Japanese Healing Arts Blog

2011-11-29T14:36:00.000-08:00

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

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

2011-11-26T07:41:00.000-08:00

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

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

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

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

Free Japanese Yoga & Meditation Class!

2011-10-27T21:45:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

Japanese Yoga

2011-10-09T18:40:00.000-07:00

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

Nakamura Tempu & Japanese Yoga

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

A Dynamic Teacher of Mind/Body Unification

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

Unique Methods to Improve Physical & Mental Health

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

Testimonials from Japanese Yoga Experts

Recommended Websites

Visit www.senninfoundation.com for more information.

2011-10-07T23:25:00.000-07:00

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

Change

2011-07-27T08:32:00.001-07:00

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

Nakamura Tempu Sensei

2011-07-14T15:19:00.000-07:00

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

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

Free Class!

2011-07-12T12:30:00.001-07:00

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

Healing Arts at the Sennin Foundation Center

2011-06-01T00:25:00.000-07:00

Nakamura Tempu Sensei, founder of the Shin-shin-toitsu-do system of Japanese yoga, also taught a method of self-healing and bodywork (hitori ryoho or hitori massage). His emphasis was on yuki, which is the transference of life energy through a massage-like technique.

In most aspects of life, it is vital to be able to throw 100 percent of ourselves into the moment at hand, and this positive mental state is called Ki no dashikata, or "the projection of life energy." When our life energy freely exchanges with the life energy that pervades Nature, we're in our happiest and healthiest state.

We've all met exceptionally positive and animated individuals, people who project a "large presence." The intangible, but unmistakable, "big presence" an energetic individual is projecting can be thought of as universal life energy, and it is an indispensable aspect of yuki.

And in Japan, the universal essence that pervades all of the Nature has a name. It is called Ki.

An understanding of Ki is not something that can be fully detailed on a web site. For the moment, the principal points to remember are that Ki amounts to the animating force that vitalizes all creations, and that a relaxed body, along with a positive mental state, sets it free. On the other hand, physical tension and/or the negative use of the mind cause Ki ga nukeru--"the withdrawal and the loss of Ki."

Ki has been described in a variety of ways, by an equally wide variety of people. In the Sennin Foundation, we are thinking of Ki as the essential building block of nature. That universal substance from which all things emanate, exist as, and revert to . . . the connective membrane of the absolute Universe. (Of course, just as all the cells in the body are inseparable from the body, we can only draw an artificial separation between the Ki that links all creations in Nature and Nature itself.)

Unfortunately, discussions of Ki are frequently covered in mystical tones, and some writers have suggested that Ki is invisible. This depends on one's point of view. Certainly it is hard to observe the motion of Ki as something which is apart and different from the various and boundless different aspects of Nature.

A nondualistic worldview does not inevitably reject the relative world, but instead, sees the absolute oneness of Nature that underlies all relative differences. In this case, a willow tree is Ki, and when the wind causes the tree to lean, it is Ki blustering. And we are Ki watching the motion of Ki in the Universe, which is Ki itself. The wind blowing the willow, the swaying tree, the mind that sees and moves with the wind and willow--all are external reflections of diversified elements of Ki, or of the sum total of the Universe. Ki is then not some much preternatural, invisible, or elusive, but it is instead, all encompassing. Ki's genuine far-reaching and down to earth character is reflected in the Japanese language itself, which uses this ordinary term in a seemingly immeasurable number of popular compound words and expressions.

Yuki means "transfusion of Ki," and it functions in a way that is not dissimilar to a blood transfusion (yuketsu). In essence, it is possible, by studying methods of mind-body coordination and Shin-shin-toitsu-do meditation, to learn to transfer Ki from the thumbs, fingertips, and palms to weakened parts of the body, as a way of boosting the natural healing process. Students at the Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts can receive instruction in this unique art of healing. Visit www.senninfoundation.com for more information.

"I've found the healing arts instruction at the Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts to be logical, simple, and comprehensive. Of equal importance, I've been able to use these techniques to help heal my own injuries and illnesses as well as those of some of my friends."--A Sennin Foundation student.

Kevin Heard

2011-05-16T20:50:00.000-07:00

Recently, the Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts promoted Kevin Heard to So-shihan in the Shin-shin-toitsu-do system of Japanese yoga and meditation. He received the same advanced teaching certification in this discipline’s related healing arts (yuki). This is the highest possible rank and similar to a PhD. Mr. Heard has been studying and teaching at the Sennin Foundation Center for nearly 30 years; he is the first and only person to have received So-shihan certification.

