Free Classes!

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

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.

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 January 8. We hope to see you there!

"Japanese Yoga" Reviewed at Reader Views

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.

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.

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

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

“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!

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

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

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?

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.