling Stone Bridge Press books of 1999, Brush Meditation details the time-honored art of Japanese calligraphy and how it functions as meditation in motion. Read more about the book at http://brushmeditation.blogspot.com/. Read an excerpt here: http://books.google.com/books?id=HccZLz4VFvoC.

The Japanese Way of the Flower: Ikebana as Moving Meditation (Stone Bridge Press)

“A very welcome addition to students of Japanese culture, interior decorators, florists, and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in floral arrangements, The Japanese Way of the Flower is an impressive, authoritative, and comprehensive introduction.”
Internet Book Watch

Ikebana is the art of Japanese flower arrangement, and The Japanese Way of the Flower shows how it can lead to a deeper connection with nature and life. Published in 2000, it received numerous positive reviews. Read more about the book at http://japanesewayoftheflower.blogspot.com/.

Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation (Stone Bridge Press)

“Will make many yogis feel right at home... Davey's readable, friendly guide is definitely worth a look.”
Yoga Journal

The first book in English on the Shin-shin-toitsu-do system of Japanese yoga and meditation. Published in 2001, it received top reviews around the globe, including favorable comments from Yoga Journal in the USA and Tempu magazine in Japan. Yoga Japonesa: O Caminho da Meditacao Dinamica, the Brazilian version of Japanese Yoga was published by Editora Cultrix in 2003. Read more about the book at http://japaneseyoga.blogspot.com/. Read an excerpt here: http://books.google.com/books?id=285lqWlQpq4C.

Living the Japanese Arts & Ways: 45 Paths to Meditation & Beauty (Stone Bridge Press)

“Demonstrating the Japanese aesthetic of elegance (shibumi), Davey uses words with clarity and simplicity to describe the non-word realm of practicing these arts--calligraphy, martial arts, tea ceremonies, painting--and the spiritual meaning of such practice.”
Publishers Weekly

Published in 2002, Living the Japanese Arts & Ways covers many classical Japanese arts and crafts, showing that universal principles of mind-body harmony underlie disciplines as diverse as martial arts, calligraphy, tea ceremony, flower arrangement, and other art forms. In 2003, Spirituality & Health magazine presented H. E. Davey with its Book of the Year Award for Living the Japanese Arts & Ways. The same book was one of ForeWord magazine's top five books and a finalist for their Book of the Year Award. Read more about the book at http://japaneseartsandways.blogspot.com/. Read an excerpt here: http://books.google.com/books?id=ywgRtQC-YdsC.

The Japanese Way of the Artist (Stone Bridge Press)

Published in 2007, this anthology features some of H. E. Davey’s most popular books: Brush Meditation, The Japanese Way of the Flower, and Living the Japanese Arts & Ways. Three complete works, with an all new and detailed Introduction by the author. Read more about the book at http://japanesewayoftheartist.blogspot.com/.

Selected Magazines and Newspapers

H. E. Davey’s articles and Japanese calligraphic art have been featured in magazines and newspapers throughout the United States and Japan. Some of these publications are listed below.

· Body Mind Spirit
· Excellence: A Magazine about Porsche Cars
· Furyu: Journal of Classical Japanese Martial Arts and Culture
· Gendo
· Hokubei Mainichi
· Journal of Asian Martial Arts
· Karate Kung-Fu Illustrated
· Miata Magazine
· Miracles Magazine
· Nichibei Times
· Porsche Panorama
· Seeds of Unfolding: Spiritual Ideas for Daily Living
· Shudokan Martial arts Association Journal
· Yoga Journal

Discover Japanese Yoga & Meditation

2008-12-09T12:45:00.000-08:00

Shin-shin-toitsu-do is the form of Japanese yoga and meditation offered at the Sennin Foundation Center (http://www.senninfoundation.com/). Shin-shin-toitsu-do, “The Way of Mind and Body Unification,” was founded in the early 1900s by Nakamura Tempu Sensei. Nakamura Sensei lived in India, where he studied the art of Raja yoga, the yoga of meditation. After studying medicine at Columbia University, he blended Indian meditation and health improvement with his background in medicine, psychology, Japanese healing arts and meditation, and Japanese martial arts. He taught for many years in Japan, authored best-selling books, and counted among his students a large number of Japan’s top executives, politicians, fine artists, athletes, martial artists, and people from every walk of life. But few Westerners have yet been exposed to these extraordinary teachings.

H. E. Davey Sensei, Director of the Sennin Foundation Center, has studied with several of Nakamura Sensei’s top students, including Hashimoto Tetsuichi Sensei and Sawai Atsuhiro Sensei. Both teachers are Senior Advisors to the Sennin Foundation Center, and Davey Sensei began studying Shin-shin-toitsu-do as a child. He is the award-winning author of the book Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation (Stone Bridge Press), which was featured in Yoga Journal in the U.S. and Tempu magazine in Japan. He’s also a member of Tempu-Kai, the Japanese association that preserves the legacy of Nakamura Sensei.

