An American Yogi In Japan

New Year Celebration

2009-01-18T14:04:00.020+09:00

The Japanese New Year is a holiday of importance. Almost every business closes down from the 31st of December through the 4th or 5th of January. Some even observe the older tradition of remaining closed until the 8th! It is a time of gathering with family to let go of the previous year and welcome the new one. I had the great fortune of being invited by my beloved`s family to join them at their cabin in Shizuoka for this auspicious time of year.

To say I had a fantastic time would be an understatement. There are many photos and information about the holiday that follow. Enjoy!

I left on the evening of the 30th via the shinkansen (bullet train), after teaching my last class in Kyoto for the year.

Even the train name is auspicious. Hikari means “light”.

December 31st

The day begins with mochi (rice cakes) making and eating.

Remember the hammer and huge wooden mortar used in the Mochi Tsuki Taikai from several postings ago? Eri`s Dad, Jun, used a mechanized version to pound the steamed rice into the doughy mochi.

This dough was then brought to the dining table to be rolled into the rice cakes. Eri`s grandmother, Tomoko, taught me the technique of how to pull a piece off and then roll it.

Eri & I doing our share.

The family enjoy the traditional first meal together. From left to right, Shou (younger brother), Tomoko, Kumi (mother), Jun (hidden), and Eri. There were three main ways to dip, stuff, and top the mochi: azuki (red bean paste), kinako (soy powder), shouyu, nori, and daikon oroshi (grated radish).

After our lovely breakfast, Eri`s father took us to see Fuji-san. The day was crystal clear and very cold, but the sun shone strong and bright.

Jun guided us to one view of Mt. Fuji...

...then a second view.

During the ride we saw this fellow out for a New Year`s Eve Day stroll.

After our excursion, it was back to the house to help prepare the osechi ryouri (New Year`s food). Eri`s Mom and Grandmom had actually done most of the food prep on the 30th. The tradition is to prepare enough food for the entire New Year`s celebration, so it is quite an undertaking. In these modern times, some families will actually just buy prepared items offered by the local stores. However, Eri`s family prepared every dish by hand. On the 31st, Eri prepared three dishes, with my assistance, so that I could play some small part in the creative process.

Eri making a sweet potato and chestnut puree.

A fine wine.

Eri and her Mom taking a brief break.

Eri making one of her favorite desserts, a gelatin flavored with red and plum wines, called kanten.

After a couple of hours, we took a break for dinner prepared by Kumi and Tomoko, cooked in the nabe pot, a traditional way to make large meals for many people. Ingredients are continuously added to the bowl as they are depleted.

A simple presentation.

A yummy meal of kani (crab), mizuma (the thin green stems on the left), ooki negi (”giant green onion”, brought by Shou from a friend), daikon (radish), shiitake, porcini, sashimi scallops, chicken, and wasabi.

Smiles and joking around were as plentiful as the food.

After dinner we had wagashi, which designates any Japanese sweet desert served with tea. This particular wagashi is called monaka. It is made of a crispy mochi shell, and filled with shiroan (white bean filling), which is only used in wagashi.

The final step, after all of the food is made, is to place it within a three to five tiered bento (lunch box). This was Eri`s task. Here are the three tiers, and what was placed within each of them.

Bottom tier: starting in the back, left to right, iwashi (sardines) marinated in sesame, shouyu, sweet sake, & sugar (the dish is called gomame), kamaboko (whitefish cod in a paste form) tied into knots, kuromame (semi-sweet black beans), tatemaki (sweet eggroll); hidden behind the decorative leaves just below the sardines is a pile of ginnan (ginko nuts) and directly opposite these is kamaboko cut in quarter circles; the bottom row begins with more kamaboko, then a big pile of the sweet potato & kuri (chestnut) dish, and finally the kanten

Middle tier: beginning in the back row, left to right, kazunoka (herring [nishin] eggs with fish flakes atop marinated ninjin (carrots) and daikon, matsumaezuke (squid, kelp, & carrots); more knotted kamaboko; the bottom row starts with gobou (a delicious root veggie), renkon (lotus root) wrapped around sake (salmon) and tied with konbu (kelp) - this creation was the third of Eri`s I assisted with, and kabu (another type of radish) cut into decorative flowers and marinated, with a tiny bit of carrot atop each

Top tier: the back row is a pair of two of my favorites - tamagoyaki (eggroll) and Kumi`s homemade chicken meatballs laced with carrots and kelp - both were very tasty!; the white ramekin contains fish eggs, and to the left of it is a dish I cannot remember; the bottom row holds grilled sawara (Japanese Spanish mackerel) which was very yummy, roast beef, and more kamaboko

The green leaves that serve as separation for the various dishes are camelia leaves (called tsubaki).

The stacked and sealed bento. It is interesting to note that every piece of food in the bento has a symbolic meaning, and are eaten to produce abundance in specific parts of life. For example, one dish is to increase one`s joy, while another is to increase one`s children. It is a very symbolic meal, and I felt very blessed to have been invited to participate in it.

This dish is kinchakuni. The pouch is the outside of tofu (age), and the thread is called ito. The inside is stuffed with carrots, gobou, dried shiitake, and ground meat.

After all of the work was finished, Jun, Eri, and I had a lovely conversation about tantric yoga over a second dessert of coffee and Eri`s homemade biscotti of chocolate, almonds, and rum raisin. Yummy!

January 1st

All the previous food preparation culminates in this day, in which families gather and eat, eat, eat!

Eri and her Grandmom setting out the feast.

Two platters of ika (squid), tako (octopus), ebi (shrimp), and a very tasty whitefish. The octopus was the best I have ever had.

The three bento boxes, plus one of two huge trays Tomoko had put together. This one contains tofu, and several types of yummy potatoes.

Tomoko`s other huge tray, of daikon, ninjin, tofu, renkon, and shiitake.

The traditional mochi centerpiece.

The Nakamura goddesses.

These hashi (chopstick) holders were made by Eri, Tomoko, and myself the night before from a design Eri found.

By nightfall we had gone through a bit of the food, but there was still plenty left. The evening meal was a combo of the afternoon`s feast with leftover nabe from the previous dinner.

Jun breaks out the sake for the traditional toast.

January 2nd

We began the second day of the New Year with a small breakfast of leftovers, just as tasty as when we first had them. Most of the food that is made for this celebration are things that can be eaten cold or at room temperature, and keep well in the cold, so there is a minimum of additional cooking needed during the week.

After our meal, Jun treated us to a local onsen (hot spring), with a spectacular view of Fuji-san from both the indoor and outdoor pools. Simply breathtaking!

Following the onsen, Eri`s parents again graciously treated us to a fantastic meal at a soba place known for their unique noodles which are almost four times the width of normal soba! Delicious!

The decor was simple but spacious.

My kabocha soba.

Happy diners.

These potatoes were outstanding!

The lake behind the soba restaurant.

A bit of post-soba horseplay.

Onsen. Soba. But there was more to come. We drove into the mountains to attend the New Year`s festival at the Hakone temple.

One of the many torii (gates).

This pit is where people can toss in last year`s various New Year`s decorations, to clear the space for new blessings.

This gorgeous forest walking path is placed below the temple.

The stairway goes down through another torii to the lake.

Lake view through the torii.

Ishidourou (stone lantern).

Jun by one of the many path entrances leading to the temple.

There were a small group of vendors clustered just outside the temple grounds. Here is one of them, offering azuki (red bean paste) & shiroan (white bean filling) cakes. These were scrumptious!

This reminds me of "Spirited Away" (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi)

To keep warm as we waited in line, we drank hot amazake (sweet sugar sake).

Hakone temple.

To enter, we first pass through this circle, which is to purify the Spirit of evil energies...

....then one can make an offering, ring the bell, clap twice, and set prayers for the New Year.

At Hakone, Eri and I bought an arrow to place over our entrance, which is to simultaneously ward off evil spirits while attracting the gods of good fortune to enter. We tied our fortunes around the shaft, and it now hangs in our genkan (entrance foyer). Kumi gave us a decoration for the door that is supposed to attract good fortune as well. Next year, we will bring them with us to the celebrations, to offer to the fire pit.

2009 is the Year of the Cow in Japan.

The wooden prayer marker is blank on the other side to write down our prayers for 2009.

Our fortunes received at Hakone temple.

January 3rd

Our final day at the cabin. To my delight, Eri dressed up in kimono, and then performed tea ceremony for us. I took about fifty photos of her getting dressed with the help of her Grandmom. Wearing kimono is no small task, and requires a lot of time to put on. It was a special treat to observe this process, and especially the interaction between Eri and Tomoko. This was my favorite event all week. Here are a few photos from the process.

Once Eri was dressed, she artfully performed a simple tea ceremony for us. The bowl Eri used is from Jun`s family, and dates back to the Edo period of Japan, which ran from 1603 to 1867! Jun and Eri gave me a great deal of information on the history of sadou, literally “The Way of Tea”. A particularly interesting story is of Sen no Rikyuu, a great tea master who is said to have the most profound influence on the tea ceremony, and Hideyoshi, a master general. The tea master had begun to use the ceremony as a place to influence the decision makers who attended his events. Hideyoshi, fearful that Sen no Rikyuu was trying to usurp him, ordered the master tea artist to commit hirikiri (a form of suicide by knife in the stomach, that inflicts a very painful and slow death).

Prepping for the ceremony.

The room.

Presenting the wagashi.

Folding the cloth.

Cleaning the bowl.

Measuring the tea.

Whisking.

Jun performs the ceremony for Eri to partake.

This bowl was extraordinary to the touch. It felt as if you could leave a fingerprint in the surface, like it was wax or unfired clay.

This last image is a poem by Jun`s favorite poet, Aida Mitsuo. I was actually able to read it in its entirety without any translation help from Eri. It is very simple, yet profound. It says:

amenohi niwa, amenonaka wo

kazenohi niwa, kazenonaka wo

On a rainy day, you are in the rain

On a windy day, you are in the wind

This was the most enjoyable New Year`s I have ever spent. Being in the company of such a warm, heart-centered family with my beloved, celebrating in their traditional way, engendered a deeper appreciation for the Japanese culture as well as deepening my appreciation and love for Eri.

An Evening In Sannenzaka/Mochi Festival/Scenes From An Italian Restaurant/Christmas Day

2008-12-26T16:59:00.053+09:00

I have a lot of photos from the past month, so without further ado, and minimal text...

November 27th - An evening out in Sannenzaka, to visit Koudaiji Temple to view the momiji (maples) in all of their fall attire and an amazing bamboo grove, followed by dinner at Mame-cha.

The temple grounds...

An incredible meal...

December 12th - We attended a small mochi tsuki taikai ("A gathering to pound rice cakes") festival not 10 minutes from our new home. This is a prelude to the mochi-making that happens over the New Year`s holiday.

First, huge quantities of rice are boiled in this impromptu cooker.

Next, the rice is poured into a giant wooden mortar so it can be pounded into the sticky flour-like mochi to be made into cakes.

There were several colorful characters who participated in the festivities.

Even yours truly took a few swings, my technique refined with the help of the local pros.

Eri enjoys my hard work - mochi covered in kinako, a yummy soy powder.

December 23rd - Italian dinner night! Using my Mom`s recipe for marinara sauce and homemade meatballs, Eri & I crafted a meal to delight the senses. WARNING: The following photos may induce the need to head out to the nearest Italian restaurant you can find.

The sauce had been made the previous day, to set overnight, per Mom`s instructions. The chef begins with an eggplant parmesan, the first time he has ever attempted it.

