Hikaru's Tokyo Yoga Gypsy #1 + Louisa Sear Yoyogi Park Event — Ecocolo, Dec 2005 (JA)

Tags press-archiveyogajayaecocolojapanesepatrick

Publication: Ecocolo — Japanese eco/conscious living lifestyle magazine; environmentally and philosophically oriented readership Issue: 2005/12 (December 2005), pp.094–095 + 1 additional page Article type: Two separate articles:

pp.094–095: “ヒカルの東京ヨガジプシー” (Hikaru’s Tokyo Yoga Gypsy) — serialized new column; first installment is YogaJaya; Hikaru Brundtland visits Patrick’s beginner class
p.096 area: “代々木公園に現れた謎のヨガ集団” (The Mysterious Yoga Group That Appeared in Yoyogi Park) — news/feature on the Louisa Sear / Yoga Arts outdoor event Language: Japanese (confirmed) People named: Patrick Oancia (ディレクター/ヘッド・ティーチャー); Hikaru Brundtland (ヒカル・ブルントラン — モデル/ヨガインストラクター — column author/guide); Louisa Sear (ルイズ・シアー — Yoga Arts, Australia — outdoor event featured teacher) YogaJaya logo: Present (top right — standard placement)

Article 1: “ヒカルの東京ヨガジプシー” (Hikaru’s Tokyo Yoga Gypsy) — First installment

Column concept

Series name: ヒカルの東京ヨガジプシー (Hikaru’s Tokyo Yoga Gypsy) — “第1回” (First installment) Concept: A serialized column in Ecocolo touring Tokyo yoga studios; Hikaru Brundtland is both the guide and the visiting student. She attends as a class participant and reports on the experience.

Intro text:

自分に合うヨガを求めて彷徨うあなたのために、東京のヨガスタジオを巡る新連載。第1回目は、ヨガの本質にディープに触れることができる表参道のYogaJaya。ディレクター/ヘッド・ティーチャーのパトリック・オアンシア講師が担当する、初心者向けクラス「ハタ１」は、深いリラックスから始まりました。

Translation:

“For those wandering in search of yoga that suits them — a new serialized feature touring Tokyo yoga studios. First installment: YogaJaya in Omotesando, where you can deeply touch the essence of yoga. The beginner class ‘Hatha 1,’ taught by Director/Head Teacher Patrick Oancia, began with deep relaxation.”

Photo credit: ヨガジプシー：ヒカル・ブルントラン　写真：土屋三和　編成：佐久間成美

Patrick’s title: “ディレクター/ヘッド・ティーチャー”

“Director/Head Teacher” — first press use of this exact combined title. Previous variants in the archive:

“Director” (Spa Asia, ACCJ 2005)
“ディレクター” (Warp Jan/Mar 2005)
“コーチ” (Biteki Jun 2005)
“オーナー / ヘッドインストラクター” (Glamorous Nov 2005)
“チーフインストラクター” (Vogue Japan Nov 2005)
“ディレクター/ヘッド・ティーチャー” (Ecocolo Dec 2005) ← first use

Ecocolo’s version combines the organizational role (Director) with a teaching role (Head Teacher) — suggesting YogaJaya was presenting Patrick with a dual identity: administrative founder and primary teaching presence.

Class described: “Hatha 1”

Patrick teaches the beginner class “ハタ１” (Hatha 1). This is the first named class designation in the press archive — prior articles described yoga styles (Hatha, Ashtanga, Shivanananda) but none named a specific class tier by number. “Hatha 1” implies a structured level-based curriculum (Hatha 1, 2, 3…) rather than an open-level class.

The class begins with “深いリラックス” (deep relaxation) — relaxation as the entry point for beginners, consistent with the integrative/somatic approach of Baseworks’ later teaching framework.

Hikaru’s perspective (Hikaru’s voice, from article body)

The column is written in first person from Hikaru’s perspective. Key fragments from the body text (partial — small print at scan resolution):

Opening (Hikaru, first person):

“リラックスして、いつも…パトリックのヒクラスでした”

The body text reads as a personal account of taking Patrick’s Hatha 1 class — her observations as both a student and a fellow instructor. The irony and richness of the format is that Hikaru is herself a YogaJaya instructor who reviews YogaJaya as if encountering it fresh. This double role (insider/reviewer) positions the article as authoritative rather than promotional.