On a related note, Mr. Heard was also recently promoted to rokudan, sixth-degree black belt, by the Shudokan Martial Arts Association Jujutsu Division. The SMAA is an international coalition of Japanese and Western martial arts experts. Mr. Heard is now one of the highest ranking members of the SMAA Jujutsu Division. You can read more here: http://shudokanmartialartsassociation.blogspot.com/2011/04/kevin-heard-receives-sixth-dan.html.

Mr. Heard earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of California at Berkeley. After working in the software development industry, he returned to the University to become Director of Computing and Information Services for UCB's School of Information. His professional interests include UNIX/Linux system administration, building information systems based on open standards, open source software, and privacy and security in the digital age. He is co-author of Mastering Netscape SuiteSpot 3 Servers (Sybex).

He regularly teaches Japanese yoga, healing arts, and martial arts to children and adults at the Sennin Foundation Center. You can read more at www.senninfoundation.com.

The Essence of Japanese Yoga

2011-05-08T18:11:00.000-07:00

Four Basic Principles to Unify Mind and Body

1. Maintain a positive mind.

2. Train the mind to arrive at full concentration.

3. Use the body obeying the laws of nature.

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

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

Free Japanese Yoga Class

2011-04-06T14:50:00.000-07:00

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

Japanese Yoga & Meditation

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

Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

2011-03-11T07:58:00.000-08:00

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

An Amazon.com Review of Japanese Yoga

2011-02-23T16:56:00.000-08:00

5.0 out of 5 stars

Much more than yoga
December 30, 2010

By David Orman

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

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

I found it extremely helpful and would highly recommend it.

Movement

2011-02-13T15:21:00.000-08:00

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

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

Thoughts

2011-01-19T17:04:00.001-08:00

A man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes.

Mohandas Gandhi

Both Gandhi and Nakamura Tempu mentioned this idea, echoing the sages of ancient India. To learn more about how the mind can create health and illness, fortune and misfortune, read Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation, which is based on Nakamura Sensei's teachings.

Dream

2011-01-08T13:22:00.001-08:00

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

Orison Swett Marden

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

Japanese Yoga

2010-11-07T12:51:00.000-08:00

http://senninfoundation.com/davey_yoga.html

Images of Japanese Yoga and Healing Arts

2010-10-31T20:27:00.000-07:00

Curious about Japanese yoga and related healing arts? Visit www.senninfoundation.com.

Sennin Foundation Healing Arts

2010-09-14T13:20:00.000-07:00

The Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts in Albany, California is offering a combined healing arts program featuring Japanese yoga (Shin-shin-toitsu-do) and a method of bodywork called yuki. Class times are Monday from 7:00 to 8:30 PM, Tuesday and Thursday from 7:00 to 8:00 PM, and Saturday from 8:45 to 9:45 AM.

This program has been ongoing since 1981, and it is affiliated with the Sennin Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit organization (#94-3239602). Classes take place in small groups, with personalized instruction offered by H. E. Davey and his staff of certified teachers. Students learn Shin-shin-toitsu-do, a form of yoga and health improvement founded by Nakamura Tempu Sensei in the early 1900s. Since then over one million people, largely in Japan, have studied this art’s unique versions of seated meditation, moving meditation, breathing exercises, healing arts, and autosuggestion methods for positively changing the subconscious mind.

Students also study yuki, a method of transferring ki (“life energy”) from the therapist to the patient by applying pressure using the thumbs, fingertips, and palms. This healing art is an extension of the mind and body unification principles taught in the Japanese yoga program, and it has proven useful for treating a variety of injuries and ailments.

The Sennin Foundation Center is located at 1053 San Pablo Ave. in Albany. Visits are by appointment. For more information call 510-526-7518 (evenings). The Sennin Foundation Center can be reached on the Internet at www.senninfoundation.com.

New Teachers of Japanese Yoga

2010-06-25T13:23:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

Free Japanese Yoga & Martial Arts Classes

2010-05-03T12:18:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

Troy Swenson Receives Japanese Yoga Teaching Certification

2010-03-30T13:53:00.000-07:00

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

Free Japanese Yoga Class

2010-01-04T11:02:00.000-08:00

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

Anjo Daza Ho Meditation CD

2009-05-26T13:19:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

FREE Classes!

2009-02-03T12:32:00.001-08:00

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

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

Healing Arts at the Sennin Foundation Center

2008-12-09T13:01:00.000-08:00

In Japan, all living things are thought to be manifestations of one universal life force called ki (chi in Chinese). The existence of plants, animals, and people is maintained by, and composed of, this all-embracing ki. When ki is strong and flowing freely, health is maintained. But when it weakens, illness and depression often result. Special healing methods are then needed to restore ki, or “life energy.”

