Yamabushi are the ancient mountain priests of Japan. Their traditional role was to help guide people to their true nature and to teach discipline and warrior ways. This year Megurun Inc and Daishobo – a pilgrim lodge in the foothills of the three sacred mountains of Dewa Sanzan, Yamagata Prefecture. – are launching Yamabushido, a new mountain training program aimed at a non-Japanese, international audience this summer.

A Yamabushi in traditional clothing leads a group of foreigners into the mountains

“We realized that many people have tried meditation and other mindfulness practices in their lives, but also realized that Yamabushi practices offer something different, something more powerful, and something which – although it has been practiced for 1,300 years has never been more relevant,” says Takeharu Kato, Megurun Inc.

“Yamabushi training is the simple philosophy of placing yourself in nature and feeling, not thinking, in order to rejuvenate back to your true self. Yamabushi training is quick, practical, and effective, and provides a powerful context in which to resolve any challenges, questions, or decisions that need to be made. It has been used for centuries to provide space for consideration of the challenges of the modern-day person, an important role in the current age where people are becoming busier and busier and are looking for the chance to revitalize.

“Yamabushido is a new word that we are using to describe the wider practice of the Yamabushi, as we explain it to an international audience. It includes not just the mountain training, but also the philosophy and the values of the Yamabushi. The aim of Yamabushido is to provide something for international guests that they can use powerfully even after they have returned to their ordinary lives. Initially, this summer we are launching two programs; a three-day Basic Yamabushido Training, and a five-day Extended Yamabushido Training.”

In order for everyone to have a powerful intimate experience, maximum group size is 10 people.

Price: 150,000 yen/per person An additional 8% consumption tax will be added to the program total.

For more information, or to reserve a place on a program, please visit: http://yamabushi.jp

About Megurun Inc

Founded in 2011 by Takeharu Kato after leaving Hakuhodo and moving to Tsuruoka City. It enables the local region to become more active on the global scene, and promotes the use of renewable energy to enable a sustainable life in the local region.

© Japan Today