The main course in the developmental stage...

...and the finished product.

Mom`s homemade meatballs in the skillet. Between these and the parmesan, the whole house was redolent with yummy smells that reminded me of my childhood.

Eri, making what became the best pesto I have ever had.

Our Italian restaurant, set up in our bedroom.

We began the meal with the eggplant parmesan, accompanied by some warm baguette and Italian bread from Le Petit Mec, Eri`s favorite bakery. Then it was on to the second course: Eri`s pasta & pesto, and the heavenly meatballs with cresson, a French herb. (Yes, I, the non-meat eater indulged in these too, and I relished every bite!)

Eri grates some fresh parmesan over her delicious creation.

Our third course was another fantastically yummy Eri creation: butter lettuce, walnuts, and orange slices in a yuzu, shouyu, apple vinegar, pepper, and fleur de sel dressing.

Dezaato was a scrumptious chocolate cake from our favorite patisserie, Au Grenier, with a side of Hagen Daas vanilla ice cream.

The chef comes out smelling like a rose...

...as Eri sweetly sinks into a food coma.

December 25th - I don`t usually get excited about Christmas. However, being with Eri in our house has been such a joyous experience that it was nice we both happened to have off on Christmas Day. In Japan, the 25th is like any other day. It is usually a day for dates and shopping, but almost all of the businesses remain open, as people shop in preparation for the New Year`s festivities, which begin on the 28th. In a way, Eri and I had our own version of the traditional "date". We left the bed in the late morning, and put together a lovely brunch. I cooked up a dish of onions, potatoes sliced thin, and green and red peppers, seasoned with a bit of pepper and salt. The rest of the main meal consisted of smoked salmon with lemon and cresson, pan du compagne from our favorite downtown bakery, Walder, and brie. This was followed by a fruit salad of aoi ringo ("blue apple"), ra furansu (pear), orenji (orange), and mikan (little juicy oranges) marinated in a lemon, sparkling strawberry wine (left over from the Italian dinner) and mikan juice combination. Our brunch ended with two pieces of Papa John`s cheesecake; blueberry for me and French vanilla for Eri.

The following morning, we awoke to something I haven`t seen since moving to SF in 2002 - snow! My first Kyoto snowfall, and what a wonderful way to experience it.

Happy Holidays!

yoi otoshi wo omukae kudasai! (Please have a Happy New Year!)

Computer Challenged

2008-12-18T15:24:00.004+09:00

I apologize for the lack of blogging, but I am having extreme computer and internet challenges right now. I hope to post a batch of new photos by the weekend before the end of the year. Have a wonderful holiday!

Three Days

2008-11-28T15:14:00.005+09:00

Monday
Eri returned home around 7pm. I had dinner waiting, in celebration of us. We have only been together for a little over a month, but so much has happened to us. Tonight, it is a night of honoring our love. As I cooked, I listened to Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite and his MTV Unplugged to infuse my cooking and the apartment with even more of a celebratory vibration. I made a kabocha and porcini miso, salmon, rice, and combined two of my favorite veggie dishes together: carrots and ginger with broccoli, garlic and chestnuts. They turned out to perfectly compliment one another, and both Eri and I were delighted with the tastes. She had bought flowers on her way home, and then dug into her boxes to bring out a couple beautiful candleholders. A lovely finishing touch for the eye. As we sat down to eat, I put on Maxwell’s Embrya. All of our senses were honored! We had a simple green tea to accompany our meal. For dessert, Eri had bought us each a sesame dumpling filled with red bean paste.

The chef.

A touch of shri.

Side one of our apartment...

...and side two. Chiisai apaato, ne. (It sure is a small apartment.)

Eri surprised me after the meal with an early Christmas gift from her parents Jun and Kumi; a lovely alpaca scarf from Peru, of multiple shades of brown with a river of white running through it. I have learned from Eri that Japanese names are not always written in kanji (the pictographs adopted from the Chinese language). Sometimes they are purposefully written in hiragana, which are the phonetic symbols. A perfect example is her parents names. Her father’s name is written as 淳 (kanji), while her mother’s name is written as くみ (hiragana). Though I haven’t met her parents yet, from what I have learned of then so far, they seem to have inspired the thoughtfulness and caring that is so prevalent in their daughter. I am looking forward to meeting them this New Years.

Tuesday
The 25th. Payday! We slept late, and had a relaxing brunch. Eri had a meeting with her new boss at 4pm to discuss hours and salary. I had a rendezvous with Falafel Garden for more emailing. First, a stop at the local convenience store to get some much-needed cash. I was down to my last 40 yen (40¢!). Eri went with me to help me negotiate the ATM. I inserted my snappy new bank card into the machine, punched in a request for my balance, and waited excitedly for the result. Zero yen. Not exactly what I was expecting.
It was already 3pm, so the money should have been in there. *Sigh*. I am starting to place my expectations of Yoggy lower and lower. Luckily, Eri could lend me a little bit of yen to hold me over until (hopefully) I receive my money tomorrow.
I went to Falafel Garden, and contacted Sawako in NY to let her know of this latest snafu, and to send Eri’s parents a thank you email. I had a delightful surprise in the form of a conversation with my friend Noelle. She had moved from SF to Seattle a while ago, and we keep emailing sporadically, but haven’t had a proper conversation in a long time. She hit me up on my gmail chat, and we had a lovely e-conversation. I’m looking forward to her and her guy visiting sometime early next year.
After FG, I met Eri at Meidi-Ya, which is a market specializing in foreign pre-packaged foods, as well as local seafood and vegetables. We picked up a few things, then stopped by one of the stands in Nishiki, the open market that fills one long corridor of downtown Kyoto. Eri picked out pre-packaged dinners of a mix of sweet potatoes, carrots, porcini, tofu, chikuwa (whitefish compressed in a tube-like shape), negi, and a large packet of a sweet sauce, all packed in an aluminum foil dish to heat it up in. Then, we headed to what is now my favorite boulangerie, Au Grenier D’or. By then it was around 6pm, so most of what they had put out was gone. However, there were still some lovely treats left. Eri bought two slices of a pastachio infused cake, with a whipped filling of the tasty nuts, called sicille.
At the Kyoto studio, there was a folder from Tim awaiting me. In it were a couple pieces of mail and another letter from him. Eri had her bike with her, so after class we met up at the Fresco to get a few things. I arrived first, and decided to read Tim’s letter as I waited for her to arrive. What a wonderful gift! Tim expressed his gratitude for my letter to him, and not only was I forgiven for my mistakes, but he had some nice compliments to offer me as well. To quote his letter, we are now moving back into “the sunny uplands of friendship once again.” Hotto shita! (I am so relieved!) I am looking forward to seeing him again soon, and taking him and Maya out to dinner when they are available. I shared the news with Eri, and she was also greatly relieved. We had a wonderful meal together at home, and I enjoyed it even more because of the feeling of expansion and joy in my heart.

Wednesday
I checked the ATM before traveling to Shinsaibashi, but still no money in my account. There was, however, an email from Sawako. Apparently Yoggy has a different spelling for my last name in katakana (the other phonetic symbols used specifically for words adopted from other languages) than the bank. Egads. I then checked what the bank had, and they had a different spelling than I had given them. I have yet to experience first hand the efficient Japanese business model that supposedly is the backbone of this culture. In fact, it has been quite the opposite experience so far.
Once I arrived home from my Osaka class, Eri kindly contacted the LOHAS home office, and found out the check had been re-re-deposited, and this time it had gone through. Even though the accountant reassured Eri the money was in my account, I called the bank to check before I went to the ATM. Finally, my own money! What a delight it was to go to the ATM, and be able to withdraw what I needed. I paid Eri back, and made a transfer of funds to Tim too. Then I went to buy food for Eri and I for the first time in weeks with my own money. Food shopping never felt so empowering!

When Worlds Collide

2008-11-23T15:10:00.004+09:00

Eri left for Yokohama Friday, so she could pack up what she wants to send to our new home. I left that day for Uehonmachi via a Limited Express train, which usually takes about 45 minutes to reach Umeda. This morning, however, it kept stopping on bridges for anywhere from 5-7 minutes. It was over an hour before we pulled into Umeda, and during that time I realized I had forgotten the other two gifts I needed to drop off at Yoggy Osaka. When I finally arrived at the Uehonmachi studio, I found I had forgotten my shorts. An interesting start to the day. However, later that afternoon, I received a call from Eri with fantastic news. Yamaguchi-san from Choei had called her to say I would be receiving all of the money I had paid them, every last yen, by the end of the month. Yatta! (Yippee!)

I spent most of my afternoon at Shinsaibashi on the internet, sending emails to friends and trying to finalize my travel plans. After all was said and done I am still a long way off.

Saturday I had a meeting with Tomoko at 2:30pm. Miho came to translate. It was an interesting conversation. Apparently, Yoggy is worried about a few things. One is that I have asked students to sometimes translate for me during class to clarify specific alignment points, or extrapolate on the tantric philosophy. The staff, never having this occur in the class before, are supposedly anxious about what could possibly happen because of this. Their concern is that the students are paying customers, and this is an abuse of their payment. I asked if any students had complained. No. I asked if any of the people who had translated for me had complained. No. Another issue is that my class numbers have dropped since my initial first two weeks*. I made the point that of course the first two weeks many would try my classes, but that not all would be interested. They feel that my use of people as translators may have had an affect on this, because it is the only variable recently introduced.

So, I have agreed not to ask anyone to interpret for me in class anymore. I feel that here at Yoggy it is all about me making concessions. There is no reciprocity. I am not asking to be given anything. All I would like to see is that some effort is made in trying to understand me for who I am. I was brought into Yoggy because of what I, as a unique individual, can bring to the students. Tomoko tells me though, that LOHAS wants everyone here to be the same in classes. I am the only male teacher for these three studios, and the only foreigner. I am going to be different. This is not better or worse, it just is. I have no problem with trying to make concessions that seem fairly reasonable, but if no one wants to step towards me, I am not being respected as a fellow being, let alone as a teacher who has come to Japan to offer all that I have to the students here.

There are so many things I could go on about, but I came to a decision today to actively walk the middle path between wanting to completely integrate into this culture and completely ignoring its emotional infrastructure. When I initially came here, I really wanted to do the former, but I now see that that is an impossibility. I am not, nor will I ever be Japanese. This is not better or worse, it just is. I need to be seen for who I am. I will try to honor some of the parameters set here, but I will not become a cookie-cutter teacher just to keep everyone happy. I would really like to come to an amicable middle ground with the Yoggy staff, and hope this can happen.

As I said to Miho, if two different cultures in a yoga studio can’t meet each other half way, then what hope is there for the world to do this as a whole?

*I decided to check this out for myself, since I keep a running tab of class attendance for my own information. Looking at the numbers, there has not been a steady decrease. There have been classes that have dipped from the previous one, classes that have risen in attendance, and classes that stayed exactly the same. There were also two weekends in a row that my classes at Shinsaibashi were consigned to the smaller studio, which meant an automatic drop in attendance, because I can only fit 10-11 people. I will bring this up at the meeting I am hoping to have soon with the entire Yoggy staff.

