Okido Yoga UK - News #13

Reports from Laren Dojo

Summer Retreat 12-19 July 2013 - Shila

Dear Mizue, A week has passed since my arrival home. Beside some uneasiness in my stomach, the flight home went smoothly. At home I am like a new born baby. Every food I eat feels too salty, sweet or hot. I study to listen to my body.

The days with you and the others passed like a dream. This wonderful dream, I intend to keep as a guide and teacher in my daily life. I have a feeling that this retreat week has taken me a wide step forward with new thoughts and new considerations. I find myself new born not only through my stomach, but also from my mind-heart. It seems to me that my mind has been going through a kind of an outlook change.

All in all, I would like to thank you and all lovely staff members for taking good care of us, letting us feel so comfortable, happy and satisfied. Your full-filling and interesting lessons taught me a lot. There was not a bit of time wasted. The kind of food we took has proved me that whatever we eat serves what we are. The buildings and beautiful garden of the dojo make such lovely quiet accommodation surrounded with nature. I would like you to send my best regards to the fellow participants and the staff. Hope to meet you again. With lots of appreciation, From Shila

Comment by Mizue Tamaki:
Tomoko commented in her reports on Laren’s activities for the summer 2012 that the Laren dojo's facilities are very suitable for yoga retreats. This summer, two more facilities were added and used well during the summer retreat and women weekend. These are a meditation circle among the trees and a barefoot pebble path. The barefoot path is very good to stimulate foot reflexology points as well as for walking meditation.

Long Women Weekend 19-22 July 2013 – Mizue Tamaki

picnic Immediately after the summer retreat, we had a yearly women weekend, asking Tomoko to come over from the UK. Women of different ages (18 to 74) of different health backgrounds were together for a 4-day residential course. For some new participants who do not cook often at home, this course stimulated them into starting to cook at least vegetable soup. Soup especially with white vegetables gives a great cleansing effect. For others, attending this course was a yearly maintenance of themselves with one step farther.

The highlight of this year’s Women Weekend was that we talked around bonfire about our own mothers' good influences we want to keep and practice, and bad influences we want to work out to change. Because some older participants were at similar ages as those of younger participants’ mothers, it was good learning for all of us. We could value that fact that we were born as women. Tomoko's lessons provided women’s energy, to learn how to handle with our limit in a soft way. Hip bath using dried mugwort, which grows in our garden to be prepared for women’s seminars, was appreciated with its wonderful effects.