The peaceful heart of Beppu

Today I took a stroll with my friend Tomoko through Beppu Park. It is one of the most beautiful and relaxing city parks I have ever seen. It has a very peaceful atmosphere, with lovely trees, flowers and landscaping, and an incredible bamboo grove.

It is particularly spectacular during the cherry blossom season.


Tomoko told me something of the park's history. It was formerly the site of US Army Camp Chikamauga, but now stands as a peace park and testament to post-war good will between the two nations.

The soldiers stationed here planted a small pine tree, which they decorated at Christmas time. This tree now stands 60 feet tall and beside it is a plaque commemorating "the kindnesses shown by troops of the 19th Infantry Regiment to the people of Beppu". Local people still decorate this tree every Christmas.

Tomoko also told me about a soldier who returned recently, to visit his former camp, and how he was moved to tears by the sight of that tree, that he himself had helped to plant so many years ago. (You can read his own personal account of his return visit to Beppu here)

Guest article: Yoga for Cancer Patients

Thank you to guest writer, Krista Peterson for this post.

Krista is a recent college graduate and aspiring writer. As a health and safety advocate, she shares a strong passion for the wellness of others in her community. She has been practicing yoga for 3 years and loves to encourage others to do so as well. Through her writings, Krista helps to spread awareness of such issues as cancer and chronic illness and the different methods of treatments available.

Yoga for Cancer Patients

Yoga is a mind and body incorporative exercise that originated in India over 4,000 years ago. As a fundamental component of Ayurveda, the traditional medicinal system of India, yoga incorporates meditation, relaxation, imagery, controlled breathing, stretching, and physical movement to gain physical and mental control over the body.

Yoga has started to become more and more popular due to the many mental and physical benefits. Positive advantages of the practice of yoga include, but are not limited to lubrication of the joints, detoxification, massaging of the organs, additional flexibility, improved physical fitness, and even as a compliment aiding in psychotherapy.

With the need for relaxation and rest, and the physical demands of the disease, yoga is quickly becoming a viable option in aid to cancer patients looking for complementary therapies. Recent studies have even shown that yoga can be useful in the relief of symptoms from multiple illnesses like leukemia, and even the rare mesothelioma cancer. Patients suffering from cancer often suffer from fatigue, and can have trouble sleeping for months, sometimes even years, due to chemo and radiation therapies. Yoga can help patients sleep better and feel more energized, leading to a decrease in sleep aids and sedative intake. Though yoga cannot cure cancer, it can be used as a complementary treatment.

Yoga creates a strong feeling in connecting the mind, body, and spirit, and can truly aid in helping those suffering from illness to feel more in-touch with their self. The alternative treatment can develop a higher sense of overall wellness and can instill a feeling of being on the path to wellness, as well as helping to develop the perception of being more in control of the self, aiding cancer patients to not only feel more in touch with their emotions, but also helping to develop a connection with the ability to release them.

Strength in the face of adversity

At this time of year, you can see them everywhere, flying in parks, schools and gardens, strung up over rivers and hung from balconies: they are 鯉のぼり (koi nobori), carp streamers.

I saw these this weekend in 大分農業文化公園 (Oita nougyou bunka kouen) Oita Agricultural Park, and found them particularly impressive.

The carp has a very positive image in Japan. It is a strong, energetic fish that is able to swim upstream, overcoming the current. Hence they have come to represent success, persistence and strength in the face of adversity.

Given the recent tragedies and struggles now facing Japan, they are a very appropriate symbol. I wish Japan much strength in the face of adversity.
頑張って日本！

For a first hand account of what's happening in the disaster stricken area, there is an English translation of a blog written by a Japanese aid worker: http://jkts-english.blogspot.com/

Hugging the earth

Today I had another yoga session in the park. It was wonderful to be immersed in the prana of nature. Truly energising. For one of our poses we lay face down, chest against the ground, with arms spread wide. It felt like hugging the earth. I don't think you can get this sensation on the floor of the studio. It's a very satisfying experience. Try it!

It also reminded me vividly of a sculpture I once saw in Hakone at the open-air sculpture park there, 彫刻の森 (choukoku no mori) It amused me at the time, but now the image fills me with reverie.


地球を抱きましょう！

New beginnings

We've moved! We now live on Kyushu. And we have a garden!

I'm looking forward to seeing how we grow here.