A Hazy Shade Of Winter

2008-11-23T15:02:00.004+09:00

Wednesday was the first truly freezing day in Kyoto. It reminded me of winter in Pennsylvania; crisp air, strong gusts of wind, and low temperatures. Today, Eri helped me run a bunch of crucial errands. We first went to the Sakyo-ku ward office to get my gaikokujin tourokushou (foreigner registration certification). This was needed for our next stop, Shinsei Bank, to open an account. I need to send the bank info to LOHAS by the 21st so I actually get a paycheck deposited on the 25th. I then wrote up two of my thank you’s for the four women who assisted me in finding an apartment, and delivered the notes and small gifts to Yoggy in Kyoto. After that, it was a trip to Tim’s to drop off an apology letter. Then I met Eri after her belly dance lesson at Flying Karasuma. Home for dinner and a much deserved rest.

Thursday was another very cold day, and more errands, but we didn’t get out of the apartment until around 2pm. Thursdays are one of two days in which I can sleep in, so I took full advantage of it. After a lovely breakfast, we headed to Kyoto station to purchase shinkansen (bullet train) tickets for our journey to Eri’s parent’s cabin this coming New Year’s. After that it was off to Falafel Garden for some emails. I am still finalizing my flight plans for my return to California this January, and because we haven’t any internet at our place, it is a slow process. After completing that work, it was off to meet Eri’s friend Keiko at a cultural festival being held at one of Kyoto’s prestigious universities. It was outdoors, and very cold. After sampling some food there, we decided to head indoors at an izakaya. Izakayas are places that serve small dishes, which allows one to sample a few things. We began with hot sake, then had kaki (oyster) soup, which had two varieties of mushrooms and mizuna (a yummy salad green) in it. Next came umaki, which is a dashimaki (Japanese-style omelette in a roll) filled with unagi (eel). The eel was a fantastic addition to one of my favorite Japanese dishes. After, as Eri and I were waiting for the bus, I still felt hungry, and Eri produced our half-eaten bag of purple sweet potato fries from her bag. Perfect emergency snack! I find I have been eating more here. I think a lot of what I eat gets burned up in my attempts to comprehend and speak Japanese.

A Rainbow In The Dark

2008-11-23T14:54:00.002+09:00

On Tuesday Eri took me around to a few new places. One was Rokkaku, a fantastic stationary store located just north of Shijo-dori. I was very impressed by the place, and will most likely have my meishi (business cards) printed up there. The second new place was a French patisserie just around the corner from Rokkaku. It is called Au Grenier D’or, and what a magnificent place it is! The entrance hall is very modest, with three tables for two neatly arranged to one side of it. However, the hallway leads into a very spectacular main room, with a large ornate couch to the right, and displays of desserts everywhere else. To the left was a large display of little individually wrapped cakes, including framboise, a delicious pine nut and butter crunch bar, and the classic madeleines, with a bowl of pieces of another nut infused cake to sample. Next to that was a table displaying more individually wrapped goodies, along with a bowl of sweetened almonds and a jar of jam to try. The main counter at the back is a huge display case of eye-catching desserts, including slices of raspberry linzer tart, a cake that was literally packed to bursting with a variety of nuts, and some delicate looking chocolate cakes. There were several other delectables, as well as a lot of empty platters, since it was around 5pm already. I was also drawn to the creative display of raw pistachio nuts, colorful veggies, huge chunks of chocolate, and dried fruits that were seamlessly woven through out the displays.

While we were walking across the Kamogawa, Eri pointed out a Rainbow to the north. We stopped to take it in, then noticed there were two more rainbows, one to either side of the first one. It was breath-taking. The light of the sky was cloudy, but the colors of the first rainbow were vibrant. We could make out every color individually, even as the edges seamlessly flowed into one another. I was inspired, and told Eri if I could speak fluent Japanese, I would weave the rainbow into my class theme that evening. She said she could translate an intro for me before class if I would like.

As the universe would have it, we never did get the chance, and I arrived at the class about a half hour before it began. As I warmed up my body, I thought about that rainbow, and was determined to bring it into the class to the best of my ability. I couldn’t let such an auspicious sign be ignored. So I began class by asking if anyone had seen the rainbow, except I briefly misspoke, and said hiji (elbow) instead of niji (rainbow), which gave everyone a good laugh. I let them know there were three, then said that rainbows are signs of grace. Eri was in the front row, beaming her happiness and support at my Japanese improvisation. I continued with my scripted intro, giving a nod to the “Rainbow Connection” at one other point after we had closed our eyes and were harmonizing the breath. My theme was listening deeply. I taught my sequence, allowing the Shakti to guide my words so I could be receptive to the right place to bring in the rainbow again, and the opportunity blossomed with ease. I taught a partner version of virabhadrasana III, where everyone opened their arms in a ‘T’, and held on to one another, then closed their eyes. I asked them to feel one another’s presence and breath. After releasing back to tadasana, I asked them to observe that they were like the rainbow, each a unique “color”, seamlessly joining together to form a vibrant display. On the second side, I asked them to feel that rainbow, then feel that they were each not just an individual color, but the entire rainbow itself. It was the most free-flowing class I have taught since coming to Japan.

Fell On Black Days

2008-11-23T14:25:00.006+09:00

First, a photo of my Sunday evening dinner.

Onigiri, flavored with the most divine ume (plum) flavored sesame seeds, with sheets of nori to wrap around each one, a miso of kabocha, mushrooms, tofu, and negi (green onion). Enjoyed with a simple green tea, and Brad Mehldau’s Art Of The Trio Vol. 3: Songs. Very simple and tasty.

Monday morning I had a fantastic meditation, and an insight into impermanence that will make a good lecture/workshop. I borrowed Eri’s bike to get to my morning Kyoto class. I taught about spanda, and was happy to have many questions after, which Kumiko and Melissa helped translate. First, Tokiko had a knee issue we addressed, then Asuka had a question about head placement and gaze in bakasana, and Mokoto asked for more insight into the nature of pulsation (myakudou). This was the most questions following a class I have had in Japan, and I was delighted to answer each one to the best of my ability.

I left class on a high. Outside the classroom, Momoe handed me a letter from Tim. It was not good. I decided I needed to read it outside, so I biked over to the Kamogawa to sit down at the riverbank. Tim had taken the time to meticulously and carefully address my unskillfulness in residing at his place. I felt the pit of my stomach drop, and my heart contract. What Tim had written about my time at his place was true. I had been so engulfed in teaching in another language, finding a place to live, and navigating the myriad challenges that arose along the way, that I had neglected many aspects of being a good guest. Though I had bought food, cooked several times, and thanked him continuously for his assistance, I had not overtly offered any restitution. I had planned to get him a gift once I got paid, and also to take him and his fiance, Maya, out for a nice dinner. However, I hadn’t made these intentions clear to him, and so he rightly supposed that I was not really showing my gratitude in full. It was inexcusable. I am in the process of making amends, and hope I can salvage our friendship.

In addition to this hard insight, Eri has received word from Yamaguchi-san of Choei (the apartment rental company) that he is trying to cancel my contract. This means I could get all of the money I put in back. “Could” is the operative word. I thought it was a done deal after our meeting, but it looks like I “could” be out 127,660 yen, which was all I had here until my first paycheck.

I am also dealing with Studio Yoggy in a very interesting turn of events. Japan is sometimes referred to as the “Gift Culture”. When someone does a favor for you, they expect a gift in return, acknowledging the favor. It is not good enough to show gratitude with words. There has to be a material object of some sort. I have not been following that protocol, and now have to convene a meeting of every member of the staff of Yoggy to try to explain my lack of knowledge and skill in this area. Once again, I was already planning on purchasing something for each of the four women who assisted me with the apartment hunt, but I have not been paid yet. I’m now wondering who else I may have overlooked.

Apartment. House money. Tim. Yoggy.

I suddenly realized that almost all of these issues arise from a particular form of mind animal, chained to a wall in the very far recesses of the cave of my consciousness. Its name is Scarcity. This is a mind animal I haven’t experienced in a long time. Here, though, it has been given ample room to grow. Between my lack of funds, borrowing of money from different sources, and all of my savings now held in the precarious hands of an institution that has proven, so far, to be untrustworthy, I really shouldn’t be surprised.

Thank the Goddess for Eri. She and I dialogued on the phone at length about what I need to do to show my intentions are good to the Yoggy staff. I spent two hours Monday composing letters of gratitude. Tomorrow, they will be translated into Japanese by Eri, then copied by hand by me. I hope to deliver them all by Wednesday.

After the letter writing, I decided to transcribe a bit of a Paul teleconference. The universe speaks in so many ways, and tonight, it was through Paul. At one point, Paul said, “No matter what time it is, there is always a grace period.” He was speaking in reference to our studies, and added, that “...there is time and grace and an abundance of possibility that ‘I can continue what I need to do’ even if there is a lag or a lapse...more abundance is there, more possibility is there”. It was just what I needed to hear. Those words helped me release the contraction of my heart. I know that I have made some mistakes, but there is always the possibility to make amends. There is always the possibility for things to shift out of a contractive state into an expansive state.

Eri called to say that she was a bit worried about me, and decided to return this evening instead of tomorrow. I made dinner for the two of us; salmon, left over miso and onigiri and was greatly comforted by her presence.

The Velocity Of Life

2008-11-16T14:30:00.013+09:00

The last two weeks have flown by. I have been carried through them as if on wings that have caught a fast-moving jet stream. Last Thursday, the 6th, I moved into my first official Kyoto apartment. Unfortunately, the representative of the rental company, Ishimoto-san, misrepresented the space. It was supposed to be exactly like the unit I had been shown. However, it was different in a couple of ways, the most glaring of which is the lack of a second closet. To paraphrase Tim, in Japan it is not the size of the living space that matters, but the area of closet space it contains. Also, in Japan, it is common to not complain about these mistakes. I did. I wanted out of the contract, and all of my money refunded, including our moving costs, especially since Eri had sent things back to her family’s home in Yokohama in addition to sending things to the apartment.

A brief pause to explain the costs of renting in Japan. There are several fees:

- the rent (yachin)
- the deposit; as in the U.S., returned at the end of the contract, although in Japan there is a tendency to receive under half of this back with apartment rentals, even if it is left exactly in the same condition it was at the outset of the contract
- “gift money”; this is a fee paid to the company/owner of the unit, and is not refundable; depending on whether it is an apartment or house one is renting, the gift money can be anywhere from 50,000 to 250,000 yen ($500-$2500 U.S.); sometimes this fee is waived
- “smile pack”; usually only charged with apartments; this is a cleaning fee of 10,000 yen ($100)
- maintenance fee; for the monthly upkeep of the facility, added on to the rent, around 5500 yen ($55) per month
- key fee; 5000 yen ($50), and a second key is another 2500 yen ($25)
- intermediary fee; a one-time fee paid to the representative of the owner of the unit/house, based on a percentage of the rent
- fire insurance; 15,000 yen ($150) paid to an insurance company, usually good for two years, and transferrable to wherever one moves during that time

After much time spent by Eri on the phone that day, I finally asked her to set up a face to face meeting with Ishimoto-san’s boss, Yamaguchi-san. At this point, the only things Yamaguchi had promised Eri he would refund was our moving costs and the second month of rent I had paid up front. That left about 37,500 yen ($375) worth of extraneous costs still owed. It may seem like a small amount, but I had given them all of the money I had, with a small bit left over to carry me through until my first paycheck. I needed to impress upon Yamaguchi-san the urgency of my situation.
The nice thing about these companies is they are very cordial, so Eri and I were picked up in a company car, and driven to the office. We had a sit down meeting, with Ishimoto-san silently seated to the right and behind his boss. I let Eri and Yamaguchi-san dialogue a bit, adding in a small comment of my own here and there, for about 10 minutes. I needed for him to understand first-hand the experience I was having. Then I noticed the silver band on his left ring finger, a wedding band. I spoke in English directly to Yamaguchi-san, my eyes meeting his, as Eri translated. I said, “You’re married, yes?” He confirmed my guess. I then said, “Imagine you and your wife are in a foreign country, trying to find a place to live. You get a place, spend all of your savings on it, then find out you were lied to by the representative of this space. Wouldn’t you hope that someone would set things right?” His energy shifted. After another few minutes of dialogue, he said he would try his best to get all of the money refunded to us. This still was not good enough. I said, “Yamaguchi-san, I don’t want a maybe. I want your word, your promise, that you will personally make sure we get the full amount of money refunded.” I could see his mind turning that over. After a long pause, he gave us his word.
Since that day, Eri and I have been very busy. Eri has had to do all of the communication, so she has spent a lot of time on the phone, in continuous dialogue with several different realtors. Both of us have gone to see many spaces, in between my teaching and Eri’s preparation and successive interviewing for a new job in Kyoto. We also spent many hours at the Falafel Garden, a wonderful cafe near Demachi-Yanagi station, and the only place in Kyoto with free wi-fi.