Our Shin-shin-toitsu-do class offers you practical forms of seated and moving meditation, breathing methods for health, stretching exercises, autosuggestion for altering negative habits, stress management, and self-healing techniques that are little-known in the West. Emphasis is also placed on the development of ki (chi in Chinese). Ki amounts to life energy, and its cultivation has a profound effect on mental and physical health. You, like many of our students, may experience greatly enhanced concentration, willpower, calmness, relaxation, and physical fitness. Make a positive and life-altering decision. Consider adding Shin-shin-toitsu-do to your life, and discover a way of living rooted in health, happiness, and harmony.

27th Anniversary

2008-12-09T12:33:00.000-08:00

“Serving Albany, Berkeley, El Cerrito, Kensington, Oakland, Richmond, Martinez, San Pablo, Hercules, Pinole, El Sobrante, Emeryville, San Francisco, San Rafael, Piedmont, and the Bay Area since 1981.”

In November, the Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts celebrated its 27th anniversary with separate workshops in Japanese yoga/meditation and martial arts. Practice kicked off with martial arts training that focused on Saigo Ryu aiki-jujutsu, a traditional Japanese martial discipline. This was followed by Shin-shin-toitsu-do (Japanese yoga) practice, which began with 30 minutes of meditation, followed by mind and body unification training.

A special lunch took place at the nearby Ruen Pair Thai restaurant. To learn more about the Sennin Foundation Center, visit www.senninfoundation.com.

Free Introductory Classes!

2008-11-25T13:38:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, December 2 the Sennin Foundation Center will be offering free introductions to Japanese yoga and meditation as well as Japanese martial arts. The classes will be taught by Kevin Heard Sensei, a Sennin Foundation instructor with over 20 years of experience. These classes are for age 14 and up, and we hope you'll participate. Please let your friends and family know about this special event, too. It's open to the public.

Our free introduction to Japanese yoga and meditation (Shin-shin-toitsu-do) will start at 7 PM, but if you aren't a Sennin Foundation member, you should arrive at 6:45 PM to fill out a registration form. Loose clothing and a notebook is recommended.

Following this class will be an introduction to Japanese martial arts (Saigo Ryu aiki-jujutsu). Since principles covered in the previous class will be referenced in our martial arts training, participation in Japanese yoga is required. However, the introductory martial arts class is optional.

You and your friends will need to reserve a place for this limited attendance event. To do so, just call 510-526-7518. Leave your name, and let us know that you want to participate on December 2. We hope to see you there!

"Japanese Yoga" Contents

2008-05-29T15:54:00.000-07:00

CONTENTS

8 PREFACE

8 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

20 A NOTE ON THE JAPANESE LANGUAGE

23 CHAPTER 1
Nakamura Tempu and the Origins of Japanese Yoga

39 CHAPTER 2
Introduction to Mind & Body Unification

55 CHAPTER 3
Principles of the Mind

97 CHAPTER 4

Principles of the Body

121 CHAPTER 5
Muga Ichi-nen Ho Meditation

143 CHAPTER 6
Anjo Daza Ho Meditation

163 CHAPTER 7
Yodo Ho Psychophysical Exercises

179 CHAPTER 8
Hitori Ryoho Self-healing

215 CHAPTER 9
Simple Stretching Exercises for Health

231 AFTERWORD

235 SOURCES FOR INSTRUCTION & SUPPLIES

236 NOTES

237 GLOSSARY

Copies of Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation can be ordered from the Sennin Foundation Center by clicking here: http://www.senninfoundation.com/davey_yoga.html

Nakamura Tempu Blog

2008-05-29T15:17:00.000-07:00

Want to learn more about Nakamura Tempu Sensei and his system of Japanese yoga and meditation? Drop by our sister blog Nakamura Tempu & Japanese Yoga. Just go to http://nakamuratempu.blogspot.com/. You can also find out more about these subjects by visiting http://www.senninfoundation.com/.

How can I Learn Japanese Yoga?

2008-05-28T09:33:00.000-07:00

Shin-shin-toitsu-do, commonly known as Japanese yoga in the West, is rarely taught outside of Japan. At this time, the only school outside of Asia offering full time professional instruction in the original methods of Shin-shin-toitsu-do, as created by Nakamura Tempu Sensei, is the Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Sennin Foundation Center was established in 1981 by H. E. Davey Sensei.

We’re located in Albany, just across the bay from San Francisco and right next to Berkeley. Our dojo, or training hall, can easily be found at 1053 San Pablo Avenue, in a safe, well-lit neighborhood only 1 1/2 miles from both the El Cerrito Plaza and North Berkeley BART stations. AC Transit's 72 bus stops right in front of our dojo. To see a map of our location, click here.

Visits are by appointment, and appointments can be scheduled by visiting http://www.senninfoundation.com/ or by calling 510-526-7518 in the evenings. Be sure to ask about our free introductory classes.

For individuals living outside Northern California, seminar instruction is a possibility. Davey Sensei has presented seminars in Japanese yoga and meditation throughout the USA, and depending on his schedule, he may be willing to conduct a seminar in your location. Contact the Sennin Foundation Center to discuss the details of bringing him to your town to teach Japanese yoga.