Sennin Ryoji, the “Sennin Foundation Healing Methods,” powerfully strengthen ki to overcome tension, illness, and injury. Japanese massage-like techniques are coupled with procedures for dynamically transferring ki from the therapist to the patient using gentle pressure from the thumbs, fingertips, and palms. This is Yuki, the “Transfusion of Ki,” and it’s comparable to jumpstarting a car’s depleted battery.

Our healing class consists of methods bearing an outward resemblance to acupressure (shiatsu) and “laying on of hands.” Despite such resemblances, the techniques are wholly unique, and they aim at restoring and preserving genki, a state of perfect health.

H. E. Davey Sensei, the primary instructor at the Sennin Foundation Center, began studying this holistic healing art under experienced Japanese teachers while still in middle school. Author of the acclaimed book Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynmic Meditation, he has taught innumerable people how to regain mental/physical wellbeing and how to help others to do the same. The methods he teaches stem from the hitori massage (self-massage and healing) of the original Shin-shin-toitsu-do of Nakamura Tempu Sensei, the modified versions of Shin-shin-toitsu-do created by some of Nakamura Sensei’s students, and the Yuki of Noguchi Haruchika Sensei. He has studied under direct students of these remarkable healers, both in the Japan and the USA.

Included at no extra charge is training in the Shin-shin-toitsu-do system of Japanese yoga and meditation. Call the Sennin Foundation Center (510-526-7518) soon to discover how to enhance your health, energy level, and mind/body wellness.

Discover Japanese Yoga & Natural Healing

2008-12-09T12:58:00.000-08:00

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

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

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

Free Introductory Classes!

2008-11-25T13:36:00.000-08:00

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

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

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

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

Heal Yourself using the Book "Japanese Yoga"

2008-06-17T11:32:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

In Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation, after a brief history of Shin-shin-toitsu-do, H. E. Davey Sensei presents Mr. Nakamura's Four Basic Principles to Unify Mind and Body. These principles relate the meditative experience to the movement of everyday living and thus make it a "dynamic meditation." Each of the Four Basic Principles is illustrated with step-by-step explanations of practical experiments.Readers are then introduced to different forms of seated and moving meditation, health exercises, and self-healing arts. All these are linked back to the Four Basic Principles and can enhance performance in art, music, business, sports, and other activities. Readers learn to use Japanese yoga techniques throughout the day, without having to sit on the floor or seek out a quiet space.

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

For a limited time only, the Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts is offering autographed copies of H. E. Davey Sensei's landmark book Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation for just $18.95. These are BRAND NEW copies of an out of print book, which is becoming increasingly hard to find and going up in price. A limited number of new, signed copies can be obtained here: http://www.senninfoundation.com/davey_yoga.html

Getting Started

2008-06-17T11:30:00.000-07:00

We typically start new students at the beginning of each month. To preserve the quality of our classes, all instruction is semi-private in nature, and only a small number of students are accepted each month. Actual private lessons are available as well at mutually convenient times.

You are welcome to visit our dojo to ask questions, buy books, pick up a class and fee schedule, or watch a class. However, visits are by appointment. To set up an appointment to visit or register for upcoming classes, please call 510-526-7518 (evenings). If a class is in progress, you may get the answering machine. If so, leave a message, and we’ll call you as soon as the class ends.

We’re located at 1053 San Pablo Ave. in Albany, which is between Berkeley and El Cerrito. We are also conveniently located next to a major bus stop. A map can be found at http://www.senninfoundation.com/.

The Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts

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H. E. Davey Sensei established the Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts in 1981. Since then, we’ve offered instruction in Japanese systems of yoga, healing arts and bodywork, martial arts, and brush calligraphy/ink painting. Our primary focus is Shin-shin-toitsu-do, a unique form of Japanese yoga and meditation, which features distinctive principles of mind and body unification that can strengthen performance in most any activity. Our supplemental and optional classes in Japanese healing arts, martial arts, and fine arts also use these powerful principles that lead to mind and body harmony.

Our dojo, or classical Japanese training hall, is affiliated with various associations in Japan and has ties to the Japanese community in the Bay Area. Our affordable classes are easily understood by the average American, but at the same time, they are not commercialized, Americanized, or watered down. Well-trained and certified teachers offer you expert and authentic instruction in traditional Japanese arts.