The second floor of Falafel Garden, our home away from home.

Our favorite corner table.

On Tuesday, the 11th (auspicious number!) we were shown what will become our new home. In the northwest part of Kyoto, nestled into a very quiet neighborhood, a gentleman by the name of Takekawa-san (“bamboo river”), has built the most gorgeous little Japanese-style house. He did it as a labor of love, because of his love of the craft. The house, while traditional in design, has modern amenities and plenty of space. Throughout the inside of the house, he inserted non-traditional styles of wood, so there are different grains woven into the design that add a unique feel to it. When we first stepped inside, we were greeted by the strong smell of sweet cedar. We move in on the 1st of December.
On the 10th, Eri got a call back for a second interview for her new job opportunity. That night, we went out to celebrate at Frigo, a lovely Italian restaurant on Imadegawa. The food was amazing! Fantastic flavors, and lovely presentation. The space itself is cozy, and the couple running the place were warm and inviting. We began our meal with a bottle of Spumante, warm Italian bread with olive oil, peanuts in the shells, and gobou, a Japanese root vegetable. Eri informed me this is usually very fibrous. However, it seemed to have been marinated for a long time in olive oil and lemon, with light seasoning, which made it supple and tender. The chef had then added in sundried tomatoes. It was delicious! Eri had an entree of linguini with iwashi (sardines) minced into a wonderful cream sauce. I ordered a risotto with porcini mushrooms and kuri (chestnuts). Both dishes were divine. We ended our meal with a piece of chocolate cake, both moist and perfectly sweet. For the first time, I even indulged in a cup of espresso. Heavenly!

Cozy atmosphere...

...plus delectable food...

...equals two happy diners!

Friday evening I slept well, a good eight hours, but I was still a bit tired Saturday. I have been teaching about spanda, or pulsation. This is an intrinsic part of life that can be explored at depth and breadth, and still only scratch the surface of the surface of its connotations. I enjoy teaching about it, because another layer of understanding always opens in the process. On Friday morning, after class, the students and I had a short discussion, which became a great teaching for me too. They were still a little vague in their understanding. I talked of how Opening to Grace was allowing ourselves to see from the universal view, then we bring it back to individual effort (kojinno doryoku) with Muscular Energy as we engage with ourselves. Organic Energy is the individual offering (sasagemasu) back into the universal as we actively expand our presence into the great expanse of life. It’s the first time I have actually talked about it in that way. This is why I love questions!
Friday evening I had an interesting vision during meditation. I don’t normally get visuals, so it stood out. The image of a hedge garden arose in my mind’s eye, but it appeared as if I was looking through a smoky piece of glass. Then I recognized it as a mirror. I was gazing into a reflection in which I wasn’t seeing myself, but what was around and behind me. I had the distinct impression of a labyrinth, even though the hedges were all chest height, with several spacious sitting areas within their borders. The reflection then seemed to reflect back upon itself and form what appeared to be hedge gardens going on forever. Eri had left Friday morning to visit her family and friends in Yokohama, so I spoke with her later that evening about this experience. She told me that during her train ride that day she had passed through Shizoka, a province famous for their tea, just south of Yokohama, and she had seen a very similar looking garden as she passed through. To me, it’s just another indication of our connection. The universe speaks to us constantly, and since I have been here, I feel like it has been chatting incessantly, guiding me in the most exquisite ways.
Since Eri is away this weekend, I am attempting to cook some of the traditional Japanese dishes she has made for me. Saturday night I made yakisoba (fried noodles), using cabbage, ninjin (carrots), nasu (eggplant), and tamanegi (white onion). It’s simple to make. Veggies into an oiled and heated wok, and once cooked, add the yakisoba itself, along with the powdered mixture of sauce, stir it up, and in no time dinner is served. It is quite yummy, and nurturing. With my version I drank a wonderful genmai (brown rice) tea. A simple and satisfying meal.

Tonight I will attempt a miso soup and onigiri, both of which Eri has taught me to make. Ganbatte!

Purnatva

2008-10-27T16:57:00.006+09:00

I have been swept into a fantastic whirlwind of activity and non-activity over the last six days, all of which have kept me, for the most part, away from my computer. This is unusual for me, and has been a tremendous gift. I have simultaneously experienced the moment to moment immediacy of life in all its surface level reality, while being paradoxically drawn into the depths of my heart.

Purnatva is a sanskrit word meaning “perfect fullness”. It is the experience of feeling perfectly contented with existence, of receiving what is exactly needed, no more or less, in any given moment. This is the way we are meant to live. To quote Gandhi, “There will always be enough for people’s needs, but never enough for people’s greeds.”

Wednesday

I met downtown with a new friend, Eri, to attend the Jidai Matsuri, or Festival of Eras. This is held annually in Kyoto on October 22nd, and commemorates the transfer of the capital to Kyoto in 794, the 1100 years it remained the capital (until being moved to Tokyo in 1868), and the completion of the Heian Jingu-jinja where the procession ends. Basically, there is a long parade of people garbed in the costumes representative of the 1100 years that Kyoto was the capital of Japan.

Eri had been at Kiyomizu, where she was working as a volunteer to assist a couple of local artists that are showing pieces there right now. During high tourist activity, the temple hosts local artists so they can get some exposure. We met around 12:30pm, and Eri was ready for lunch. I recommended the onigiri stand (of course), and we sat at the temple while she ate. We got so absorbed in our conversation we missed the parade. Neither of us had any plans for the rest of the day, so we went to Starbucks for a hot drink and something sweet. We spent over three hours talking. The conversation flowed effortlessly, in a sweet pulsation, the rhythm of our words mixing with the jazz flowing from the cafe’s speakers.

We had dinner together too, at Tim’s house, and a lovely walk in the rain afterwards to a nearby park.

A wonderful day of time unwinding in a slow, sinuous dance.

Thursday

I spent the morning and afternoon with Eri, and we visited Pan Do Ra Di, a bakery near Tim, owned and operated by a monk who makes this amazing bread called shichikoku (“seven grains”), and a fantastic little fig and walnut cake. We bought plenty of both, then returned to Tim’s just in time to catch him in between classes. I had bought him a slice of the fig cake. He exclaimed, “That’s perfect. I was craving something sweet.” Eri and I had lunch, and then she went home.

I used the rest of the afternoon to catch up on some much neglected studying, then prepared dinner for Tim and I in the evening. I love salmon, and had bought two large pieces at the Kyoto Coop. I made the rest of the box of red quinoa I had sent over from SF (Thanks, Meredith!), and stir-fried broccoli, porcini mushrooms, garlic, eggplant, and cashews to complete the feast. Tim is the constant at the center of my life in Kyoto. Without his gracious sharing of his home, knowledge of the area, and language expertise I can imagine it would not be as easeful a relocation as it has been.

Friday

The first day of my “work week”. I was looking forward to going to Shinsaibashi this day, because Jordan Bloom, an Anusara teacher from South Africa presently based in Maryland, would be there. He is teaching throughout Japan for a month, and this was his first weekend. Jordan is a thoughtful, observant being, who has a genuine love for teaching. He is enthusiastic, and wants to give the students the most he can each time he sees them.

When I arrived at Shinsaibashi, the training was still in session. I practiced in the second studio for over an hour, and it was a pure delight to play in the flow of the breath, alternately surfing the waves and diving into the depths with my awareness. A practice that brought forth an equal measure of joy and insight.
I finished just before Jordan. When he emerged from the room, and we saw one another it was big smiles and hugs. We chatted only briefly, but began to figure out a good night for he, Tim, and I to get together. Chiho was translating for him, and the first thing she said to me was, “Have you eaten?” She had made up a bento (boxed lunch) for herself, but hadn’t eaten it. She graciously offered me her food, so I once again didn’t need to go out for a bite.
I walked over to Nanba-jinja. It was closed, but I sat on the steps facing a smaller, less travelled street, and happily ate the yummy little sandwiches she had made.
I had another fun class, then a relaxing train ride to Eri’s.

Saturday

A day of indulging the simple joys of Eri’s presence and leisurely meals.
Eri made a delightful late breakfast of miso with tofu, daikon, and negi, and an omelette filled with chopped carrots, mushrooms and soy. There was also a bowl of diced tomatoes drizzled in olive oil, pepper and salt to add to the omelette, and a lovely green tea.
I then set off for Shinsaibashi, and had a wonderful time teaching. After class, I met Eri to go to an Indian restaurant she frequents, called Indoryouri Gulbabu (Indo is Japanese for India, and ryouri means “cooking”). I am assuming that Gulbabu is the name of the attentive gentleman who kept checking in on us. Eri and I both had the vegetarian dinner. Each meal arrived laid out on a large metal platter. There were two curries, vegetable and garbanzo bean, along with saag paneer and a simple salad with a yogurt dressing, each in their own metal ramekin. Along with this was a small bowl of sweet yogurt flavored with goat cheese, a pakora, and a crispy super thin chip (I can’t recall what it is called). On a ceramic plate was a huge piece of naan and a small side of saffron rice. Included in the meal was a mango lassi. Everything was perfectly flavorful, and we spent over two hours enjoying our meal and conversing. We didn’t get back to Eri’s until around 11:30pm, and I slept well.

Sunday

Eri left the apartment before me this morning, and had left a delicious little blueberry and cream cheese bread for my breakfast. I was out of the apartment soon after her for my usual Sunday of class in Kyoto, onigiri, then off to Shinsaibashi. It was raining out, so I borrowed an umbrella from her, and thought, “When I move into my place I should have an extra umbrella or two for guests.”
After my Shinsaibashi class, Jordan invited me to go out with him and the staff for dinner, but I wanted to go back to Tim’s to see him and Maya, and try to get to bed a bit earlier than I had for the past four nights.
On the train ride back from Osaka, a sarariiman sat next to me. “Salary Man” is the name for the typical Japanese businessman, usually dressed in a dark suit, pants and shoes, white shirt, and tie (color optional). One of the requisites for these beleaguered businessmen is to go out almost every evening with their coworkers to drink and bond. The result is that many of these men have a strong smell of stale beer and cigarettes emanating from their person on their way home. My first reaction was, “Egads, how unlucky.” After being drawn into that small thought pattern for a few minutes, I chastised myself for being so small. I was reading a book, and he too had pulled out a book. I looked sideways at him a little more closely, and saw he was slightly smiling too. The thought occurred that, had we shared the same language, we might even engage in a conversation about the authors we enjoyed. This allowed me to relinquish my narrowness, and the smell that had seemed so overpowering at first receded. As we travelled, I noticed he kept nodding off then nap-jerking back awake when the train stopped at a station. Finally, at one stop, he opened his eyes, squinted and looked around, then jumped up with the utmost urgency, and made a mad dash for the door to cross the platform to the other side into a waiting local train. My train set off, and it was then I noticed he had left his umbrella.

