Out of the Martial Arts Yoga Emerged:
Shugendo Yoga - An American Yoga
copyright
© 2010 Max Holton, all rights reserved
When one thinks of “yoga
system” what comes to mind? For many here in the west it is a
healthy lifestyle of eating right, classes of stretching, possibly
intertwined with Hindu spirituality and having a guru. But truly yoga
is more. The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit and often is
interpreted to mean “to yoke or join” with the Divine. Simply put
it is a vehicle for the individual soul to steadily progress toward
union of the God-soul; a merger for two to become one. Typically when
one thinks of yoga they think of systems emerging from India as old
as civilization itself, but “yoga” is in all cultures albeit
called by different terms. It is put into practice slightly
differently, but always with the same goals in mind. Traditionally
one concludes that a yoga system, from India, has stretching
exercises with cool interpretations of the Sanskrit, includes chants
and kirtans, spiritual teachers called a guru, and highly fit-
traditionally female here in the west- persons in tight fitting
clothes doing what seem like impossible poses for the average
American. Often these “traditions” have become commercial in
limiting most yoga schools today here in the west to merely
exercise-related approaches, and then only practiced regularly by the
deeply committed practitioner. But what if there was a yoga system
for the everyday common man and woman that were simple, adaptive, and
effective in healing? One that had influences of “Old India”, but
also incorporated Traditional Chinese Medicine, holistic healing
theory, knowledge of western medicine, and yet was spiritual and not
religious? What if this yoga was purely American; a new system of the
blending of the old traditions? A melting pot of traditions used to
reach new awareness and transdimensionality? If such a thing
existed, and it does, then it would be Shugendo Yoga
www.shugendoyoga.com
.
Born
out of the mind and implementation of a registered nurse with over 25
years experience in critical care, rehabilitation, and teaching;
Christopher Bashaw combined traditional healing practices and
theories from around the world. Bashaw, a New Hampshire native,
created Shugendo Yoga in hopes of promoting a practice where the
individual actively participates in his or her own healing process.
By combining practices used in tai chi,
martial arts, yoga, and fitness training with the understanding of
spiritual concepts Shugendo Yoga has taken flight. Bashaw states;
“The Shugendo Yoga
classes are a mix of gentle exercises - a unification of gentle
stretching, ancient energy cultivation exercises, self healing
techniques and meditation accompanied by gentle breathing and
relaxation techniques. It is designed as a spiritual aid to enhance
all belief systems as well as a potent self-healing modality for the
body, mind and spirit.”
Bashaw and Wilmott
To
further understand Shugendo Yoga let’s look at the word Shugendo as
used to identify this unique yoga system.
Shugendo is a
Japanese deep-rooted way of searching and knowing, and in turn
understanding what Man and Nature are and are not. Shugendo
originates from the ascetic spiritual practice of the Japanese
Mountain priests known as the Yamabushi.
Shugendo
evolved as a blending or fusion between Buddhism and several other
religious influences in Japan around the 7th century, including but
not limited to Taoism and Shintoism. In modern times, Shugendo is
practiced by the Yoshino Yamabushi of Dewa Sanzan (Tendai sect),
Kinpusenji and Ishiyama-dera Shingon sects, but it retains an
influence on modern Japanese religion and culture.
Shugendo
literally means "the path of training and testing." It
centers on an ascetic, mountain-dwelling lifestyle and incorporates
teachings from other eastern philosophies. The focus or goal of
Shugendo is the development of spiritual experience and power; some
might even call this power magik. Some of the Japanese martial arts
claim they are derived from the profound knowledge of Shugendo, but
many of these arts no longer recognize and/or have forgotten this
aspect of day to day training.
Keeping
in mind that the word yoga is from the Sanskrit, meaning to ‘yoke
God and man together’, Shugendo Yoga is designed to harness the
esoteric, mystical practices which link man to the Divine Wisdom of
Creation through Natural Law.
Shugendo
Yoga is a practice which goes beyond what we typically think of as
yoga here in the West. It is not mere stretching, nor Pilates,
though those too have their merit; Shugendo Yoga takes prayer
(talking to God), meditation (listening to God), energy cultivation
exercises, asanas, and self healing techniques and blends them into
one session that is practiced daily. These sessions typically last
45- 60 minutes, but can last longer or shorter depending upon the
needs and time constraints of the individual. Though similar, no two
sessions are alike. In fact each session is specific; often geared to
help harmonize the body and defend against particular dis-ease.
Results of a session can be as simple as immediate stress release,
calmness and relaxation to, over time, a deeper understanding or
enlightenment, and eventually an eradication of dis-ease. The time
practicing Shugendo Yoga is meant to be done silently; healing music
is often played in the background or primordial noise during a
session. During sessions only the instructor speaks, which is done as
a manner to guide the student through the session itself. During the
practice the student must listen, inwardly to the voice within,
learning how to remove the mindless chatter from the message and in
turn allow his body to respond through healing. The
unique aspects of this yoga system are that it can, and is expected,
to be adapted to all abilities of those who practice. Each session
is comprised of five separate, but inter-related portions as
previously discussed, all geared to heal the body against a specific
dis-ease process while promoting a spiritual and calming nature.