Along the same lines, we've offered “crash courses” in Japanese yoga and meditation for out of town guests in the past. Such courses are a combination of group and private instruction. Plan on being in Albany for at least one week, and be sure to contact us to discuss the cost and details of your short term course well in advance of your arrival.

For interested parties that are unable to visit California or sponsor a seminar in their area, we offer Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation. This is the first and only book in English on the original Shin-shin-toitsu-do of Nakamura Sensei. It’s out of print, but you can still order new, signed copies by going here: http://www.senninfoundation.com/davey_yoga.html.

Davey Sensei regularly corresponds with readers of his many books via e-mail. He’s willing to answer questions, making the use of his book Japanese Yoga even more effective for people that are unable to practice at the Sennin Foundation Center.

"Japanese Yoga" and PayPal

2008-05-27T15:14:00.000-07:00

How to Purchase Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation

Japanese Yoga can be purchased easily and safely through PayPal. It's simple to set up a PayPal account, and if you don't wish to do this, PayPal will accept most major credit cards. You can read more about PayPal here: https://www.paypal.com/. This really is one of the safest ways to transfer funds on the Internet, and it's effectively used by a huge number of people each day.

To buy Japanese Yoga with a credit card, or through your PayPal account, just go here: http://www.senninfoundation.com/davey_yoga.html. And if you don't want to use either of these approaches, the Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts will accept postal money orders. You can contact them here: http://www.senninfoundation.com/.

But don't wait too long as this book is out of print. For a limited time only, the Sennin Foundation Center is offering autographed copies of H. E. Davey Sensei's landmark book Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation for just $18.95. These are BRAND NEW copies of an out of print book, which is becoming increasingly hard to find and going up in price.

The Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts

2008-05-27T14:50:00.000-07:00

About the Sennin Foundation Center

H. E. Davey Sensei is not only the acclaimed author of Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation, he's also the Director of the Sennin Foundation Center. You can visit the Sennin Foundation Center at http://www.senninfoundation.com/.

The Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts has been offering instruction in traditional Japanese arts under experienced, certified teachers since 1981. Established in California by H. E. Davey Sensei, it presents separate training in Japanese systems of yoga, healing arts, martial arts, and fine arts. Ongoing classes are available to people of all ages and levels of health, including classes for children ages five and up.

Members of the Sennin Foundation Center have access to the rich traditions of Japan's cultural arts through practice in the group's classical dojo (literally, "training hall of the Way"). Much more than simply a school or studio, an authentic dojo is a gateway into the timeless realm of Asian art and personal development, allowing members of the Sennin Foundation Center to realize vibrant well-being and longevity. In fact, the word "Sennin" describes the ancient Japanese equivalent of a yogi. The Sennin were known for their high degree of enlightenment, splendid health, and according to some ancient myths, their ability to attain immortality. This same emphasis on spiritual realization and physical fitness is stressed by the Sennin Foundation, thus the use of the term Sennin.

H. E. Davey Sensei, and by extension the Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts, is affiliated with a number of elite organizations, which serves to illustrate the group's close ties with Japan and the nature of the Sennin Foundation's programs. Some of these professional affiliations are as follows:

Zaidan Hojin Tempu-Kai (The Tempu Society)--A Tokyo-based organization founded by the late Nakamura Tempu Sensei. Mr. Nakamura was the originator of Shin-shin-toitsu-do, a distinctive form of Japanese yoga based on mind and body unification.

Ranseki Sho Juku (Ranseki Japanese Calligraphy Institute)--A private San Francisco Bay Area study group for shodo, or Japanese brush writing practiced as meditation and fine art, which was headed by the late Kobara Ranseki Sensei, Headmaster of Ranseki Ryu shodo. Most of the late Kobara Sensei's students are now studying shodo with H. E. Davey Sensei and Miyauchi Somei Sensei. They are teaching at the Wanto Shodo-Kai (East Bay Japanese Calligraphy Association) in Oakland, California.

Kokusai Shodo Bunka Koryu Kyokai (International Japanese Calligraphy and Cultural Exchange Association)--Headquartered in Urayasu, Japan, this international organization is sponsored by Japan's Ministry of Education.

Kokusai Budoin (International Martial Arts Federation)--The Kokusai Budoin of Tokyo (http://www.imaf.com/) is sponsored by Japan's Imperial family and acts as a worldwide umbrella organization for most traditional Japanese martial arts and ways.

Shudokan Budo-Kai (Shudokan Martial Arts Association)--The SMAA is an international coalition of Japanese and Western experts, featuring martial artists from a variety of different systems. With members in several nations, the group works toward the preservation and cultivation of classical Japanese martial arts and ways.

International Hoplology Society--A unique scholarly organization founded by the late Donn F. Draeger Sensei, regarded by some as the world's foremost Western Japanese martial arts authority, author, and historian. The IHS is based in the USA and dedicated to studying the effects of the martial arts and ways on civilizations throughout history.