My guests will thank him.
I arrived at Tim’s, and he had once again put aside dinner for me. It was a nice Indian curry with copious amounts of veggies and rice. Simply lovely.

Monday

At the end of my morning Kyoto class, while the students were in savasana, I was playing a name game with myself. I tried to recall each person's name as I moved my attention from mat to mat. As I did this I realized most of the class were students who come steadily, often twice a week. I was filled with an immense wave of gratitude for their dedication to the practice, and acceptance of me as their teacher.

I met Eri at her place around 6pm. Both of us were in need of a good dinner, so we went to the KC to buy some groceries. Eri enjoys cooking, and spent nine months in Italy, where she cooked every day. We had a four course meal, beginning with a carrot soup she had made the night before. It was a clear broth base with large chunks of carrots, diced potatoes, and tomatoes, spiced with salt, pepper, and curry powder. It was heavenly! She also made a tomato sauce containing black olives and maiitake mushrooms, for our pasta course. After that we each had a small slice of cod, pan-fried with curry powder. The last course was a salad of butter lettuce, walnuts, raisins, and gorgonzola cheese, with a dressing of grape seed oil, lemon, salt, and pepper. Oishikatta!

It has been a full six days, so perfect in every way.

Three Days

2008-10-20T18:38:00.010+09:00

Another full weekend. As I begin to truly settle into the rhythm of the Kansai area, my days here become more and more extraordinary.

Friday

While riding the Hankyuu to Osaka, a woman sat beside me. She was exceptionally thin, and carrying a straight black cane. She wore a beige kangol style cap, and matching dress jacket and pants. Her hair was short, jet black, and contoured to her skull. From her left ear dangled two turquoise earrings, and behind them were two silver studs. A pair of black, thick-framed sunglasses with bottle green lenses completed her ensemble. Her energy was quiet and elegant.

About three stops after she sat down, she asked me, doko ni ikimasu ka ("Where are you going?"). I responded, Umeda ni ikimasu ("I am going to Umeda."). She made a "hmm" sound, and grew quiet. I turned back to continue studying my class script, but felt an internal nudge to continue the conversation. I asked her where she was going. She answered, "Juso", which is the stop right before mine. She then asked where I was going again, but I inferred that this time she meant what particular place. So I told her Studio Yoggy. She exclaimed, "Yoyogi?!" It is only now that I realize she probably thought I had said Yoyogi Park, which is in Tokyo and would have meant I was going the wrong way. I then said it was a yoga studio, but she still seemed not to understand, so I said, watashi wa yoga no sensei desu ("I am a yoga teacher."). She made an "ahh" sound, then grew quiet again. I returned to my script. She then rummaged through her oversized handbag, and pulled out a large snack pack of potato sticks. She tapped me on the shoulder, and when I turned to face her she indicated that I should take the snack pack.

Now, as strange as this exchange may seem, just moments before she sat down I had been contemplating what else I could purchase for lunch. I had brought a few things with me, and at the forefront of my contemplation was that I didn't want to spend much money.

I thanked her for her gracious offer. She replied very quickly, so I didn't quite catch all of what she said. However, she made a gesture with her right hand like she was clearing tears from her eye, then laughed, and I could have sworn I heard her say naku, which is the word for "to cry".

Right then we arrived at Juso. I thanked her again, and she said, in English, "See you later," as she departed the train.

I paused, to really take in what had transpired, and I felt a wave of spirit arise in my heart, and felt as if I wanted to cry! It was a deep gratitude for the amazing connectivity of the universe. One could say that potato sticks seem rather trite, but it was a gift given, and to not fully appreciate it would be to ignore the magic inherent in that moment.

I arrived at Uehonmachi, practiced a bit with an emphasis on my right psoas, which had been particularly vocal the past few days - not painful, just very communicative in its need to be stretched well. I began class with my theme, then we chanted. As we did the third round of the Anusara invocation I felt that wave again, cascading powerfully up and out of my heart. I was overcome by bliss. Laughter bubbled up inside of me so much so I could barely chant the last time through.

Then, at the end of class, when the students were in shavasana, I felt my right psoas relax and expand a bit, and there was a very subtle release deep within the musculature. It felt wonderful.

After my class at Uehonmachi, Akiho, one of the staff, had a message for me from Tomoko: LOHAS had stepped in as the guarantor for my apartment, thus sealing the deal. I now have a place to live, and will move in on the 6th of November.

The rest of the day was business as usual.

And the potato sticks were yummy.

Saturday

I woke up an hour and a half late for what was to be my last Saturday morning class at Uehonmachi. However, I still arrived 20 minutes early, thanks to a limited express train. In between my classes I went to a little takoyaki (spheres of batter, filled with diced or whole baby octopus, then topped with a sauce and mayo) place in Shinsaibashi. On Friday, Miho had directed me to a river that runs through Shinsaibashi as a quiet place to sit. The sitting area was closed, but not a half a block away was the takoyaki stand. Friday evening, Eri also contributed to my Saturday lunch by giving me a map she had printed out of the area around Yoggy. On it she circled three parks, and then marked where Yoggy and Namba-jinja were in relation to them. Another great gift.

So, I had a lovely little lunch in the park closest to the takoyaki stand. It has a huge playground on one side, around which were clustered Moms and Dads, with their children clambering about on slides, jungle gyms, swings, and other playground apparatuses. On the opposite side of the park are two large, flat, sandy spaces. I sat in the hub, just between these two sides, where I could view the park in its entirety. I was treated to several delightful and interesting spectacles. The first was a group of six children, about 8-10 years old, playing a game of tag where one child kept yelling out ohayou gozaimasu ("good morning!"). One of the sandy areas was completely devoid of vegetation. In this one stood four elders - three women and one man -playing a Japanese game that resembled croquet. There was an easel set up with a large scoreboard, and they all played with an intense focus. In the second square were about 15-20 teens, all Japanese, except for one African guy. They had used white tape to outline a "runway" and "stage". At the stage end sat seven or eight of the women, and at the opposite end of the runway, under a very modest tree, stood all six guys and about five girls. They had a small boom box churning out techno beats, and the guys and girls on the runway end were taking turns strutting down their makeshift catwalk.

After lunch, I taught my class, then headed home.

Maya was up for a visit, and I was delightfully surprised to find she and Tim had prepared a wonderful dinner. Maya's auntie had mailed a large box of organic veggies from Daisen to Tim's home. It was a delicious dinner of kamaboko (a roll of tasty white fish compressed into a cylinder around a scrumptious potato), mushrooms sauteed in a garlic paste Tim's friend Rebecca had made, a delightful little salad of carrots and shungiku (chrysanthemum leaves), green peppers, some tiny little potatoes that looked like black olives, and a lovely little onion soup.

A perfect ending to a great day.

Sunday

After teaching my morning class in Kyoto, I went to the onigiri stand for lunch. After making my purchase, I walked into the small temple area behind the stand, and sat on the wide stone wall of the chouzuya. I had the whole space to myself for a leisurely lunch. After eating, I just sat in the quietude of the enclosed area. A gentle breeze came up, ruffling the large purple banner hanging over the entrance of the temple. The leaves on the trees rustled, and in that moment I was filled with the simple joy of being. No thoughts of classes or studies, of places to go or places I have been. Just being.

At Shinsaibashi, I made my first purchase for my apartment from the local hyakkin, or 100 yen store. I bought a pair of beautiful matcha bowls for only 210 yen each! They are green, with white striping, and had caught my eye the day before.

Back at the studio, Miyuco had stopped by, and I had an impromptu Japanese lesson with her. Miyuco is one of the teachers at Yoggy. Her training primarily consists of Baptiste yoga. She teaches both "relaxation" and "energy" classes. I asked her about the very un-Japanese "co" in her name, and she said she had it changed because the 'c' is softer looking than the 'k'. She taught me several valuable Japanese phrases, including dekitara ("If you can") and douji ni ("At the same time"). She was very helpful, and I hope we do it again soon.

After my evening class, I arrived home to yet another fantastic Tim and Maya meal. They had eaten earlier, but had saved a generous serving for me. As soon as I came in the door, they began putting it together. By the time I had unpacked my backpack, there was a delicious meal awaiting me at the kitchen table. The main course was a pastry stuffed with veggies in a sauce,complemented by penne pasta, peas, some more of those unique little olive-potatoes, and a wonderful pickle salad of persimmon, wakame, and cucumber from Maya.

I absolutely LOVE Tim and Maya. Maya is reading the Oscar Wilde play, The Importance of Being Earnest. Later that evening, she was asking Tim to clarify a part of the dialogue for her. Watching the two of them converse and laugh together filled my heart with such love and joy. They are one of the most harmonious couples I have ever known, and it is a gift to be around them.

Another blessed weekend of magic and delight.

A Day In Kobe

2008-10-17T09:44:00.003+09:00

Yesterday, I visited my friend Yoko in her hometown of Kobe. With her detailed directions in hand, and a few notes from Tim, I set off just before 10am. The trains here are of three types: local, semi-express, and limited express, with the limited being the fastest. I caught a semi-express Hankyuu train, which wound up being quite slow. This worked in my favor, as I had more study time. I managed to put to memory the rest of my script for this next week of classes, so it was time well spent.

I arrived at Myodani station about 40 minutes past our twelve noon meeting time, but Yoko was waiting patiently, and she greeted me with a smile and a big hug. We walked about 15 minutes to her parent’s house, where her mother awaited us. On the way I learned some more Osaka-ben (bochi bochi, which means “so-so”), and a little bit about her husband. He is a multi-talented jazz musician who plays four different instruments, including alto saxophone and piano.

Her parent’s house is quite nice, and her mother, Haruko, greeted me warmly. She and Yoko laid out a fantastic array of delicious food, including rice, green & red leaf lettuce, sprouts, cucumbers, celery, shiso (a Japanese herb related to the mint leaf, grown by Haruko), some tempura potato slices, nori (both Japanese and Korean, which is slightly saltier in taste and smaller in size), corn, avocado, tuna with mayo, six types of fish including maguro (blue fin tuna), ika (squid), and shake (salmon), and a wonderful miso soup containing several varieties of kinoko (mushrooms), negi (small onions), and tofu. They showed me how to build little tasty combinations using the nori and lettuce as a wrap to enfold whatever you wanted to put together. There was also a lovely ryokucha (green tea). As Yoko poured the tea, she told me that the last few drops, called the “tears”, held the most robust flavor, so it was essential to make sure they were added to each cup. We had a leisurely feast, and the conversation was delightful. After eating, Haruko showed me photos from her recent vacation she, her husband, and Yoko’s younger sister took to Switzerland. As I perused the photos, Haruko whisked up some matcha, served with some little Japanese sugar confections and Swiss chocolate. A perfect ending to our meal.

The lovely hostesses...

...and our spectacular feast!