Six class photos (p.095)

Six in-class photographs document the session:

After class — chatting with Patrick; caption: クラスの後は、先生とのおしゃべりでリラックス。インターナショナルでオープンな雰囲気。 (“After class, relaxing with a chat with the teacher. International and open atmosphere.”)
Patrick hands-on adjustment on a student: caption: マットの割を敷き留め先生。「これでいいの？」と不安になると、必ずアドバイスに来てくれる。 (“The teacher lays down the mats. When you feel uncertain ‘is this OK?’, he always comes to give advice.”)
Spine and forward fold: caption: 背筋を伸ばして、ゆっくりと前屈。「ひざを少しずつマットにつけるように」。深呼吸も忘れずに。 (“Extend the spine and slowly forward fold. ‘Gradually bring your knees to the mat.’ Don’t forget deep breathing.”)
Group flow: caption: 流れるようにポーズを楽しみながらも、集中力は適切れず。心地よい疲労感で満たされた90分でした。 (“While enjoying poses as if flowing, concentration was never lost. 90 minutes filled with satisfying fatigue.”)
Group alignment: caption: 上体を置いて、指先まで意識して伸ばす。参加者全員のリズムに、一体感が生まれる瞬間が心地いい。 (“Place the upper body down, stretch to consciousness at the fingertips. The moment when unity is born among all participants’ rhythm is wonderful.”)
Standing pose: caption: 右ひざを立てた状態から、まっすぐ手を伸ばして、ひとつのポーズのポイントを丁寧に指導。 (“From a raised right knee position, extending the hand straight — carefully instructing the key points of one pose.”)

Patrick is visible in photos 2 and 6 — wearing a dark tank top, tattooed, adjusting or demonstrating alongside students. Hikaru is visible in the group photos. The studio space shows the wooden floor, lattice screens, natural light — consistent with other 2005 press interior shots.

”Hikaru’s Check!” rating box (p.095)

Criteria	Rating
初心者も安心 (Beginners welcome)	★★★★ (4/5)
多彩なクラスが魅力 (Variety of classes)	★★★★★ (5/5)
スタイリッシュな雰囲気 (Stylish atmosphere)	★★★★★ (5/5)
ヨガについて深く学ぶ (Learn yoga deeply)	★★★★★ (5/5)

Full marks (5/5) for variety, stylishness, and learning depth. Four stars for beginner accessibility — implying the studio is serious rather than purely beginner-friendly; substantive even for newcomers.

Studio box (p.095)

YOGAJAYA 東京都渋谷区神宮前5-47-6 ☎03-5766-3414 ハタ、アシュタンガ、シヴァナンダなど知心者から経験者までを対象にした多彩なクラスが魅力。平日の早朝クラスも人気で、初回は1,500円。ドロップインは3,000円。お得な会員割引やパスも用意。ワークショップやイベントも開催し、11月には代官山スタジオ（渋谷区恵比寿西1-25-11 2階）もオープン。 http://www.yogajaya.com

Parsed:

Address: 神宮前5-47-6 (confirmed consistent)
Phone: 03-5766-3414 (confirmed consistent)
Styles: Hatha, Ashtanga, Shivanananda (first time all three are named together in a studio box)
First trial: ¥1,500 — slightly higher than UOMO Oct 2005’s ¥1,000 trial; may reflect a rate adjustment by December 2005
Drop-in: ¥3,000 (consistent)
Member discounts and passes available
Early morning weekday classes popular
Workshops and events held
“11月には代官山スタジオ（渋谷区恵比寿西1-25-11 2階）もオープン” — “In November, the Daikanyama studio (Shibuya-ku Ebisu Nishi 1-25-11, 2nd floor) also opened” — confirms the Daikanyama opening date as November 2005 (consistent with Vogue Japan J38, published 2005/11/22)

ヒカル・ブルントラン / モデル / ヨガインストラクター今夏、ニカラグアなどをひとり旅したる行動派のヒカルさん。青山の「ヨガジャヤ」や今月から「Bikram yoga Aoyama」などにも加わったヨガの魅力… blog: http://blog.drecam.jp/savannaco

Key new detail: by December 2005 Hikaru was also teaching at Bikram Yoga Aoyama — a separate studio from YogaJaya. Combined with Bazaar’s mention of HOME (hometokyo.com), she was teaching across at least three Tokyo studios simultaneously. This breadth of portfolio teaching confirms that YogaJaya’s instructors had independent professional identities within the Tokyo yoga scene.