The Sennin Foundation, Inc.--A federally tax-exempt, nonprofit corporation, which is headquartered in California, and which promotes the study of Japanese cultural arts for personal transformation. The Sennin Foundation, Inc. sponsors Michi Online: Journal of Japanese Cultural Arts (www.michionline.org), an electronic journal and online resource for the Japanese arts community. You can read more about Davey Sensei's many books at the Sennin Foundation web site: http://www.senninfoundation.com/publications.html

What is Japanese Yoga?

2008-05-27T14:35:00.000-07:00

Shin-shin-toitsu-do: Japanese Yoga & Meditation

The primary and most vital area of study at the Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts is the practice of Japanese yoga (Shin-shin-toitsu-do). This art, inspired by the teachings of Nakamura Tempu Sensei, includes stretching exercises, seated meditation, moving meditation, breathing exercises, healing arts, and health improvement methods. The goal of these techniques is the realization of one's full potential in everyday life through the unification of mind and body.

In Japan, a number of time-honored everyday activities (such as making tea, arranging flowers, painting, and writing) have traditionally been examined deeply by their proponents. Students study how to make tea, perform martial arts, or write with a brush in the most skillful way possible--namely, to express themselves with maximum efficiency and minimum strain.

Through this efficient, adroit, and creative performance, they arrive at art. But if they continue to delve even more deeply into their art, they discover principles that are truly universal, principles relating to life itself. Then, the art of brush writing becomes shodo--the "way of the brush"--while the art of arranging flowers is elevated to the status of kado--the "way of flowers." Through these "ways" or "do" forms ("tao" in Chinese), the Japanese have sought to realize the way of living itself. They have approached the universal through the particular.

Yet grasping the ultimate nature of life--the principles and way of the Universe--is seemingly a large-scale undertaking. (The Universe is infinite after all.) For this reason, it isn't difficult to understand the traditional emphasis on approaching the universal via a profound, ongoing examination of a particular way. Still, we must wonder if it isn't possible to discover the essence of living, and universal principles relating to all aspects of life, directly?

In 1919, Nakamura Tempu Sensei, upon returning from studying yoga in India, began to share with others principles and exercises that he felt were universal and not dependent on a particular art; that is, concepts relating to all activities and all people regardless of age, sex, or race. Methods that have observable and repeatable results, along with principles and exercises that can withstand objective scrutiny, were of primary importance to him.

These concepts and techniques were created to encourage humanity to see into its true nature . . . to realize that life is art. And just as a sculptor or painter can shape clay or brushed images into their own vision of beauty, we can shape our lives. But, just as an artist needs certain qualities to create a painting or a piece of music, we also have the same needs.

No art takes place without inspiration. Every artist needs an effective knowledge of his or her tools. (Does a certain brush function well with a particular kind of paint, etc.?) What's more, an effective technique for using your tools is indispensable. Likewise, to express ourselves skillfully, with maximum efficiency and minimum effort, we also need to investigate the most effective ways of using our minds and bodies . . . since our minds and bodies are, in the end, the only tools we truly possess in life.

Nakamura Sensei wrote that upon examining what we see taking place in daily life, it becomes clear that people need certain qualities to adeptly express themselves in living:

Tai-ryoku: "the power of the body," physical strength, health, and endurance
Tan-ryoku: "the power of courage"
Handan-ryoku: "the power of decision," good judgment
Danko-ryoku: "the power of determination," willpower for resolute and decisive action
Sei-ryoku: "the power of vitality," energy or life power for endurance and perseverance
No-ryoku: "the power of ability," the capacity for wide-ranging ability and dexterous action

Yet most importantly, he came to realize that as the mind and body represent our most fundamental tools, if we are to artistically express ourselves in life, we must be able to use these tools naturally, effectively, and in coordination with each other. It is this ability to effectively use and unite our minds and bodies--the most basic parts of us--that allows for freedom of action and skilled self-expression.

It is common knowledge that the mind moves and controls each part of the body. Of course, in the instance of the lungs and various internal organs, this regulation is being exerted unconsciously through the autonomic nervous system. In essence, the mind directs the body, with the body ultimately reflecting one's mental state. Through the medium of the autonomic nervous system, the mind and body remain unified, and it is essential to realize this if one is to learn any activity, including Japanese yoga, effectively. However, because of the relationship between the mind and the body, the mind can positively or negatively influence the built-in mind-body connection. (When this tie is weak, one may observe a Japanese yoga exercise demonstrated by a teacher, or in a book, fully comprehend it mentally or intellectually, and still fail to physically respond in the proper manner.)

Realizing the relationship between the mind and body, Nakamura Sensei envisioned his basic principles as being a means by which people could discover for themselves how to coordinate their two most basic tools in life, and additionally, learn how to "regulate and strengthen their autonomic nervous systems." Using his background in Western medicine (he obtained a medical degree while studying in the USA), Nakamura Tempu Sensei conducted biological research dealing with the human nervous system, and the unification of mind and body, to accomplish this goal. The result was his Four Basic Principles to Unify Mind and Body:

Four Basic Principles to Unify Mind and Body

Use the mind positively.
Use the mind with full concentration.
Use the body obeying the laws of Nature.
Train the body progressively, systematically, and regularly.