Yoko and I then went to her and her husband’s apartment. Her space is very warm and inviting. We sat out on her balcony, high above the city, with a wonderful view of the surrounding area. As we sipped chamomile tea, we chatted about life, teaching, and yoga (which are really all the same). She has many different plants arrayed on her balcony, inspired by a favorite book of hers, Tasha’s Garden. Tasha Tudor is a children’s book author and gardening aficionado who lives on a 250-acre plot of land in Vermont. The book is full of amazing photographs of Tasha making her way around her extraordinarily verdant land, as well as close-ups of many of the wonderful flowers, trees, and other plants she has cultivated. Yoko told me she views the book before sleeping, because it brings her sweet dreams and good rest. She wanted to try to capture some of that beauty and serenity in her space by creating a modest garden of her own. I believe she has succeeded. I felt very restive and relaxed in her space.

There are a handful of people I have met over the past three years who I have had an instant heart connection with. It is something that is intrinsic, that has no bearing on any outer experience of the other person. It is a divine recognition of a familiar and kindred spirit that fills me with love and respect for that being instantaneously. Yoko is one of these people. Her name means "child who brings light and sunshine to others", and I believe it fits her perfectly.

As the twilight dissolved into a deep blue-black, I felt the elasticity of time, as if the day had both crept along and passed in the blink of an eye.

We parted at the station with another big hug, and a standing offer from her to return again for another visit. I am looking forward to it.

Temple, Town, & Tourists

2008-10-15T21:58:00.029+09:00

A day off well spent exploring a bit of Kyoto, and taking many photos. With map in hand, courtesy of Tim, I set off for a nice four hour journey through three different locations.

First stop, Kiyomizu-dera, one of the more popular temples in Kyoto.

Entrance Gate

Bell

Pagoda

Kiyomizu-dera

This gentleman is the gatekeeper of the "Womb of Zuiga-Bosatsu", which is the basement of Zuiga Hall. For a donation of 100 yen, you get to enter the Womb. First, you descend the stairs and pass through a doorway into pitch darkness; the belief is that in the complete darkness there is no space for your attachment. Using a thick string of Buddhist beads carved into a waist-high bannister to your left as a guide, you then walk the basement path. The path turns a few times, until finally you stand before a very large and squat stone, lit by a soft yellow-orange light. Carved upon its surface is the Sanskrit character hara, "which is known as a motherly Buddha" who will supposedly grant any wishes you have if they are sincere. At this point, you then make a wish using prayer, then walk around the stone to exit out and up from the Womb. The literature adds that "...you will purify yourself and feel the rebirth with the virtue of Zuiga Bosatsu". It was definitely a meditative experience.

Prayers...

...of mice and men.

There was a rather plain building just before this one. Inside was an exhibition from a local photographer, Kai Fusayoshi. I chatted with him briefly, and bought a postcard of one of his images. He owns a cafe and a bar in Kyoto, and gave me a map to both.

Dragon chouzuya

Leaves beginning to turn.

Beautifully carved stones...

...and stone figures.

A Buddhist ceremony was taking place in this building. The chanting, drumming, and bells were lovely.

Cemetary city

simple elegance

Note the tree stump among the towering markers.

After that, a nice little stroll to Sannenzaka, a part of Kyoto that is an architectural preservation area. Many of the buildings still retain their original facade design.

Remember the photographer I mentioned above? This prop was used in one of his photographs. Interesting coincidence.

Entering Sennenzaka

There were many women wearing kimonos, but this was the only fully made up geisha I saw walking about. The costumes are very beautiful.

Jinja?

simple but elegant

There are a lot of great shops, especially for specialty foods, and many of them give out free samples.

These berries covered the entire wall of one small shop.

The last stop of this little hike was Yasaka-jinja.

Un Shishi

Entrance Gate

lanterns abound

Torii

The End Path

Samskaras (Getting Back Into The Groove)

2008-10-13T17:27:00.005+09:00

Samskaras are grooves in the mind, body, and heart that are created by habitual repetitive action. In tantra, samskaras can be either limiting or beneficent.

This past weekend, my travel via the myriad buses and trains was easeful and without incident. No late arrivals, which also allowed me to get back into the groove of practicing asana. Friday I did a nice long hour and a half practice at Shinsaibashi, experimenting with some more advanced variations of poses I haven’t done in awhile, and my body gratefully stepped up to the challenge. Afterwards, my heart was soaring! I then walked to Namba-jinja for a nice little bit of meditation.

Saturday I listened to a new Paul teleconference on the Shanti mantra and the first sutra of the Shiva Sutras. I haven’t had any time to listen to or study any of this work since I arrived here. My mind and heart appreciated this dip into these exalted tantric teachings. I even made a new entry into my meditation journal, another luxury I had laid aside for a bit.

Sunday I did a short asana practice, because I spent a fair amount of time after my morning class with Aki and Tim, to iron out the details of the apartment I want to rent. When I returned home that night, Tim informed me that it looked good, and the rental company had agreed to my request for a November 6th move-in date. Sunday was also the last time my friend Leanne would be flying in via Air Canada, whom she works for, since they are discontinuing the Osaka run. It was lovely to have her presence in class again. Sometimes, there are grooves that shift or even dissolve on their own without any say on our part. Things naturally fall away, and this is just a process of life. Usually though, it is so something else can arise in its place that will serve us better. Leanne told me that she has spent the last two weekends saying good-bye and bestowing gifts upon the owners of establishments she has frequented over her many many years of coming here. Maybe for her it is a wonderful practice of saying good-bye.

Teaching has also begun to create some tiny grooves. As Tim and I were having a late lunch after our meeting with Aki, he commented that I seemed to be nailing the things I had taught in the previous week. I was very grateful for this feedback. I hope to keep building on each week, adding to my vocabulary, and interweaving the pieces together into new shapes and forms to stimulate the students. On this front, Kaeko, my “script supervisor”, said she would be delighted to continue translating the more complex things I wish to offer each week. I am humbled by her graciousness and support.

While many of my practices had to be put on a brief hiatus during these first two weeks here, the one constant has been my meditation practice. In that space of - to quote Paul - “frictionless flow”, there is an awareness that is slowly opening, like the eye of some great boundless being, and the view I am being gifted with has begun to bring life’s patterns into a slightly clearer focus (sputa in sanskrit). I observed this increased clarity in one other revitalized practice; that of studying the kanji. Friday morning I went over about 50 of them, and found I retained a pretty accurate recall of this small batch.

This weekend was a good reminder to keep revisiting the structures of knowledge I have built thus far in all of the arenas of my study and practice, to maintain and add to these matrices, and thus progressively widen the view I receive via mind, body and, most importantly, heart.

A Day Of Firsts

2008-10-09T23:27:00.003+09:00

This afternoon I saw my first apartment, with the help of Keiko, the Kyoto studio manager. It is a very reasonable size for me, low cost, and located in a great little neighborhood with easy access to the Hankyuu train to Osaka. I asked Tim to check out the info on it, and he said it looks like a great deal. Tomorrow I will try to touch base with Keiko, and put in my bid for it.

I also took a break from my usual pulsation of study, practice, email, and blog to watch the first two episodes of the TV show House. It was very entertaining, and allowed my brain a brief respite from all of the information I have been processing. Before watching it I decided to take a quick ride down to the YaMaYa, a fancy food store in the Qanat, a huge underground food and sundries mall. I had a craving for a large bag of Garden of Eatin’ blue tortilla chips, and polished off the whole bag, along with a generous salad and a cup of chai, while viewing House.

Ippai (“full”) in my head. Ippai in my belly. Ippai in my heart.

Tomorrow, the next round of classes begins, and I hope to iron out the last few glitches in my script on the train ride in. Ganbatte!

Simple Lessons

2008-10-08T12:06:00.002+09:00

I slept until 8:30am, which is late for me. Last night I attended two workshops taught by Lois Nesbitt, an Anusara teacher from New York, so I guess my body needed the rest.

When I arrived at the studio yesterday afternoon for the first session, my friend Yoko was there. I met Yoko at the first class I taught in Kyoto and Osaka in July, and we spoke at length afterwards. I learned that she teaches yoga in Kobe, and had lived and taught in New York for a little bit as well. That weekend, she graciously translated for me, when needed, at my two workshops. She is caring, sensitive, giving, and inquisitive. When I returned to Japan in September, we made plans for me to visit her next Thursday. Last evening, when I walked in, she said, “I heard you got lost on the way to Uehonmachi.” She then gave me an envelope. Inside, were four pages of neatly handwritten and hand drawn directions to navigate the trains and underground to the station where we would meet.

After the first workshop, Tomoko was waiting to speak with me. I was super-hungry though, so we agreed to meet a half hour before the next session to talk. The translator for Lois, Chiho, is also a good friend of Tomoko’s, and Miho, who I had met in SF when she visited right before I came here, was also at the workshops. The two of them helped translate for Tomoko and I as we dialogued. Tomoko began by mentioning the Saturday morning lateness, not to chastise me, but because she was concerned about the studio’s inability to contact me, and vice versa, because I have no cell phone yet. The conversation then branched into several areas, including acquiring my own place. I had thought that I would receive my first paycheck in October, but apparently I won’t receive it until November. This means I needed to ask Tim if I can stay longer. He has been the consummate host, both gracious and highly helpful in my transition from SF to here. I do not wish to impose on him for longer than necessary, and made this clear to Tomoko. Tomoko is primarily a teacher for Yoggy, but she performs many other “goodwill” functions, like making sure visiting teachers to Osaka and Kyoto are comfortable. She has a huge heart, and was a bit distressed at the miscommunication which seemed to be happening between LOHAS (the umbrella corporation that supports Yoggy), her, me, and Yoggy itself. She expressed her need for me to keep her in the loop, and immediately respond to any inquiries she emails me. I made it clear that I am here to serve the students and the Kansai community, to work with her and Yoggy to create the best possible outcome for all, and do all of that in the most luminous and intelligent way possible. Tomoko understood completely, and I think we both walked away from the meeting with a clearer understanding of one another.

That evening, I told Tim what had transpired, adding that I didn’t want to overstay my welcome in his home. He said it wasn’t a problem for me to be there until I got my first check, and even offered to lend me some cash if I needed. He is truly a blessing from the universe. He also suggested I begin to make a concerted effort to:

1. get my alien registration card
2. get a cell phone
3. open a bank account

I then checked my email, and apparently Yoko had caught wind of the meeting. She was worried about my living situation, and graciously offered me a place to stay at her Mom and Dad’s in Kobe. There are so many wonderfully supportive people here.

Insights gained:
- Be clearer in communication; the Japanese need an immediate response, and to know what is going on at all times - if there is a gap, even for a moment in this communication, it can be very distressing to them, so I need to be even more sensitive to this.

- Communication here is lightning quick through the chain of command, and response to anything out of the ordinary is just as fast; both the situation itself Saturday morning at Uehonmachi, and how it continues to resonate still, are perfect examples of that - I need to be aware that my actions may get communicated beyond my expected parameters in a relatively short time; this again speaks to shifting my patterns of logic and intuition to fit into this culture; this challenge is one of the reasons I relocated here, so it’s good to be reminded by the universe in these ways.

Another beautiful lesson for me. Thank you, Universe.

Atha Yoganushasanam

2008-10-06T19:07:00.026+09:00

Now, begins the offering of the sacred art of yoga. ~ The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (I.1)

Friday

My first day was a 12:30am class at Uehonmachi, then an 8:15pm class at Shinsaibashi. From Tim’s house to either Osaka studio, it requires me to take the subway or bus into downtown Kyoto, then the Hankyuu train all the way to Umeda, then another underground trip as the final leg of the journey. This takes a total of about an hour and thirty to forty-five minutes.