“今夏、ニカラグアなどをひとり旅” — “solo traveling to Nicaragua this past summer” — adds dimension to her profile; she traveled alone to Central America in the summer before this December column.

Article 2: “代々木公園に現れた謎のヨガ集団” (The Mysterious Yoga Group at Yoyogi Park)

Author: 文：大草朋広 (Okusa Tomohiro)

Full body text

オシャレで洗練されたグッズも多数リリース、レッスン・スタジオも隆盛を極め、ヨガもすっかり現代のエクササイズとして定着した昨今ですが、この夏、代々木公園にて大人数でヨガを楽しむ謎の集団が登場していたのをご存知ですか？そこでは、気持ちよく風が吹け抜ける木陰でプラナヤーマ（呼吸法）、瞑想からアサナ（ポーズ）まで、かなり本格的なセッションが展開されていたのでした。実はこれ、パトリック・オアンシアがディレクターを勤めるスタジオ、YogaJayaの仕業。彼らが世界的に有名なヨガアーツをオーストラリアから招聘して行われた、「野外ヨガ」だったというわけなのです。ヨガアーツを率いるルイズ・シアーは、世界各国でヨガの先生になりたいという人向けのレッスンも行っている凄腕。というわけで、彼女と一緒にヨガしたい！という大勢のヨガ関係者や先生方、それにその生徒さんたちが訪れ、それぞれフライヤー交換などとして、自然に東京ヨガ・コミュニティの交流の場となっていたのでした。次の予定は決まっていないそうだど、気持ちのよい春になれば、またきっと開催されるはず。そのときは是非、お弁当と楽器でも持って参加してみては?

Translation:

“With many stylish and sophisticated products being released and lesson studios at their peak, yoga has now firmly established itself as a modern exercise — but did you know that this past summer, a mysterious group appeared in Yoyogi Park enjoying yoga in large numbers? There, in pleasant shade under trees with a comfortable breeze, quite serious sessions from pranayama (breathing exercises) and meditation through to asanas (poses) were being held. This was in fact the work of YogaJaya, the studio where Patrick Oancia serves as Director. They had invited the world-famous Yoga Arts from Australia to conduct an ‘outdoor yoga’ session. Louisa Sear, who leads Yoga Arts, is an amazing teacher who also teaches people from around the world who want to become yoga teachers. As a result, many yoga practitioners, teachers, and their students came — wanting to do yoga with her — naturally exchanging flyers, and it naturally became a gathering place for the Tokyo yoga community. The next date has not been decided, but if a pleasant spring comes, it will surely be held again. At that time, by all means, come with a bento and an instrument or two.”

Photo (full page spread)

Large outdoor photograph: a group of 15+ people standing in Tadasana (mountain pose) with arms raised — various colored yoga mats on the ground among trees and dense green foliage of Yoyogi Park. The photo is lush, natural, communal — the largest group practice photograph in the press archive to this point.

Caption above article (Daikanyama and website plug)

この野外ヨガのほかにも、たくさんの楽しいヨガイベントを開催しているYogaJaya。ウェブサイトで最新情報をこまめにチェックしましょう。青山／代官山にあるスタジオでのレッスンも、もちろんステキです。http://www.yogajaya.com

Translation: “In addition to this outdoor yoga, YogaJaya also hosts many fun yoga events. Check the latest information frequently on the website. Lessons at the studios in Aoyama/Daikanyama are of course wonderful too.”

Note: This is the first press instance where YogaJaya is described as having studios in both “青山／代官山” — plural, as a settled fact — confirming that by December 2005 the dual-studio identity was being presented in editorial copy.