The Four Basic Principles to Unify Mind and Body are the broad means by which Nakamura Sensei aimed to aid people in uncovering for themselves their true potential and freedom of expression in life. They are a way of discovering that life can be lived as art. At the same time, he realized that by training in exercises based on these concepts, men, women, and children had an opportunity to cultivate the previously mentioned six qualities and other important character traits.

H. E. Davey Sensei, Director of the Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts, is believed to be the sole American member of the Tempu Society. He has studied under several of Nakamura Sensei's top students, including Sawai Atsuhiro Sensei and Hashimoto Tetsuichi Sensei, who act as special advisors to the Sennin Foundation Center and the Sennin Foundation, Inc.

Hashimoto Sensei has practiced Japanese yoga for over 40 years, and in 1994, he wrote:

"H. E. Davey has shown great diligence in his study of the Shin-shin-toitsu-do method of Japanese yoga. As an expert in the arts of Japan, particularly classical brush writing and the martial arts, he has thoroughly researched the relationship of Shin-shin-toitsu-do to these skills."

He also commended Davey Sensei for his attainments and indicated his wish to "fully endorse him as an educator." In 2001, Stone Bridge Press published Davey Sensei's book Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation. It is now out of print, but new and signed copies can still be purchased from the Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts. To get your own autographed copy, go here: http://www.senninfoundation.com/davey_yoga.html

The Founder of Japanese Yoga

2008-05-27T14:16:00.000-07:00

THE CHRONOLOGICAL BIOGRAPHY OF NAKAMURA TEMPU

By Sawai Atsuhiro and H. E. Davey

Photos Courtesy of Sawai Atsuhiro

1876

Nakamura Tempu Sensei was born on July 30 at Oji Mura, Toyoshima Gun, Tokyo Fu (presently known as Oji, Kitaku, Tokyo To). His father was Sukeoki, and his mother was Chou. He was born Nakamura Saburo, their third son.

Nakamura Sukeoki was from the Yanagawa Clan (1) in Kyushu and a high-ranking central government official, Director of the Department of the Mint in the Finance Ministry. Nakamura Saburo's mother is said to have been a bright and cheerful woman from the Capital of Edo (now Tokyo) (2).

A British engineer, who specialized in printing, was working for the Mint. He lived near the Nakamura family house in Oji, and his wife was fond of Saburo, so she taught him conversational English on a daily basis.

1889

He finished his elementary school education at Honjo, Tokyo. Nakamura Saburo entered Shuyu Kan High School (3) in Fukuoka, Kyushu.

1892

At 16 years old, he withdrew from the high school and stayed at the Genyo Sha (4), managed by Toyama Mitsuru (5). This was through the introduction of Baron Maeda Masana (Saburo's uncle), who was Undersecretary of the Agriculture and Commerce Ministry.

Nicknamed the "Panther of Genyo Sha" because of his fierce and quick temperament, Saburo became an errand boy for Kono Kinkichi, an intelligent officer in the Imperial Army, who held the rank of Captain. Saburo engaged in secret service activities in Manchuria and the Ryoto Peninsula in China a few months before the Japan /China War broke out. He studied Chinese language intensely for one year.

1894

He entered Gakushuin High School (6), but he withdrew soon after beginning. He became good friends with Iwasaki Hisaya (7).

1902

At 26 years old, he was hired as an intelligence agent belonging to the General Staff Office. He received special training, which prepared him to enter Manchuria. He collected intelligence and engaged in military operations a few months before the Japan-Russia War began.

1904

The Japan-Russia War broke out when Nakamura Sensei was 28 years old. He played a significant role in this conflict as a military agent involved in espionage and intelligence gathering. He was captured by a Russian squadron and given a death sentence. A few seconds before his execution by firing squad, he narrowly escaped death, when a hand grenade was thrown by his subordinate.

On another occasion, he was shot by a sniper during his patrol on the Great Wall of China. He jumped from the wall, and he was seriously injured, falling into a coma for about a month. For most of his life, he felt occasional acute dizziness as an aftereffect of this incident. He also had problems with his vision in both eyes.

Due to yet another wartime injury, a nerve was cut in his right hand, making it impossible for him to fully bend his right middle finger.

1905

At 29 years old, he returned from war to his parents' house in Hongo, Tokyo. Nakamura Sensei was one of only nine people that returned home alive out of his group of 113 military personnel.

Around this time, Chairman Nezu Kaichiro asked him to join the management of the Dai Nippon Flour Mill (now the Nisshin Flour Mill) as an executive.

1906

At 30 years old, Nakamura Sensei was diagnosed with a rapidly advancing case of tuberculosis, a disease that was often fatal. He was treated by a Dr. Kitazato, the top tuberculosis specialist in Japan, but he did not recover. To find a cure for his disease and to arrive at peace of mind, he began reading about medicine, religion, philosophy, and psychology.

