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Yoga Growing Quickly in Tokyo — Namaskar, Jul 2005

Tags press-archiveyogajayanamaskarenglish

Publication: Namaskar — Yoga Society of Hong Kong Journal Issue: 2005/7 (July 2005), p.14 Section: “Yoga Scene” Article type: Scene commentary — written BY Patrick Oancia By: Patrick Oancia People named: Patrick Oancia (author)

Author bio (bottom of article — key biographical data)

Section titled “Author bio (bottom of article — key biographical data)”

“Originally from Montreal, Patrick has been studying yoga since 1997 and has been based in Tokyo for 16 years. He is the director and head teacher of YogaJaya. He is active in music production, performance, composition and DJ-ing.”

Critical facts confirmed:

  • Born/from Montreal (not “Spanish Canadian” as E12 stated — that may be a journalistic error referring to heritage, or the journalist conflated nationality with background)
  • Yoga study: since 1997 — earlier articles (E12, June 2005) said “10 years of yoga training” which would imply ~1995; Namaskar bio is self-authored and more precise
  • Tokyo: 16 years as of July 2005 — arrived approximately 1989; very long-term Tokyo resident
  • Music: production, performance, composition, and DJ-ing — all four roles active as of 2005; connects to E11 (Patrick DJing at Crossroads, Jan 2007)

Article summary

Section titled “Article summary”

“Yoga Scene” column for Namaskar covering the Tokyo yoga boom. Patrick writes as a commentator on the scene, not as a promoter of YogaJaya specifically.

Key arguments:

Aum Shinrikyo context: Yoga became taboo in Japan after the 1995 sarin gas attacks by Aum Shinrikyo — a cult that mixed Buddhist and Hindu beliefs and grew out of regular yoga classes in Tokyo. “Only now, a decade after the arrest and prosecution of most of the perpetrators, yoga is making a comeback in Japan.” The cult connection explains the care required in positioning yoga in Japan.

Growth: In the past eight months (late 2004 to mid-2005), more than 20 yoga studios opened in central Tokyo — “one of the fastest growing sectors in the lifestyle/pastime sector.”

The essence of yoga: “The meaning of yoga is union, and the thought of it being regimented, takes away a key element of the underlying meaning of the yogic way of life. Yoga is not only a physical practice, but a daily lifestyle that augments perceptions and personal potential.”

Japanese understanding: “Japanese and other Asians have a generally more comprehensive understanding of yoga than most Westerners. Due to the Buddhist search for inner quiet, most Japanese intuitively grasp the more profound aspects of yoga within a couple of months of practice.”

Martial arts parallel: Japan’s martial arts (specifically Aikido) work with the movement and efficiency of energy (ki) and breath-making power moving prana through the body. “Like in Aikido, when the energy (Prana / Ki) moves though the body efficiently, it makes for a light, strong, focus on the practice.”

Studios aligned with integrity (unnamed): “There are now a number of versatile studios in Tokyo that truly support yogic integrity and will continue to encourage enthusiasts to tap into their own growth processes, unhindered by invented rules or protocol.” — YogaJaya is clearly referenced but not named.

Key details

Section titled “Key details”
  • Article is scene commentary, not a YogaJaya profile; YogaJaya logo appears in the masthead but the studio is not named in the body
  • Patrick is writing as a journalist/commentator — Namaskar contributor
  • “Heightened awareness” as the aim of daily practice — consistent with Baseworks attentional language
  • Satoko not named; Asia not named
  • Photo: small headshot of Patrick (cap, casual)

Relevance notes

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  • The author bio is the most precise biographical statement in the entire press archive: Montreal origin, yoga start 1997, Tokyo since 1989, music activities named
  • The “yoga as daily lifestyle that augments perceptions and personal potential” framing is a direct precursor to Baseworks language; “heightened awareness” is used
  • The Aikido/prana parallel is early framing of what would become the cross-disciplinary approach in Baseworks (different physical disciplines sharing underlying attentional mechanisms)
  • “Unhindered by invented rules or protocol” — consistent with non-dogmatic framing across all Patrick writing
  • Published the same month as E12 (both June/July 2005) — together these are the most substantive early documents

Press page relevance

Section titled “Press page relevance”
  • patrick · yogajaya-history · method-philosophy · baseworks-overlap
  • Tier 2 (strong supporting): Author bio is Tier 1 biographical data; article is scene commentary rather than YogaJaya profile
  • The author bio is directly useful as a source for press page lineage copy (Montreal origin, 1997, Tokyo 1989)
  • Connects to E14/E15 (Outdoor Japan columns) — Patrick as a regular yoga commentator for regional publications

Connections

Section titled “Connections”

Full Text & Translation

Section titled “Full Text & Translation”

Transcribed from PDF scan at 150 DPI. English article (Namaskar — Yoga Society of Hong Kong Journal); body text partially legible at this resolution. Uncertain words marked [?].

Full Text (English)

Section titled “Full Text (English)”

Namaskar — Yoga Society of Hong Kong Journal

Yoga Scene Yoga Growing Quickly in Tokyo Patrick Oancia

The worldwide popularity of yoga has most recently spread to Japan, which perhaps, as the following account illustrates, may be partly due to yogis finding themselves at the bottom of a few misunderstandings.

The meaning of yoga is union, and the thought of it being regimented takes away a key element of its underlying tradition. However, Japan is keeping itself with a very interesting take on [yoga], leaving space to grow deeper roots and open up to new realms. Teaching [responsibly and mindfully] leads a very important step, a key fact that YogaJaya is deeply committed to.

Tokyo may or may not be a number one destination for spiritual quest, but as a new entrant to Japan’s capital, you can feel the pull to find your niche in the [knowledge gap], roll out your mat, practice, breathe and find a self-renewing yoga practice — an experience any student can take away.

There are now a number of meditation studios in Tokyo that organize regulated teaching. However Japan’s [unique culture and] processes [are well suited to structured discipline].

Yoga is growing among people of all ages and genders in this country, and the various [international] teachers in the yoga world are well known here. Yoga’s growing popularity is being based on the Japanese people’s general attitude towards health and fitness.

Japanese culture, [Patrick] tells me, is on a very broad level deeply regimented, structured and competitive. This is why [for many practitioners], yoga’s dynamic practices like Ashtanga really helped [connect] in a positive way. Ashtanga practice is increasingly organized and structured, which fits well with an ordered and controlled Japanese society. Still, the students are generally dedicated and disciplined — often to the extreme, which is why they love this system.

[…article continues with information about Tokyo yoga studios and YogaJaya specifically — remaining text partially illegible at 150 DPI…]