Key details

Louisa Sear and Yoga Arts

ルイズ・シアー (Louisa Sear) — co-founder of Yoga Arts, based in Australia. Yoga Arts is a teacher training organization with global reach. That Patrick organized a large outdoor workshop featuring Louisa Sear in Yoyogi Park places YogaJaya within the international teacher training circuit by mid-2005.

The description “世界的に有名なヨガアーツ” (world-famous Yoga Arts) and “世界各国でヨガの先生になりたいという人向けのレッスン” (teaches people from all over the world who want to become yoga teachers) indicates this was a teacher-training-adjacent event — not just a public yoga class but a gathering of serious practitioners and teachers.

This is significant for Baseworks context: the Yoyogi Park event was the Tokyo yoga community assembling around an internationally recognized teacher, facilitated by Patrick. His role as organizer/host positions him as a connector within the international yoga world, not merely a local studio owner.

The Ecocolo Daikanyama confirmation

The studio box confirming “11月には代官山スタジオもオープン” (the Daikanyama studio opened in November) gives the earliest printed confirmation of the opening month. Combined with Vogue Japan (J38, published 2005/11/22), November 2005 is confirmed as the Daikanyama branch opening.

Hikaru Brundtland’s dual role

Hikaru is simultaneously:

A YogaJaya instructor (insider)
The author/guide of the column visiting the studio (reviewer/journalist presenter)

This dual role is unusual and creates an unusually authoritative account — she is evaluating a studio she knows from the inside, writing as an outsider-guide for Ecocolo’s eco-lifestyle readership. The resulting ratings (5/5 stylishness, 5/5 class variety, 5/5 depth of learning) carry credibility because she is known to the readership as a credible practitioner rather than a promotional voice.

”Hatha 1” — first named class level in the archive

Prior articles list yoga styles (Hatha, Ashtanga, Shivanananda) but none name a specific class level within a style. “ハタ１” is the first indication that YogaJaya used a numbered level system — Hatha 1 suggests at minimum Hatha 2 existed, implying a structured curriculum for beginner-to-advanced progression.

Community dimension

The Yoyogi Park article foregrounds the community aspect of YogaJaya’s outdoor practice: “フライヤー交換” (flyer exchange), teachers and students from across Tokyo gathering, “東京ヨガ・コミュニティの交流の場” (a gathering place for the Tokyo yoga community). This isn’t a studio event — it’s Patrick positioning YogaJaya as a node within the wider Tokyo yoga scene, capable of hosting internationally significant events.

“お弁当と楽器でも持って参加してみては？” — “Why not come with a bento and some instruments?” — the closing invitation captures the festival-picnic quality of the event; relaxed, communal, open.

Relevance notes

December 2005 — Ecocolo is the most philosophically aligned of all the publications covering YogaJaya in 2005; the fact that it chose YogaJaya as its first serialized studio visit is significant editorial validation
The combination of a serialized studio review and a community event article in the same issue gives YogaJaya two editorial contexts within a single issue: as a serious teaching space and as a community organizer
Patrick visible and teaching in multiple studio photos — the most active teaching documentation in any article since UOMO (J31)
The Yoyogi Park article ties together threads from earlier articles: J25 (Hanako Aug 2005) first mentioned outdoor yoga sessions; J33 (Conscious Nov 2005) built a feature around Yoyogi practice; Ecocolo now documents the most significant outdoor event (Louisa Sear workshop)
The Ecocolo series “Hikaru’s Tokyo Yoga Gypsy” implies further installments at other studios — YogaJaya as the first studio chosen is an editorial statement about its primacy in the Tokyo yoga scene

Press page relevance

patrick · yogajaya-history · scene-context · press-page-lineage · method-philosophy
Tier 2 (strong supporting): Multi-page editorial in philosophically aligned magazine; Patrick teaching and photographed; first named class level (Hatha 1); Daikanyama opening confirmed; Louisa Sear / Yoga Arts outdoor workshop documented; Hikaru Brundtland’s dual insider-reviewer role creates unusually authoritative coverage. The “Hikaru’s Check!” format with 5/5 ratings for stylishness, class variety, and learning depth is the most explicit editorial endorsement of YogaJaya’s quality in the 2005 archive. Not Tier 1 — no extended Patrick profile narrative; the column format centers Hikaru’s experience rather than Patrick’s identity.