1909

At 33 years old, Nakamura Sensei traveled to the USA to seek advice and medical treatment, rather than waiting to die. Travel to other countries (back then) was difficult even for healthy people. He met Orison Swett Marden, reputed to be a great young philosopher and the author of How to Get What You Want, but Marden's method provided no psychosomatic cure for his disease.

1911

At 35 years old, Nakamura Sensei's illness went into remission due to the medical treatments he received in the USA. Impressed by these treatments, he entered Columbia University, where he studied medicine.

His illness returned, prompting him to look for a psychosomatic cure in London, where he attended a psychology seminar titled "Mental Activities and the Nervous System," which was presented by H. Addington Bruce. He went to Paris, and he met a Dr. Lindler at Lyon University. This was through an introduction from the actress Sarah Bernhardt, and he studied with Lindler, who taught him an effective method of autosuggestion using a mirror.

His illness continued to worsen, but he still visited Hans Adolf Eduard Driesch, a famed biologist and philosopher living in Germany. His tuberculosis remained, however, and he found no answers to his questions concerning life, death, and the human mind.

In May of 1911, Nakamura Sensei decided to return to Japan by ship. On the way home, at a hotel in Cairo, Egypt, he came across a yoga and meditation teacher named Kaliapa. He followed Kaliapa to the village of Gorkhe, which lies between China and India at the foot of the third peak of Mt. Kanchenjunga in the Himalayas.

Via the practice of yogic meditation, Nakamura Sensei experienced spiritual realization and awakened his higher mind after two years and several months of practice. His tuberculosis disappeared. He would later become the first Japanese to introduce yoga style philosophy and meditation to Japan.

1913

At 37 years old, while returning from India to Japan, Nakamura Sensei stopped in Shanghai. There he met his old friend Yamaza Enjiro, then Japanese Ambassador to China. By his request, Nakamura Sensei joined the second Xinhai Geming Revolution. He assisted Sun Wen, and he became one of his highest political advisers. However, the revolution failed, and he came home to Japan. In a few years, he became President of the Tokyo Bank of Business & Savings. He also successfully managed several companies and played an active role in the Japanese business community.

1919

At 43 years old, Nakamura Sensei was suddenly inspired to abandon his social position and wealth to found the Toitsu-Kai ("Association for Unification"). This was later renamed the Toitsu Tetsui Gakkai, the "Unification Philosophy and Medical Research Institute," and it was dedicated to helping people to improve their mental and physical health.

He began offering free classes in Shin-shin-toitsu-do, "The Way of Mind and Body Unification," which took place daily at Ueno Park and Hibiya Park in Tokyo. In September of this year, Mukai Iwao, Chief Prosecutor, noticed him and introduced him to Prime Minister Hara Takashi (8). Prime Minister Hara said, "This is a man to speak in a proper place, not in the streets."

As the result, many well-known people in political and financial circles came to attend his public lectures. Admiral Togo Heihachiro (9); Sugiura Jugo (10), a famed educator; and Ishikawa Sodo, a renowned Zen Buddhist priest of Sojiji Temple in Tsurumi, Yokohama are just a few of his early famous students.

1923

At the age of 47, at the request of Justice Minister Yokota Sennosuke, Nakamura Sensei was asked to intervene in a dispute involving the Korean Keinan Railway. During the process of successfully resolving this dispute, he met Saito Makoto, Korean Governor, and Nakamura Sensei established a Korean branch of his association.

1924

When Nakamura Sensei was 48, famed Navy Admiral Yamamoto Eisuke (then President of the Japanese Naval Academy) advised Marquis Komatsu to become one of his students. Yamamoto was, at that time, President of the Japanese Naval Academy. By the recommendation of Komatsu (former Prince Kitashirakawa Teruhisa), he lectured several times to three Imperial princes (Higashi Kuni, Kita Shirakawa, and Takeda).

Many prominent people such as Ozaki Yukio (Justice Minister of Japan), Goto Shinpei (Interior Minister of Japan and President of Manchuria Railway), and Asano Soichiro (founder of Asano Cement Company) came to attend his lectures on Shin-shin-toitsu-do (a.k.a. Japanese yoga).

In December of 1924, the Kansai Headquarters of the Toitsu Tetsui Gakkai was established in Osaka.

1925

When Nakamura Sensei was 49 his lecture entitled "Yamai and Byoki" ("Illness and Worrying about It") was put on air throughout Japan by the Osaka Broadcast Station. Taking place on June 8, his program was broadcast just eight days after the radio station was established. (Nakamura Sensei was one of Japan's first on-air featured speakers. History's inaugural radio broadcast in Japan took place on March 22, 1925 from Tokyo's Atago Mountain.)