I met Chieko, the studio manager for both Osaka locations, at 10:30am, so she could guide me in navigating the trains to the studios. I had first met Chieko in July here. She is a lovely woman, who possesses a sweet vulnerability of the heart, yet a fiery core of strength and steadfastness. Because neither of us are fluent in the others language, our conversations last time would eventually hit a wall. However, I now have an electronic dictionary, and this enabled us to traverse those walls as we conversed on the train ride to Osaka.

My first class was an intimate group of five, including Emi, one of the Uehonmachi staff, and a student named Mayuki, both who had taken my classes in July. After the class they both told me my Japanese had improved since July. This was a wonderful kindness to receive in the very first class, and the perfect segueway into offering abundant praise for my Japanese tutor in SF, Atsuko Irisa. Without her teachings and encouragement, I wouldn’t be as coherent or confident as I am in my own teaching here. Thank you, Atsuko!

Chieko then promptly ushered me over to Shinsaibashi via taxi, to assist Yasushi in auditioning potential translators. There were seven candidates, to be tested one at a time. They had to first translate me teaching live to Tomoko, Chieko, and Eri, one of the Shinsaibashi staff, for about three minutes. Then, I read aloud a couple of paragraphs presenting the Anusara philosophy, as they followed with a translation line by line. It was fun, and interesting to experience the variety of personalities and abilities.

Yoggy Shisaibashi

The ladies of Yoggy Shinsaibashi; Tomoko, Mayumi, Eri, & Chieko

Afterwards, Chieko and I had a simple lunch at a place called Ichigo Ichie. I then went to the Namba-jinja, only a five minute walk from the studio. I wanted to meditate, and Eri had indicated this was the closest park or shrine. It was approaching dusk, a perfect time to sit in quiet. I entered the gates, and wandered around the walled-in sanctuary for a few minutes, then settled on a spot under a tree behind the main shrine, obscured from visitors. I had a wonderful meditation, feeling the wind gently blowing around me, vaguely registering the distant hum of activity outside, and sitting nestled in the base of an old, beautiful tree. I sat as the light retreated into the blossoming of night, until the elderly gatekeeper passed by me, calling out a firm omoishimarimasu yo, which translates as "We are closing!"

I returned to the studio in time for a chat with Tomoko before she left. She schooled me a little bit in the differing ben (“speech, tongue”) of Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. For example, the all-purpose form of “to do, perform, carry out, practice, etc.” is very different for each area; suru in Tokyo, shiharu in Kyoto, and yaru in Osaka. So far, everyone here has been really supportive in my language usage, correcting me and giving me alternate or improved ways of saying things. I am so grateful for each of them.

Teaching at 8:15pm is a new experience for me, and it took all of my energy to keep the language and the asana coherent and fluid. I was tired and hungry afterwards, and thankful I had brought a nashi with me for the train ride home.

I went to bed exhausted, but content.

Saturday

I woke early to have plenty of time to get to my 10:30 class at Uehonmachi. I was excited, because a friend and fellow teacher from Vancouver, Leanne Kitteridge, had flown in the previous night, and would be attending the class. Leanne has a degree in Japanese studies, has lived in Japan extensively, now travels here frequently through her current job as a stewardess, and is fluent in Japanese.

I was on my own this morning, but confident I would be fine. I caught the bus to Kawaramachi station, and transitioned to the train with just enough time to get to class. However, I got off one station early. By the time I caught another train and reached Umeda it was 10:15. Once at Umeda, there is actually a 5-7 minute walk through the tunnels to the connecting subway, so by the time I was seated on the underground* train it was 10:25. I didn’t panic at all though. I closed my eyes, and an image of Leanne came to me with the thought, “She’ll start the class for me.” Then, after reaching the final exit in Uehonmachi, I stepped out of the station and didn’t recognize the area. Uh-oh. I was already 10 minutes late by then. By the time I found my way to the studio it was close to 11. Yikes.

* the underground railway in Japan is called the chikatestu - chi means "earth", ka is "under", and tetsu means "iron".

When I arrived, Leanne was leading them through sun salutations, just as I expected. With a brief but sincere apology to the class, I picked up where Leanne left off, and finished out the class. Afterwards, I stepped out of the yoga room right into the path of Chieko, who greeted me with, “What happened!?” With Leanne’s help, I explained and apologized profusely to Chieko and the rest of the staff, promising it would not happen again. Leanne graciously added in that what had occurred was an anomaly, as I hold my responsibilities as a teacher and the students in the highest regard. The studio gave passes for a free class to all of the students, but many remarked they felt extra-privileged to have had two teachers instead of one. To me, this whole experience was a perfect example of how the universe takes care of us. I really believe that Leanne was there to teach because I was going to be late, and Leanne echoed this thought when I mentioned it to her.

Yoggy Uehonmachi - Chieko, Leanne, Chigusa, Emi, & Akiho

Leanne and I then traveled over to the Shinsaibashi area for lunch at a kaiten sushi (self-serve sushi from a conveyer belt) restaurant. It was a wonderful lunch, my favorite dishes being katsuo (bonito) with a dollop of yuzu (Japanese lime) atop it, and large slices of unagi (eel) - oishikatta desu! Leanne and I parted ways after lunch, as she had a plane to catch, and needed to get back to her hotel in Umeda. We hugged, and she said, “This is going to make an interesting blog.” To see Leanne’s view, go to Wa Yo Yogi, at http://shibuiyogablog.wordpress.com/ Much Love to you, Leanne!

I went for another visit to the Namba-jinja, to take photos.

Entrance torii.

The chouzuya ("wash basin") for the ritual cleansing.

The freshly landscaped garden.

Shishi ("lion") guardians; they traditionally come in pairs as guardians of Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples.

The open mouth shishi symbolizes the first letter of the Japanese and sanskrit alphabet, "ah".

The closed mouth shishi symbolizes the last letter of the two alphabets, "un".

The kitsune ("fox") shrine. The fox is a staple of Japanese folklore, appearing as both kami ("a god, divine being") and demon.

The guardians.

The offerings box; toss coins in, pull the rope to sound the bell, then clap twice (though I have seen other variations as well).

The meditation tree.

Central haiden ("hall of worship")

Resplendent courtyard tree.

This 4:00pm class was the strongest yet. We did a few eyes-closed group balances that induced plenty of smiles, then a four-part vasishthasana sequence that put everyone up against their edge, ending with pranam. As everyone settled into gravity and their breath, it was beautiful to feel the thick and deep vibration they had created.

After class, I touched base with Tim, so I could meet up with him and his fiancee, Maya, at his friend Graham’s place for a little dinner party. I needed to take a different set of trains, then a 10 minute walk to meet him at an intersection. Tim has an uncanny talent for hand drawing extremely accurate maps, and for estimating travel time. He told me I would arrive at our designated meeting place at 7:30, and I was there about five minutes prior. His friend Graham lives with Jae, his girlfriend, originally from Taiwan, and Mei, his 11-year old daughter from a previous marriage to a Japanese woman. Mei is an extraordinary little girl. She competes in swimming, practices ballet, and is a budding artist. Her manner is outgoing and she is quick to laugh and smile. Jae had prepared a lovely meal, and I happily dug in. Also in attendance was Rebecca, a friend of Graham and Tim’s from Los Angeles. She made an absolutely scrumptious dessert of pecan-oatmeal bars with a layer of Trader Joe’s dark chocolate bar melted into the center. Heavenly!

Tim had biked, so Maya and I took the bus home. It was so nice to chat with her. We have just discovered both of us share a passion for the music of Jeff Buckley and Chris Cornell, so our conversation centered around their creations, and how they had affected us. Maya is an accomplished shamisen performer and vocalist, and I am looking forward to her next performance.

Sunday

Another 10:30am class, but thankfully in Kyoto. Again, like on Saturday, another one of those universal blessings popped up. A woman from Canada attended the class, and Tim just happened to take class too. So I had her set up next to Tim, so he could translate for her when needed. As I write this, it actually strikes me as fantastically giddy; a native English speaker, teaching in Japanese, and another native English speaker having to translate it into English in a Japanese yoga class. I love this life.

Yoggy Kyoto - note the shouji as the far wall

Who is this guy?

Tim and I went for onigiri after class, then I went to Starbucks (I know, but it’s the only place that serves a chai latte) since I had a little bit of time to kill before my 4:30pm class at Shinsaibashi. I read a little more Osho, and came across these lovely bits:

“That energy that is speaking in me is listening in you; it is not separate, it can’t be separate. It is one spectrum, it is one wavelength. It is the same wave that is speaking in me and that is hearing in you.”

“We live in a sea of life - we live into each other.”

In my evening class, there were two fellow Yoggy teachers, Miyuko and Rica, who attended. They were both very appreciative for the class, and it was nice to have them there. One of the things I intend to do soon is to take classes from my fellow teachers here, so I get to know them all better. It is something I was unable to accomplish in SF, but I think it will be easier here, as the community is much smaller. Rica lives in Kyoto, so we rode home together and had wonderful conversation about the yogic path (thank you, electronic jisho!).

I showed up at Tim’s just in time for a fantastic meal he and Maya had prepared. Tim made an English dish composed of rice, smoked fish, and hard boiled eggs. They had also made a miso soup with carrots and porcini, and an avocado and tomato salad, and Maya had pickled some nasu (eggplant) that evening. Being with the two of them, and sharing such a delicious meal made with such love, was the perfect way to end the weekend.

The Axis Mundi

2008-10-02T21:47:00.002+09:00

It has been an amazing six days here. This week has been my “settling in week”. I have been non-stop corresponding via email, studying Japanese, reviewing my class for the first week, and doing all the things logistically one needs to do in a new place. In that time, the one stable grounding point has been my meditation practice. This exquisite gift that my teacher Paul has given me has become the axis mundi upon which my entire life revolves. It has been the source of the clarity of my awareness in all of my major decisions over the last year, and has put me in touch with the power of the divine in a way that I could not have predicted.

It really hit home this evening as I was corresponding with a fellow teacher, Dave Willocks. I wrote him, “I am flying high on the waves of grace, and it is the Divine Shakti blazing the path for me. I am forever indebted to her love and wisdom.” As I wrote “Divine Shakti,” I felt her expansive presence in my heart, and I was filled with a great love for this universe and all it holds. Sometimes the blessing that this life is stuns me into astonishment, and this was one of those times.

In my meditation this evening I experienced what Paul calls the “frictionless flow”. I felt my awareness being funneled into the great expanse of Life around me. My energetic body swelled with this presence, and I was filled with a heavy vibration. I settled into this state, and it seemed to last an eternity. Eventually, I consciously made the decision to move into savasana, and became still in that space. The fullness of consciousness then continued to increase, as if a great ocean was being poured into my being. I was filling up beyond the capacity of my body, yet holding this infinite space within the confines of my awareness. It was a paradoxical reversal of the meditation experience, as if awareness itself had turned inside out, like some sort of lotus flower, blossoming in two directions at once, with both blossoms containing the other.

I slowly sat up, took my seat, then chanted a lovely mantra Paul taught me that is for eliciting harmony and deep understanding between beings. As my tongue articulated the beautiful sanskrit vibrations, I felt the sounds emerging from another voice inside of my own. I was being sung, and bliss filled my heart and mind.

As I sit to write this, it feels like a low level electrical hum is resonating throughout the entire surface of my body, and within there is a quietude that is vast and silent to its depths. I feel acutely alive.

Tasmai Shri Gurave Namah!