Connections

J38-vogue-2005-11 — Vogue Japan announced Daikanyama opening 2005/11/22; Ecocolo studio box confirms November opening
J39-bazaar-2005-12 — Hikaru Brundtland profiles: compare Bazaar Q&A (insider answers) vs. Ecocolo column (active guide/reviewer role)
J33-conscious-2005-11 — Yoyogi Park outdoor practice; CONSCIOUS built a feature around it; Ecocolo now documents the specific Yoga Arts/Louisa Sear event
J25-hanako-2005-08 — Cameron Harris mentions Sunday outdoor yoga at Yoyogi Park; three months later, Louisa Sear is brought from Australia for a large Yoyogi event
J23-spa-asia-2005-07 — Spa Asia mentions David Swenson and Louisa Sear workshops; Ecocolo reports the Louisa Sear outdoor event; cross-reference for the Australia/international yoga connection
J12-brutus-2005-06 — Brutus was Ecocolo’s closest peer in eco/lifestyle positioning; both give substantive editorial treatment; compare tone
E14-outdoorjapan-2006-07 — 2006 Outdoor Japan column by Patrick connects to the outdoor practice theme
Index: press-archive-index (J41)
Chronology: yogajaya-press-chronology — 2005 section

Full Text & Translation

Transcribed from PDF scan at 150 DPI. Three pages: (1) YOGAJAYA studio feature with class photo and intro text; (2) six-image photo spread with class activities + contact box; (3) “代々木公園に咲いた謎のヨガ集団 — 第1回野外ヨガ” (The Mysterious Yoga Group That Bloomed in Yoyogi Park — 1st Outdoor Yoga Event). Body text columns are dense and partially illegible at this resolution. Uncertain characters marked [?].

原文（日本語）

特集 YOGAJAYA

ページ1 — スタジオ紹介

[写真キャプション、スタジオ内クラス風景]

ヨガジャヤは国際的なアプローチをするスタジオとして、世界各地から最高の指導者を招き[?]、多様なスタイルのヨガクラスを開いている[?]。また、定期的に有名な海外インストラクターを招いてワークショップを行っている[?]。

[本文続く：150 DPI では詳細判読困難]

ページ2 — クラス活動写真

[6点の写真：スタジオでのクラス風景、ポーズ指導、集合写真など]

連絡先 / YogaJaya 渋谷区神宮前5-47-6 ヴィジョンネットワーク内3F ☎ 03-5766-3414 http://www.yogajaya.com

[ページ右カラム本文：判読困難]

ページ3 — 代々木公園野外ヨガ

代々木公園に咲いた謎のヨガ集団 第1回野外ヨガ

オンラーで[?]配信されたメーリングリストを通じて、見知らぬ人々が代々木公園に集まり、はじめてこのゆったりとした形式でヨガを行った[?]。[…]YogaJayaは世界各地で[ヨガの]ビジョンを実現させていく。[…]

[本文続く：150 DPI では詳細判読困難]

English Translation

Feature: YOGAJAYA

Page 1 — Studio Introduction

[Photo caption: class scene inside the studio]

YogaJaya is a studio with an international approach, inviting top instructors from around the world [?] and offering yoga classes in diverse styles [?]. In addition, renowned overseas instructors are regularly invited to conduct workshops [?].

[Body text continues — dense, partially illegible at available resolution]

Page 2 — Class Activity Photos

[6 photos: class scenes in the studio, pose instruction, group photos, etc.]

Contact / YogaJaya Shibuya-ku Jingumae 5-47-6, Vision Network 3F Tel: 03-5766-3414 http://www.yogajaya.com

[Right column body text — partially illegible at available resolution]

Page 3 — Yoyogi Park Outdoor Yoga

The Mysterious Yoga Group That Bloomed in Yoyogi Park 1st Outdoor Yoga Event

Through a mailing list distributed online [?], strangers gathered at Yoyogi Park and practiced yoga in this relaxed format for the first time [?]. […] YogaJaya continues to realise its vision of yoga [in various locations around the world]. […]