1925 to 1947

From 1925 on, many district branches of the Toitsu Tetsui Gakkai were established in Kyoto, Nagoya, Kobe, Otaru (Hokkaido). In January 1940, the Toitsu Tetsui Gakkai was renamed the Tempu-Kai (the "Tempu Society"). Many seminars and activities were held nationwide until the start of World War II.

In March 1945 (the last year of WWII), Japan's wartime military government ordered the demolition of Tempu-Kai's headquarters in Tokyo. This was due to Nakamura Sensei's pacifist philosophy and public denouncements of the war.

In October 1946, the first Shin-shin-toitsu-do lectures after the war took place in the hall of the Toranomon Building in Shibaku, Tokyo. From that date, every month public lectures were held at various places in the war-ruined metropolis.

1947

In October 1947, at the age of 71, Nakamura Sensei taught Japanese yoga (Shin-shin-toitsu-do) for three days to an audience of about 250 officials of the U.S. Army General Headquarters at the request of Commander Eikelburger. This seminar took place in the basement hall of the Mainichi Press Building. The millionaire John D. Rockefeller III happened to be in the audience. Impressed by the teachings of Japanese yoga, he offered to bring Nakamura Sensei to the USA to teach. Nakamura Sensei declined and stated that his first priority was to reestablish the health of the citizens of war torn Japan.

Tempu-Kai activities began to take place throughout Japan.

1962

In April 1962, when Nakamura Sensei was 86 years old, the Japanese government officially recognized Tempu-Kai as a nonprofit educational foundation, or zaidan hojin.

This was in acknowledgement of the work the association had been doing for many years to help Japanese citizens to improve their health.

1968

In April, the Tempu Kaikan ("Tempu Society Hall") was completed on the grounds of Gokokuji Temple in Tokyo. Nakamura Sensei passed away on December 1, 1968 at the age of 92.

1968 to the present

The students directly taught by Nakamura Tempu Sensei numbered more than a 100,000. He taught people from all walks of life and from every part of Japan.

Among the past and present students of Shin-shin-toitsu-do are members of the Japanese Imperial Family, government officials, business leaders, famous scholars, Japanese Order of Culture recipients, Olympic gold medalists, well-known actors, and celebrated novelists.

Tempu-Kai does not advertise for students. New students join the association through the introduction of senior members. In 1988, Tempu-Kai's 70th anniversary was celebrated, and the total number of members at that time was over one million (11).

Notes

1. The Yanagawa Clan was famous for cultivating many strong warriors.

2. A person born in Edo was called Edokko. In Japan, just mentioning that a person was Edokko implied that he/she was vigorous and quick to respond.

3. Even today, Shuyu Kan is a famous private high school in Kyushu.

4. The Genyo Sha was a well-known political group, considered to be right wing, which advocated and led a national movement to realize their version of democracy in Japan.

5. Toyama Mitsuru was an influential political activist and the leader of the Genyo Sha. He not only influenced politics in Japan, but he was involved in the Chinese Revolution lead by Sun Wen and the national independence movement in India. Nakamura Sensei was assisted by Toyama in many ways during his life. Toyama helped him get a visa to travel to the USA and helped to put him in a position to teach Japanese yoga to princes and princesses of the Imperial Family.

6. Gakushuin is a special high school to educate the members of the Imperial Family and the sons of the Japanese aristocracy. Later, Gakushuin University was also established. All of Japan's Emperors were educated there.

7. Iwasaki Hisaya was a son of the famed founder of the Mitsubishi Cartel, but this statement seems wrong to Sawai, because Hisaya was 11 years older than Nakamura Sensei. It might have been his younger brother Koyata, who was three years older than Nakamura Sensei. Koyata studied at Cambridge and became president of the Mitsubishi Company.

8. Hara Takashi was one of the most famous Prime Ministers in Japan. He was well-known for creating the Seiyu-Kai, Japan's first political party, and he contributed to the introduction of democracy in Japan.

9. Togo Heihachiro was a famous Admiral, often compared to Nelson of Britain; he is known as the "Nelson of the East." He led the Japanese fleet to defeat the Baltic Fleet of the Russian Empire during the Japan-Russia War.

10. Sugiura Jugo was a great educator and thinker. He studied chemistry in England, and he became President of Tokyo University (Division of Juniors).

11. This number seems to Mr. Sawai to be exaggerated.

About the Author of "Japanese Yoga"

2008-05-27T14:03:00.000-07:00

H. E. Davey

H. E. Davey Sensei has received extensive instruction in Shin-shin-toitsu-do, a form of Japanese yoga founded by Nakamura Tempu Sensei in 1919. He has practiced under four of Nakamura Sensei's senior disciples and is the sole American member of the Tempu Society, an organization founded by Mr. Nakamura. His training in Shin-shin-toitsu-do, or "The Way of Mind and Body Unification," has taken place in both Japan and the United States.

Mr. Davey has also received comprehensive instruction in Nakamura Sensei's methods of healing with ki ("life energy") and bodywork, which he teaches as well. Davey Sensei's emphasis is on the transference of ki as a way of aiding recovery from illness or injury.