Every session begins with a 108 mantra; vibrational sound geared
toward harmonizing body, mind, and spirit beginning the individual’s
essence for the harmony and balance to be restored from its dis-eased
state. Each session’s mantra is selected to work on the dis-ease
process identified. Then a specific self-healing modality is
introduced to continue to climb towards the homeostasis that the
mantra has initiated. These self-healing modalities can include, but
are not limited to, shiatsu, mind-body medicine, jin shin jutsu, and
esoteric energy and shamanic healing. The third step in the session
appears more to what most would think of, here in the West, as
typical yoga. The asana or yoga posture is introduced, and
established in a manner where it is then adapted to meet the limits
and abilities of each person participating. Typically three postures
are introduced; once again with the specific mind-set of the dis-ease
process at hand kept in the mind’s forefront. These postures are
done gently with the intent of circulating and moving life force
energy into harmony and balance, more than just simply used as a
stretching routine. Once the postures have been done Qigong is
introduced. Qigong or “chi kung” is also known as Chinese Yoga.
These simple, but profound exercises cultivate the chi or life force
energy in a manner to once again specifically work with the previous
sessions while restoring balance to the body. The forum is then ended
with meditation to allow the blending of the complete session to
evolve and manifest wellness. Often by the end of the very first
session individuals begin to experience relief of symptoms.
Shugendo
Yoga is designed to be simple but do not let its simplicity deter you
to its effectiveness, anyone regardless of age or ability can modify
Shugendo Yoga to meet their restrictions. People
ages 17 - 70 have participated in treatments and classes and all have
found profound benefits to the Shugendo Yoga practice. It is
suggested that for a specific dis-ease (IE: carpal tunnel,
fibromyalgia, depression, insomnia, etc) in which regular practice
includes class instruction along with continued training in the
privacy of one’s home, the individual can radically change one’s
life for the better in as little as thirty days or less once Shugendo
Yoga has been implemented into their way of life.
Christopher Bashaw
Bashaw’s
resume alone is impressive:
Rev.
Christopher J. Bashaw, PhD/MA, DD, RN, Soke
World
Martial Arts Hall of Fame inductee as well as other Martial Arts
halls of fame inductee; soke (founder) of Kosho Hoho Yooga and
American eclectic martial art that blends martial, healing, and
mysticism; holder of several black belt rankings the highest being an
8th
degree black belt and PhD/MA awarded by the World Martial Arts Hall
of Fame. Bashaw is not only a RN but an experienced practitioner of
several holistic healing systems. Holding a Doctorates in Divinity
Bashaw is also an ordained Buddhist Priest and shamanic practitioner.
Bashaw
is also a renowned psychic and medical intuitive as well as a
founding member of both WaShin International and SYKI. And if that
were not enough he is also a CNFT(Certified
Natural Fitness Trainer).
But it is the system of
Shugendo Yoga itself that blends his accomplishments into a practical
and positive yoga system that is available for any and all.
Bashaw introduced the
practice of Shugendo Yoga was initially along the New Hampshire
seacoast as well as the Monadnock region and it has spread in
popularity down the New England coast to Providence, Rhode Island
where Rick Wilmott, who is Certified in the Shugendo Yoga System,
teaches classes.
Wilmott, also a martial
artist and healer holding high black belt rankings in several martial
arts, is an inductee in several martial arts hall of fame. He is a
Certified Shiatsu Therapist and student of Toshiko
Phipps, the first qualified Shiatsu Therapist to
teach in the United States and founder of the Nippon Shiatsu Daigaku.
Together Bashaw and
Wilmott formed the Shugendo Yoga Kai
International (SYKI), an organization dedicated to promoting the
system and educating and training others to teach the system. Bashaw
and Wilmott have introduced Shugendo Yoga to martial artists and yoga
enthusiasts around the world at various large gatherings and
trainings with a reception of overwhelming appreciation for its
simplicity and insightful nature.
SYKI has developed a
teacher training program for individuals to become a Certified
Shugendo Yoga instructor. Certification is based on weekend training
and correspondence. The course is designed to provide excellent
instruction and support with the hopes of more Shugendo Yoga classes
being conducted so that more people can benefit and experience the
healing of dis-ease. SYKI has revolutionized it’s designed to take
a novice or a yoga master through the steps to implement this
powerful system of healing in 200 hours. Both Bashaw and Wilmott hope
that current yoga instructors, martial arts school owners,
rehabilitation centers (physical therapists, occupational therapists,
massage therapists, nurses, and doctors) and holistic healing arts
practitioners will become trained Shugendo Yoga Instructors. Bashaw
states, “This, (Shugendo Yoga) will add significantly to their
individual repertoire of healing based modalities.”
Shugendo Yoga is the
“lightning path” of yoga practice for healing and spiritual
development. Shugendo Yoga has been shared by Bashaw and Wilmott at
such events as the SKSKI Gathering as well as other SKSKI events,
Hoshin Ryu Kaizen, Washin International, and World Martial Arts Hall
of Fame with martial artists with surprising response. Many
participating in the workshops inquire on to how to incorporate
Shugendo Yoga into their schools and practices upon finishing the
introductory workshops hoping to bring a peaceful and balanced aspect
back into the martial application by adding healing arts to their
curriculums.
Bashaw and Wilmott
Shugendo
Yoga Instructor Certification begins in Providence. RI, April 2011
The
only North American training currently scheduled
Those
interested in Training or Certification visit www.ShugendoYoga.com
or
contact Bashaw Chris@shugendoyoga.com
or Wilmott Rick@shugendoyoga.com
to bring an introduction workshop of Shugendo Yoga to their school or
organization.
Max Holton is a
Shugendo Yoga practitioner and freelance writer in the New England
area.
Photos provided by SYKI and credited
to Kim Testa Photography
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