Where can you find a quiet place in Tokyo to experience the energy of traditional Japan?

Japan is a fascinating country which has a unique energy mixture: modern and traditional, well-organized and chaos.

One of the main experiences visitors look for when exploring Japan is visiting a shrine and temple. Recently, however, there are so many tourists swarming around every famous shrine and temple that it is getting difficult to encounter their purified original energy.  Nowadays it is only possible to sense the peaceful and holy atmosphere of these places if you visit them in the early morning before the crowds arrive.

There is, however, another way you can experience this peaceful energy of ancient Japan.

Our clinic is located in Shinjuku – the heart of Tokyo.  This neighborhood is famous for being one of the busiest spots in the city. If you look more closely, however, you will see that even here it is possible to  find a tranquil atmosphere because of Shinjuku Gyoen, a huge traditional park and garden which dates back to the Tokugawa Shogunate.

This contrast between the business of urban Shinjuku and the peace and tranquility of Shinjuku Gyoen represents the balance of yin (quiet energy) and yang (busy energy).  In nature, yin and yang are never absolute.  They are never separate and one cannot exist without the other.

This contrast and balance can actually help us to go into a deep state of inner silence.

In my Zen style acupuncture sessions, I make use of this very unique and specialized energy to help you tune in to your own inner nature.  I am able to facilitate your reaching a mental and spiritual state which is similar to the quietness of Zen – the experience we were originally supposed to have at a temple or shrine.

The case of the music producer, Mr. P

When Mr. P came to me for a session, he had been having ongoing back pain for a few months.

He was in Japan for a business trip this time and had been having acupuncture sessions in London on a regular basis.  In the midst of his stressful trip, he visited me to relieve his back pain and rebalance his body-mind energy.

His symptoms:

Stiffness around the neck and tightness in the middle back.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), his condition is known as Liver Qi Stagnation.  By palpating the middle back inside the edge of the shoulder blades, I got a sense of severe tension especially on his right side. This tension around the shoulder blades is a typical sign of Liver Qi Stagnation. From the TCM perspective, “liver” does not mean only the organ as it does in the western medicine, but includes the organ itself and a pattern of related physical and psychological issues.  The liver is responsible for ensuring the smooth flow of Qi-energy throughout the body-mind.  In many cases, constantly being caught up in a stream of thought you can’t shut down is a main cause of the Liver Qi stagnation.  Especially when he is working, Mr. P tends to think intensely all the time about music or anything else that catches his interest.

Using a combination of Japanese acupuncture and Rolfing, I devoted his session to “Regulating and Rebalancing” treatment.  This treatment is characterized by releasing the flow of the vital energy and rebalancing the body-mind.  As a result, his stiffness was spontaneously released by re-smoothing his Qi-energy.  The flow then quieted his brain and took him straight into a meditative state.  It was a sedative stress-relieving experience for his body, mind and spirit.

The “Urban Retreat” I offer is a tranquil session that can bring about a state of deep stillness in which relaxation and rejuvenation can take place.  We have the potential to achieve a deeper level of tranquillity within this being.  We can become whole, integrated and at peace with ourselves.

The key is to grasp the silence from within and not search for it without.

Postscript:

This is his testimonial.

Over the past few months I have had some ongoing back pain, but after the session I felt a sense of relief that has put everything back into shape with the pain gone. I can now enjoy freedom of movement.

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