In addition, Davey Sensei has studied shodo, or Japanese brush writing/ink painting, under Kobara Ranseki Sensei of Kyoto. Kobara Sensei, the late Shihan ("Headmaster") of Ranseki Ryu shodo, was also the Vice President of the Kokusai Shodo Bunka Koryu Kyokai, an international shodo association headquartered in Urayasu. Mr. Davey holds the highest rank in Ranseki Ryu and exhibits his artwork annually in Japan. He has received numerous awards in these international exhibitions, including Jun Taisho, or the "Associate Grand Prize."

H. E. Davey Sensei's involvement in Japanese cultural arts started during his childhood. He began studying the martial art of aiki-jujutsu at the age of five under his late father, who had trained in Japan, and who held instructor certification from more than one Japanese martial arts association. Mr. Davey has also studied the martial arts extensively in both the U.S. and Japan. Davey Sensei presently is the highest-ranking American in the Kokusai Budoin's Nihon Jujutsu and Kobudo Divisions. He has received the rank of seventh-degree black belt from the Kokusai Budoin (http://www.imaf.com/), a worldwide martial arts federation sponsored by Japan's Imperial Family, and the same ranking from the Shudokan Martial Arts Association (http://http://www.smaa-hq.com/).

H. E. Davey Sensei is the Director of the

Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts, President of the Sennin Foundation, Inc., and the editor of Michi Online: Journal of Japanese Cultural Arts.

Reviews of "Japanese Yoga"

2008-05-27T13:57:00.000-07:00

Reviews

"Will make many yogis feel right at home... Davey's readable, friendly guide is definitely worth a look."

Yoga Journal, July 2002

Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation is the first and only book in English on the original Shin-shin-toitsu-do system of Japanese yoga. It received outstanding reviews in various magazines around the world, including Yoga Journal in the USA and Tempu magazine in Japan. On Amazon.com, Borders.com, and Barnes & Noble.com, it received an overall five star top rating, but you can't get BRAND NEW autographed copies of this out of print book from anyone except the Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts.

Want your own copy? Drop by http://www.senninfoundation.com/davey_yoga.html. Then simply click on the "Buy Now" button to order your BRAND NEW autographed copy of Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation for just $18.95. (PayPal and all major credit cards accepted.)

A Word from Stone Bridge Press

2008-05-27T13:52:00.000-07:00

From the Publisher

You can visit Stone Bridge Press at http://www.stonebridge.com/.

More About "Japanese Yoga"

2008-05-27T13:41:00.000-07:00

Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation
By H. E. Davey

Stone Bridge Press
ISBN 1-880656-60-4
224 pages
$18.95

Emphasizing gentle stretching and meditation exercises, the ultimate goal of Japanese yoga (Shin-shin-toitsu-do) is enhanced mind/body integration, calmness, and willpower for a healthier and fuller life. Developed by Nakamura Tempu Sensei in the early 1900s from Indian Raja yoga, Japanese martial arts and meditation practices, as well as Western medicine and psychotherapy, Japanese yoga offers a new approach to experienced yoga students and a natural methodology that newcomers will find easy to learn.

In Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation, after a brief history of Shin-shin-toitsu-do, H. E. Davey Sensei presents Mr. Nakamura's Four Basic Principles to Unify Mind and Body. These principles relate the meditative experience to the movement of everyday living and thus make it a "dynamic meditation." Each of the Four Basic Principles is illustrated with step-by-step explanations of practical experiments.

Readers are then introduced to different forms of seated and moving meditation, health exercises, and self-healing arts. All these are linked back to the Four Basic Principles and can enhance performance in art, music, business, sports, and other activities. Readers learn to use Japanese yoga techniques throughout the day, without having to sit on the floor or seek out a quiet space.

Included at the end of the book are simple but effective stretching exercises, information about ongoing practice, and a glossary and reference section. Amply illustrated and cogently presented, Japanese Yoga belongs on every mind/body/spirit reading list.

For a limited time only, the Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts is offering autographed copies of H. E. Davey Sensei's landmark book Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation for just $18.95. These are BRAND NEW copies of an out of print book, which is becoming increasingly hard to find and going up in price.

Synopsis of "Japanese Yoga"

2008-05-27T13:31:00.000-07:00

Based on the eclectic Western-Eastern teachings of Nakamura Tempu Sensei, Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation is a step-by-step introduction to Japanese yoga (Shin-shin-toitsu-do). It presents stretching, healing, and meditation exercises designed for mind/body integration. It is the first book in English to detail the life and teachings of Nakamura Sensei. In Japanese yoga, which is based on mind and body unification principles, the ultimate goal is enhanced concentration, calmness, and willpower for a longer, healthier, and fuller life. H. E. Davey Sensei also shows how Japanese yoga relates to various classical Japanese arts as part of a tradition of spiritual practice with spiritual and aesthetic roots in India, Japan, and the West. Illustrated, with a glossary and reference section.

The book is now out of print, but a limited number of new, signed copies can be obtained here: http://www.senninfoundation.com/davey_yoga.html