Spanda Tattva (72 Hours Of Pulsation In Action)

2008-10-01T19:59:00.015+09:00

Spanda means pulsation, and a tattva is a principle of nature. I haven’t had the time to put thoughts to blog until today, so I made it a practice by viewing the last three days as pulsation in action. It is like watching the waves of the ocean as it carries things in and carries things out. What imprint has been left on the shore of my experience, and what has been made more visible by the removal of some useless piece of flotsam and jetsam? As I pick through the driftwood, maybe I’ll find a jewel...

Sunday Evening
Tim teaches me three very valuable phrases: konomama and sonomama, which mean “like this, in this way” and “as it is”, and kouiufuuni, which means “of this kind, like this”. He said that the former two refer to what is more static, while the later one describes something with movement or flow. They are indispensable for indicating contrast. For example; sonomama dewa naku. konomama. (“Not like that. Like this.”), or kouiufuuni yokunai. kouiufuuni. (“Not like this. Like this.”) Handy phrases for teaching yoga, most definitely.

Monday Morning
In the first chapter of Osho’s Zen:The Path Of Paradox, he speaks of konomama and sonomama. Another meaning of these words is “as things are, as one is,” or the “basic is-ness” of something. This morning is my first time reading Osho (Thanks, Jeff!). I don’t agree with everything he says, but here are some quotes I liked:

“Man is responsible for himself and for the world he lives in. If there is suffering, you are responsible; there is nobody else to look to. You cannot throw off your responsibility. If the world is ugly and is in pain, we are responsible; there is nobody else. If we are not growing we cannot throw the responsibility on anyone else’s shoulders. We have to take the responsibility.”

“The word God is not God, the concept “God” is not God. Neither is the concept “love” love, nor is the word food food. Zen says a very simple thing. It says: remember that the menu is not the food. And don’t start eating the menu.”

“The Zen seeker looks into reality to find the beautiful...in the songs of the birds, in the trees, in the dance of a peacock, in the clouds, in the lightning, in the sea, in the sands. It tries to look for the beautiful.”

Food for thought (but don’t eat the menu).

Monday Afternoon
A lot of Japanese language study, including memorization of what I wish to say in my first class I teach this Friday. Because of my rudimentary grasp of the language, I now have to prep for each class. By the hand of grace, I have been gifted with Kaeko*, a woman from Tokyo who has graciously volunteered to translate what I wish to say. Keeping in mind that there is only so much I can memorize, I have to keep it to a minimum. Basically, I have to weed out the superfluous chatter, and cut my words to that which is most concise and eloquent. It makes for a fantastic practice, and keeps the theme simple and grounded.

* Many of the names for women end in ko, which means “a child”. The kanji even looks like the pictograph of a child with his/her arms open: 子

Monday Evening
I have been revamping my site. Or rather, Noam has been revamping my site according to my very particular instructions. He is always the consummate professional, and I am very appreciative of his patience and ability to work with whatever request I give him. I sent an update, but forgot to attach the photos, then spent an hour trying to get gmail to send the darned things, with no such luck. Then, remembering my teleconference the following morning, I tried to set up skype for the call. An hour later I gave this up too. The universe wanted me off the computer.

Tuesday Morning
I was able to email the photos and set up the skype account. Whoo-hoo!
Even though I skyped in about 20 minutes late for the teleconference with Paul, I was just in time for a dharana (“focus, concentration”) practice. It was very simple and sweet, but the mantras he recited were exquisite. I could almost smell the rich earthy ancientness of these mantras. Our eyes were closed throughout, and I had a vision of the sounds as a string of clean, white bones suspended in the air that dissolved into the ether as each mantra was completed. I felt completely rooted to the spot, as solid as stone in my body, but my awareness kept expanding like rippling waves on the surface of a pond from the center.
Right after the teleconference the doorbell rings, and it is the Postal Service with a delivery of four of my eight boxes, including the one with food and toiletries. Yes!

Tuesday Afternoon
I left the house for downtown. On the subway, I chose the wrong side of the platform, and wound up going the opposite direction to the terminus, which was only the next stop. Once I did get downtown, I went to Shinsei Bank to open an account, but no one there spoke any English. Then I went to Studio Yoggy to take a class, and it was cancelled due to an all-day training. I decided that I best head home, and forgot to stop at another bank to exchange my dollars for yen, leaving me with not even enough for a subway ride for tomorrow. But, I had a fresh loaf of yummy raisin walnut bread. I had a slice with avocado, and immediately felt better about the whole afternoon ordeal.

Tuesday Evening
Tim offers me some more necessary yoga words - johanshin and kahanshin; jo uses the kanji for “up” (上), han means “half”, and shin is the onyomi (“Chinese pronunciation”) for “body”, or “upper body”, and ka(下)hanshin is - you guessed it - “lower body”. He also then refines my understanding of some other words as well. I am very privileged to have his language acumen at my disposal.

Wednesday Morning
I was supposed to meet Tomoko (there it is again) at the Kyoto studio at 2pm, but there was a message last night from her saying she would meet me just before 10am. I arrive at the studio at quarter of and wait. I have a lovely chat with Reiko (hat trick!), whose English is quite good, but no Tomoko. I wait until quarter after downstairs, then its off to the Kyoto bank to finally change my dollars to yen. I am thankful I can now pay Tim back for his generous loans. I stop at the onigiri stand Tim introduced me to, and for under $3 I have a take home lunch that is filling, tasty, and homemade.

Wednesday Afternoon
At Tim’s house, I blaze through my emails, sending and replying with focus and speed. I receive two deliveries from the Postal Service, and now have all of my boxes (the USPS rocks!).
A call comes around 2pm, and I have the ominous feeling that it was Tomoko. A half an hour later, an email pops up in my inbox from her. Apparently, the phone message we received last night was from last Saturday evening! Oops.

Wednesday Evening
Tim has just left Tomoko a message, explaining the whole mix up. She has been going above and beyond for me here, even putting together a folder of potential apartments for me to rent. I want her to receive an apology from me directly. With Tim's help, I fire off an email to her, and in the process learn what Tim calls, "a golden phrase": osewani narimasu. This translates into "I am always asking for your help./I am always in your debt."

It seems to me that my practice here in Kyoto is one of working patiently with each dilemma that presents itself, of opening myself to the ebb and flow of each moment, of not allowing myself to get pulled into any one story or scene. This is always the challenge; to balance the pulsation, be clear its articulation, and act from that place of harmony.

Wednesday afternoon I walked around Tim’s neighborhood, and took a few photos of some of the lovely houses in this rather idyllic area. Enjoy.

Note the swastika on the right - this is the symbol for jinja, or shrine.

A very modern addition to the area, complete with French greeting plaque.

A more traditional house, with a fantastic outer decor.

These are mostly dried flower arrangements.

Chez Medlock

Tim’s garden.

Bicycle Bicycle Bicycle

2008-09-28T21:08:00.010+09:00

Last night, after a simple dinner, Tim and I went to a sento ("public bathhouse") about a five minute walk from his house. It was a cute little place with the hugest koi I have ever seen, swimming around in a small rock-walled pond set in front of the entrance doorways. Though the establishment was small, there were three hot tubs, a cold pool, and a sauna, and the decor in the tub area was colorful and inviting. It was good to relax so deeply in my body, and afterwards I was ready for a restful sleep.

This morning, I had decided to accompany Tim to Yasushi's hand balancing workshop at Studio Yoggy. As we left the house, Tim said, "We'll take the bikes." I thought he meant for the short ride to Matsugasaki station, where we could catch the subway to downtown. As we got underway, Tim immediately set off in the opposite direction. When I questioned him, he replied, "No, we're riding all the way to the studio." What a treat! I haven't been on a bike in almost six years, and it was delightful to feel the wind flow around me as we sped towards Shijo Dori, Kyoto's main shopping street. As we rode, Tim shared that he enjoys exploring the many ways to bike from his place to downtown. I was treated to an idyllic ride through the narrow back streets crammed with quaint little homes, and a nice bit along the Kamogawa, one of the main rivers in Kyoto. I felt like a kid on vacation.

Mark with his trusty jitensha in the park encompassing the Shimogamo-jinja. Tim informed me that a jinja ("shrine") is always surrounded by forests, but a temple doesn't have to be.

At Studio Yoggy, there were many reunions with teachers and students I had seen in June, and Yasushi's workshop was fun. He is charismatic, and has a deep appreciation for his students that shows in his teaching.

After the workshop, we all chatted for a bit in the lounge, then Tim and I set out for a snack before biking home. Tim guided me to a tiny little homemade onigiri (rice balls wrapped in seaweed with various fillings) stand not far from the studio. We each bought two of the hefty snacks, and sat in a nearby temple to eat them. They were tasty and filling, perfect fuel after the class we had done.

By the time we returned home though, we were both hungry again, so we took a short walk to Les bles d'or, a lovely little pastry and bread shop, then stopped at the Kyoto Co-op to shop for dinner. Once home, we snacked on chai and strawberry tarts. A couple of hours later Tim prepared a fantastic meal of mashed potatoes with a touch of horseradish, salmon, komatsu ("little pine", a thin leafy green with a sharp tang to it), and shiitake in an onion-mushroom-white wine sauce. The fresh loaf of sesame bread we had picked up from the bakery was perfect for sopping the sauce up with.

The clouds have been offering light sprinklings here and there throughout the day, but have just now decided to unleash a full on rain. The sound of the drops plip-plopping in the garden is creating a melodic rhythm that is very soothing. I'm off for some meditation and well-earned sleep.

The Journey Of One Thousand Miles...

2008-09-27T10:36:00.004+09:00

I have landed in Kyoto. It feels very natural to me to return to this place. I woke today at 5:30am, after about five hours of sleep, and have been easing into my first full day here.

It is a lovely Kyoto morning; the sun pours down through the windows and softly parades across the tatami mat floor of my room, and there is a quietude that hangs in the very air. I am staying with my friend, Timothy Medlock, who has been a resident here for fourteen years. He lives in the Shimogamo area of Kyoto. He is a teacher of English communication at several Universities, and tutors students privately as well. He is also an actor and comedian, which makes his storytelling positively delightful.

Tim has recently gotten engaged to his longtime girlfriend Maya, a wonderful woman who grew up in Tottori ("bird taking") prefecture, about a three hour train ride from Kyoto. Last evening, he told me of taking a trip to Tottori to visit Maya's "auntie", who lives right near Daisen, a volcanic mountain with an elevation of 1,729 meters, making it the tallest in the Chugoku region. The soil there is rich in nutrients, and the fruits that grow there are especially prized for their tastiness. One of these fruits is the nashi, or pear. These are quite unlike the one's back in the USA, which the Japanese call rafuransu ("French pear"). The nashi are round and huge, often sold in department stores for 600-1000 yen a piece. The auntie offered Tim a basket of about 30 nashi. Tim was overwhelmed with gratitude, and wanted to give her a big hug. Auntie was shy about it at first, but after other family members made it clear this was something common among Tim's family and friends, she welcomed a huge hug. Immediately after the embrace, she dashed back into the grove, and brought back another 20 pears for him to take! Then a neighbor pulled up and, after finding out he was auntie's neice's fiancee, hauled out about 3 kilos of chestnuts from the back seat of his car and presented them to the newlyweds. Amazing.

I rarely eat pears, but of course had to try one of these for breakfast. It was the most delicious pear I have ever eaten. That nashi was incredibly juicy and sweet, and I now have a new fruit addiction. Thanks, Tim!

This is my buddy Tim, holding one of the nashi. Auntie and her friends wrap each pear by hand while it is still on the tree.