First of all, thank you very much for attending, or sending messages for, this celebration gathering. I am very much touched with your warm-hearted thoughts.

In 1977 when I was a university student in Japan, I read one of Masahiro Oki’s books for the first time. Impressed by the comprehensive content, I went to his yoga dōjō during that winter holiday. In April 1980, a year after graduating, I started to learn Okido Yoga as a resident student under him. I listened to many of his lectures on what yoga is and what it aims for. I learnt that yoga is not an exercise manual, or a treatment method, but integration of philosophy and practice, and that this message of Masahiro Oki is Okido Yoga.

I learnt there for four years. The master appointed me to work for an Okido Yoga charity in England, which was then newly being established. I came over to England in May 1984, 40 years ago. It was my first-time being outside Japan.

I felt unequal to the task of representing the holistic Okido Yoga.

As the characteristics of Okido Yoga, some people pick up its dynamic group exercises, or unique corrective exercises, or a residential communal life training.

Spotlighting a partial visible picture of Okido Yoga was not true to me, but my capacity was too small to deliver the whole picture of Okido Yoga.

Anyway, I worked my best for the charity, as the master had told me when I had left his dōjō for England, ‘Make a sincere gathering however small it is’.

During these 40 years, countless events and encounters, problems and achievements, have occurred. Okido Yoga UK has no premises, no large events, no big advertisement. Nevertheless, one of its achievements has been to nurture trustful human relationships among people who participated in its activities. Okido Yoga UK has been quietly and sincerely surviving since it was founded 40 years ago by Masahiro Oki himself with two English trustees.

Based on this treasurable human relationships, my vision to publish English translation of his books grew up with a thought :  Although my English is not good enough to do thorough translation work alone, I can ask for help from these good people ….. 

The first book I picked up was what presents his unique perspective to yoga. That is, yoga is to be useful in our ordinary daily ‘being and doing’. He is saying :

‘Not necessarily schedule a yoga time, spread a yoga mat, avoid ‘noisy people’, or retreat into ascetic training. Instead, while cultivating our adaptability, co-exist with all ordinary things and aim at co-happiness. Rather than moaning there is no dōjō near you, try to make your own home a dōjō. Study and practice yoga as a whole while gaining many direct experiences in life, free from the names of styles of yoga or any particular teachings. And, develop your individuality as well as harmonious cooperation with others.’

In translating, I put importance to keep the master’s original logical flow. This is not a story book. It is explaining and introducing his perspective of yoga. There are some parts that cannot be smoothed out to a so-called readable English.

So I asked Junko and Hiroyuki, who understand the atmosphere of the two languages, to refine my English translation without changing the original flow and atmosphere wherever possible.

When you read this book, you may have to stop at some points and re-read to grasp the meanings. Please bear it as inevitable effort when wanting to understand things derived from a different culture.

Finally, I mention two wonderful helps. One is Michael’s suggestion. I could not find a good word or phrase for a Japanese word ‘Ogamu’. This word is often used to worship a deity. But, in this book as well as many of his lectures, the master uses the word in a situation for people to have an attitude to respect each person as a being who has divine nature inside’. I did not think that a phrase which includes ‘worship’ was very suitable translation in this book. So, in discussion with Michael, he suggested ‘a mind of reverence’, which just fitted into my image.     

The other case is Penny’s suggestion. The sentence is ‘It is good to take a cold bath with ki-ai.’ Ki-ai is normally translated to a fighting spirit, or a yell, as you can imagine a scene of Japanese martial art competition. Often it is labelled with a loud voice in fighting spirit. But, in our sentence here, making a sound or not is unimportant. ‘Taking a cold bath with a yell in fighting spirit’? Isn’t it extreme? Instead of a sound, a spirit of determination is the essential key. but I couldn’t find anything good in my vocabulary. So, I talked to Penny. She understood my struggle and gave me a phrase of  ‘with determined gusto’. I liked it ! ‘It is good to take a cold bath with determined gusto.’ I can visualise the scene. It sounds beautiful even to me, non-native English speaker.

Like these cases, I asked many people to help me out. Looking back, so many people supported me to work a part of Okido Yoga UK for these past 40 years. My sincere gratitude goes to all these people.

Photos, laying-out, design, … everything, apart from printing and binding, is hand-made. It took 3 years to complete this project. A copy is sent to British Library. All is done.

This ‘A Gateway to Daily Life Yoga‘ is the first English translation of Masahiro Oki’s Japanese book titled as ‘Seikatsu Yoga Nyūmon – shinshin ga umare kawaru hon‘. There are many people in the world who are learning Okido Yoga. I hope this translation will be useful for you.

There may be some typos. I am sorry for this. I will amend them in the next print. If you find any, please write your comment below or email me at contact@okidoyoga.org.uk .

(written by Tomoko Mori)