SHIMADA A MASTER IN SHODO PRACTICES RAJA YOGA (SAMYAMA) WITH NATHALIE ISHIZUKA IN A VISIONARY LEADER PROGRAM ELEVATING HER ART

For the last two and half years, Saiso Shimada in Tokyo, along with Nathalie Ishizuka in Singapore, and a formidable raja yoga teacher in Europe (prefers to remain unknown), practice regularly about four times a week samyama (stillness in action) co-ordinating their meditations on three continents with skype.  Due to this regular practice together Shimada has seen according to her own assessment and her fans, a shift in her work.

While Shodo has in the past — like most of the great arts in Japan — been taught with Zen, this tradition is not as strong as it once has been.  Even when students can manage one or two hours of meditaiton a day, the real benefits of Zen meditation come with a total life style change: you must not only meditate like a monk, but eat, walk and sleep like one.

Today this lifestyle is simply not possible for most.  As a result, Nathalie Ishizuka, who learned raja yoga from her teacher and later Advanced Yoga Practices by Yogani, has begun to teach this method to Shimada so it can in time be passed down to her students.

Realizing that this method is both easy and effective and that most students will not have years of meditation practice as she does, Shimada has started to teach some students Advanced Yoga Practices (Deep Meditation) with shodo.  Together with Nathalie Ishizuka they hope to make deep meditation and shodo available to those in Japan who practice traditional arts and those abroad.

SHODO AND MEDITATION A DAILY PRACTICE

Ideally, one would first practice 3 to 6 months of Deep Meditation by Yogani (20 minutes a day, twice a day) to attain at least a certain level of inner silence.

Once this basic foundation is built, it is easier to re-enter states of deep meditation with shorter 5 minutes practices which I recommend here for shodo practioners who may not always have 20 minutes to practice meditation prior to shodo.

LESSON PLAN FOR SHODO AND MEDITATION PRACTICE:

Step 1: Create an intent for your practice.  For example, it could be that others who may see your shodo would experience inner silence or joy.

Step 2: Listen or Read the Directions for the Deep Meditation (Advanced Yoga Practices by Yogani) in Japanese, English or your language of choice.   (See http://www.aypsite.org)

ENGLISH DIRECTIONS DEEP MEDITATION (Advanced Yoga Practices by Yogani) 

Japanese text and audio translation made available thanks to Naohiro Hayashi (Certified Teacher of Advanced Yoga Practices)

Step 3: Set a timer (insight timer app is recommended or your phone’s timer works too) for 5-10 minutes.  Repeat the “AYAM” mantra “I AM” mantra according to the instructions of the meditation with eyes closed.

Step 4: At the end of the 5-10 minutes, you can begin your regular shodo practice.  Ideally, a 20 minute meditation practice is what is required with a 5 minute rest periods, but if you are already meditating daily with the AYP meditation and have done your practice in the morning, then 5 minutes right before your shodo practice will do.

Step 5: Play about 5 Minutes of the video by Saiso Shimada and work along with her with a brush.  If you don’t have ink, just hold the brush and do the movements.

Link to the Video:

Step 6: Stop the video and practice for 5 Minutes whatever You Remember from the Lesson.  You can Review the lesson if you need.

Step 7:  Close your eyes and rest for 5 minutes.

Step 8: Restate your Intent and celebrate it in your heart.  Gratitude for this moment.  Celebrate your moment of quiet, inner silence, joy or beauty.

Ideally, meditaiton when done twice a day begins to change our nervous system.  Here we are just using meditation for 5-10 minutes of focus prior to the shodo practice.  For changing our nervous system, 20 minutes followed by rest is recommended.  Doing more initially is not recemended.  Please see http://www.aypsite.org for more information on the requirements for the AYP (Advanced Yoga Practice) meditation.

FULL DIRECTIONS FOR THE DEEP MEDITATION (ADVANCED YOGA PRACTICES) BY YOGANI ON WWW.ADVANCEDYOGAPRACTICES.COM

For those interested in more information on this meditation and how to best practice it we highly suggest that you read Deep Meditation by Yogani.

Make sure if you are doing the 20 minute regular meditation, you rest after the meditation as the benefits of the practice are often found in the rest period.

BOOK FORMAT FOR DEEP MEDITATION (KINDLE, AMAZON)

VIDEO DESCRIPTION TRAILER OF DEEP MEDITATION: PATHWAY TO PERSONAL FREEDOM BY YOGANI

ABOUT SAISO SHIMADA AND THE VISIONARY LEADER PROGRAM WITH NATHALIE ISHIZUKA

Saiso Shimada is on scholarship for the Visionary Leader Program from Beyond Our Best supported by the work of Nathalie Ishizuka who wishes to teach visionaries in a variety of fields how to go beyond their best with meditation.  Nathalie draws on the help of her own meditation teachers in this endeavor.

THE VISIONARY LEADER I, II.   Enrollment Visionary Leader Closed.  Get on the Wait List. Donate a full scholarship for future Candidates.

Visionary Leader I , II   A one year mastery program to change oneself creating the foundation to go beyond one’s best in one’s field or expertise, this includes a 1 Full Day VIP day Singapore + weekly hour session skype over 9 months.  To explore going beyond one’s best  an ambitious project must be presented that has an element of service for others.

This program is for geniuses, mavicks, innovators, CEOs and talented leaders of their field who want to contribute something to the world and are eager for the adventure of a lifetime and then some.  You may apply for the program or may be invited.  A service to others is a necessary pre-requisite for approval.

Can re-apply to continue program for a second year.