Episode 63
42 mins
Teruki & Yoko Nakano - Bringing Accessible Yoga to Japan
Teruki Nakano works as a Geriatric Psychiatrist and Yoko Nakano is an anesthesiologist. They are both yoga teachers and the founders of Medcare Yoga. They translated Jivana Heyman’s Accessible Yoga course into Japanese, and it is their mission to bring accessible yoga to Japan. 25% of Japan’s population is over the age of 60, and that figure is growing, so bringing a form of yoga to an increasingly aging population is very important in my opinion!
In this episode we learn about Teruki and Yoko's backgrounds and how though skeptical at first, Teruki noticed that yoga was helping with Yoko's health issues. After doing his own research, Teruki realised the many benefits of yoga, and encouraged Yoko to become a Yoga teacher before doing so himself!
We hear how Teruki was becoming burnt out in his career as a surgeon, and how a life-changing event - the Fukushima earthquake made him realise that medicine was his calling.
Finally, we learn Teruki and Yoko's mission to bring Accessible Yoga to Japan, and some of the unique challenges that yoga teachers face in Japan.
Links
Medcare Yoga: https://medcareyoga.com/en/
Accessible Yoga: http://accessibleyoga.org/
Accessible Yoga Book Giveaway: https://www.facebook.com/flowartistspodcast/photos/a.1599824873441010/2589033167853504/
Fire Yoga Workshops with Tim Seutter: https://www.gardenofyoga.com.au/workshops/yoga-fire-workshops/
Buy the book Accessible Yoga!
Book Depository (free shipping): https://www.bookdepository.com/Accessible-Yoga/9781611807127
Waterstones (UK): https://www.waterstones.com/book/accessible-yoga/jivana-heyman/9781611807127
Amazon Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/Accessible-Yoga-Poses-Practices-Every/dp/1611807123/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=accessible+yoga&qid=1571080722&s=books&sr=1-1
Highlights
Click on a timecode to play from that time in the recording.
1:40 Fire workshops with Tim Seutter2:30 We are giving away 2 copies of Accessible Yoga by Jivana Heyman!
3:17 Teruki tells us about his background, growing up in Japan
4:30 How the sudden death of Teruki’s father affected him.
5:40 Stuck on the train for 1 day after the Fukushima earthquake
6:45 How Teruki discovered yoga.
8:40 Further research was required.
9:44 “I’m a yoga teacher” - “So what?”
11:10 The negative associations of yoga with cults in Japan.
12:42 Teruki talks about psychiatry and yoga
14:30 How the eastern and western models of medicine are becoming more integrated.
15:32 Speaking about polyvagal theory in Japan
16:19 Translating Jivana Heyman’s Accessible Yoga Course into Japanese - Bringing accessible yoga to Japan
19:39 How Japanese love learning from foreigners, but prefer their information in Japanese
20:40 Support us on Patreon!
21:50 How Yoga Therapy in Japan is particularly innovative
23:05 The health effects of loneliness
24:19 The benefits of Yoga for caregivers
26:16 How do people perceive yoga in Japan?
28:10 Yoko’s writing for Yoga Generation magazine in Japan
29:33 Are hospitals in Japan willing to incorporate yoga?
32:26 Could Yoga Therapy work better as after hospital care?
35:24 Is there any connection between the zen meditation communities and the yoga communities in Japan?
37:48 Is yoga important for people living in such a hectic fast paced city like Tokyo?
39:56 What is Teruki and Yoko’s one core lesson that they would like to share with the world?
40:40 Outro - next week’s episode Leanne Davis - President of Yoga Australia
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