You can read about the Sennin Foundation Center at http://www.senninfoundation.com/. And you can learn about Japanese cultural arts in general at Michi Online: http://www.michionline.org/. Both Michi Online and the Sennin Foundation Center are associated with the Sennin Foundation, Inc., a federally tax-exempt, nonprofit corporation devoted to preserving and promoting Japanese arts.

Japanese Yoga & Healing

2008-06-17T11:23:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Four Basic Principles to Unify Mind and Body

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

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

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

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

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

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

More on Healing Arts

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Nakamura Tempu Sensei, founder of the Shin-shin-toitsu-do system of Japanese yoga, also taught a method of self-healing and bodywork (hitori ryoho or hitori massage). His emphasis was on yuki, which is the transference of life energy through a massage-like technique.
In most aspects of life, it is vital to be able to throw 100 percent of ourselves into the moment at hand, and this positive mental state is called Ki o dasu, or "the projection of life energy." When our life energy freely exchanges with the life energy that pervades Nature, we're in our happiest and healthiest state.

Yuki means "transfusion of Ki," and it functions in a way that is not dissimilar to a blood transfusion (yuketsu). In essence, it is possible, by studying methods of mind-body coordination and Shin-shin-toitsu-do meditation, to learn to transfer Ki from the thumbs, fingertips, and palms to weakened parts of the body, as a way of boosting the natural healing process. Students at the Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts can receive instruction in this unique art of healing.

"I've found the healing arts instruction at the Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts to be logical, simple, and comprehensive. Of equal importance, I've been able to use these techniques to help heal my own injuries and illnesses as well as those of some of my friends."--A Sennin Foundation student.

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

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

Healing Arts Instruction Offered

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The Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts in Albany, California is offering a combined healing arts program featuring Japanese yoga (Shin-shin-toitsu-do) and a method of bodywork called Yuki. Class times are Monday from 7:00 to 8:30 PM, Tuesday and Thursday from 7:00 to 8:00 PM, and Saturday from 8:45 to 9:45 AM.This program has been ongoing since 1981, and it is affiliated with the Sennin Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit organization (#94-3239602).

Classes take place in small groups, with personalized instruction offered by H. E. Davey and his staff of certified teachers. Students learn Shin-shin-toitsu-do, a form of yoga and health improvement founded by Nakamura Tempu Sensei in the early 1900s. Since then over one million people, largely in Japan, have studied this art’s unique versions of seated meditation, moving meditation, breathing exercises, healing arts, and autosuggestion methods for positively changing the subconscious mind.Students also study Yuki, a method of transferring ki (“life energy”) from the therapist to the patient by applying pressure using the thumbs, fingertips, and palms. This healing art is an extension of the mind and body unification principles taught in the Japanese yoga program, and it has proven useful for treating a variety of injuries and ailments.

H. E. Davey’s classes emphasize Japanese yoga and healing arts as a way of realizing better health, concentration, willpower, confidence, and calmness. He is the author of numerous books about Japanese cultural arts, including Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation, Living the Japanese Arts & Ways: 45 Paths to Meditation & Beauty, and others.The Sennin Foundation Center is located at 1053 San Pablo Ave. in Albany. Visits are by appointment. For more information call 510-526-7518 (evenings). The Sennin Foundation Center can be reached on the Internet at http://www.senninfoundation.com/.

Healing Arts at the Sennin Foundation Center

2008-06-17T11:08:00.000-07:00

In Asia all living things are thought to be manifestations of one universal life force called ki. The existence of plants, animals, and people is maintained by, and composed of, this all-embracing ki. When ki is strong and flowing freely, health is maintained. But when it weakens, illness and depression often result. Special healing methods are then needed to restore ki, a concept we can liken to one’s “spirit” or “life energy.”

The Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural in Northern California has a long established healing arts program. Sennin Ryoji, the “Sennin Foundation Healing Methods,” strengthen ki to overcome tension, illness, and injury. Various massage-like techniques are coupled with procedures for dynamically transferring ki from the therapist to the patient using gentle pressure from the thumbs, fingertips, and palms. This is Yuki, the “Transfusion of Ki,” and it can be compared to jump starting a car’s depleted battery.

H. E. Davey Sensei, Sennin Foundation Director, began studying this healing art under experienced Japanese teachers while still in middle school. He has since taught innumerable people how to regain their health and how to help others to do the same. The methods he teaches stem from the hitori massage (self-massage and healing) of the original Shin-shin-toitsu-do of Nakamura Tempu Sensei, the modified versions of Shin-shin-toitsu-do created by some of Nakamura Sensei’s students, and the Yuki of Noguchi Haruchika Sensei. He has studied under direct students of these remarkable healers, both in the Japan and the USA.