[Complete Edition] “Reboot” with a Kamakura Retreat—A Journey to Align Mind and Body through Zazen, Hiking, and Sauna

Are you so busy that you have forgotten how to even “breathe”?
Before you know it, your mind is constantly tense, and your head is full of to-do lists.
What you need at times like these is not something extraordinary, but—
time to regain your own rhythm.

The city of Kamakura has the power to remind you of that rhythm.
The silence of Zazen, the breath of the mountains, the waves of the sea, and the fire and water of the sauna.
All of these are connected at an exquisite distance, allowing you to reboot your mind and body in just half a day.

This time, I have named this experience
“Kamakura Perfect Serotonin Retreat”.

From Zazen at Engaku-ji Temple, hiking in Genjiyama, and the Great Buddha, to
a beach walk at Yuigahama, the Onari Sauna,
and even the bustle of Komachi-dori—.

A half-day journey from stillness to movement, and back to stillness again.
It is a time to transform mindfulness from “knowledge” into “experience”.

This record is a
“prescription for a reboot” gifted to everyone living in the modern age.

Morning at Engaku-ji—A Zazen experience to find “yourself” within the silence

In the silence, you can hear the chirping of birds and the sound of trees swaying in the wind.
The Buddha Hall, standing as if embraced by the forest, radiates a dignified atmosphere, and the scale of what is before me makes me feel the smallness of humanity.

There are about 10 participants in the Zazen experience. Half are beginners.
As one of them, the moment I sat down on the zafu cushion, a passage from “Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind,” which I read the other day, suddenly came to mind.
— “In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few.”

I am a beginner at Zazen and not well-versed in Buddhism.
That is precisely why I felt that this morning would be the best place for learning.

How to sit for Zazen, posture, the keisaku (the act of having one's back struck during Zazen), and how to chant sutras.
Each one was fresh, a time that felt like learning the form of the heart.

For a beginner, the full lotus position is difficult, and just getting one leg onto the opposite thigh is all I can manage.
Many people sit cross-legged. Even if the form is different, the air flowing there is one.
Everyone was focused on being “here and now.”

Breathe out quietly through the nose, and then gently inhale new air.
It is a breathing method that leads directly to meditation.
Before it began, the monk's words left an impression.

At first glance, these are strong words, but I felt the depth of a “culture that values form” in them.
This is a place for “training,” not “healing.”
It was a moment to experience firsthand the attitude of “polishing the heart through form,” which is at the roots of mindfulness.

Zazen consists of two 20-minute sets.
During the first 20 minutes, my mind was restless, and I only cared about the pain in my legs.
However, as I entered the second set, a rhythm of returning consciousness to my breath began to form naturally.
Distracting thoughts would arise, disappear, and arise again.
I did not blame myself for it, but simply returned to my breath.
I realized that this act of “returning” is the training of Zazen.

Eventually, the surrounding sounds faded away, and my own breath became the center of the world.
Within the silence, a feeling that was both calm and exhilarating was born.
Thoughts vanished, leaving only the sensation of “being.”

The morning at Engaku-ji was more than enough time to reset my mind.

Savoring the Morning at VERVE COFFEE—A Time to Open the Five Senses

A few minutes after leaving Engaku-ji Temple and stepping out of the gate.
VERVE COFFEE, which opens at 7:00 AM—a rarity in Kita-Kamakura—is just a stone's throw away.
It is the perfect place to stop by after Zazen to carry the lingering sense of tranquility with you.

As you enter the shop, the low hum of the roaster and the fragrant scent of roasting beans welcome you.
There is an in-house roaster, and carefully selected beans are roasted right on the spot.
The owner greeted me with a smile as I stopped by first thing in the morning.
That casual interaction makes you feel the comforting 'warmth of people'.

And, the coffee itself.
The cup for this day was a 'Kinmokusei (Osmanthus) Latte'.
The moment I took a sip, a soft sweetness like yuzu and the deep, rich aroma of coffee spread throughout my mouth.
It was as if I were drinking the very air of an autumn morning.

I also cannot forget thePorcini and Chestnut Hot SandwichI ordered for breakfast.
The scent of the forest rising from the toasted bread.
The umami spreading on my tongue.
I realized that in my busy life, I have turned 'eating' into a mere task.
I thought that 'savoring' is truly the act of focusing one's consciousness on the 'here and now'.

Even setting aside the location and business hours, this is a gem of a shop I would want to visit again and again.
Zazen calms the mind, and coffee opens the senses.
In this moment, I finally felt that 'the morning had begun'.

Daibutsu Hiking—A Time to Find 'Stillness' within 'Movement'

After filling my stomach with delicious food, it was time to transition to 'movement'.
The3-4 km long Daibutsu Hiking Coursethat leads from Kita-Kamakura to the Great Buddha of Kamakura is a path where you can fully experience the rich nature of Mt. Genji.
Every time I passed through a tunnel of dappled sunlight, I felt my body slowly synchronizing with the rhythm of nature.

However, what I walked was not just a simple hike.
It was a 'walking meditation' where I synchronized my breathing to a steady rhythm while focusing on each sound—the chirping of squirrels and wild birds, the wind rustling the leaves, the scent of the soil—fusing my inner and outer worlds.

Aligning breath with steps.
Inhale, exhale, walk—in that simple repetition, my thoughts gradually quieted down,
and I had the sensation of dissolving into a 'world that is neither inner nor outer, neither outside nor inside'.

Walking alone through the forest, there are moments when you suddenly feel fear.
'What if a bear appears?' 'What if there is no one else around?'
Such realistic anxieties cross my mind.
But perhaps that thrilling 'fear of being alive' is a form ofmental toughness training.
By experiencing realistic fear, I felt my mind gradually building resistance against the social fear of 'what others might think of me'.

This course goes beyond light exercise and is quite a substantial walk.
By the time I finished, I hadeasily exceeded 10,000 steps, and with the dual effect of aerobic exercise and serotonin secretion,
I could taste the feeling of being 'aligned' in both mind and body.
The more I walked, the more the noise in my head was stripped away,
and I was able to face the self that simply exists 'here and now'.

The Great Buddha of Kamakura—A Place to Regain Solemnity and Awe

As you descend the mountain, its figure suddenly appears through the gaps in the trees.
The Great Buddha of Kamakura—larger, quieter, and more overwhelmingly present than I had imagined.
It is as if the flow of time itself has slowed to a stop right here.

The moment I looked up at that figure, a quiet shock ran through my chest.
I felt my own smallness, and at the same time, the worries I had been carrying also felt small.
No matter how much humans wander, struggle, or suffer,
this Great Buddha simply remains, quietly 'existing'.

I am non-religious.
Even so, I cannot help but feel a sense of awe at the 'weight of accumulation' that has supported faith and prayer.
For hundreds of years, people have visited this place,
putting their hands together for the sake of others or for themselves.
That layer of prayer wraps around the space like the density of the air.

Why do people worship the Great Buddha?
It is surelyto regain gratitude and humility.
To remember that we do not stand by our own power alone,
and that we live in a web of supporting, giving, and connecting with one another.

Prayer, before being an act of faith,
might be an 'awareness of being kept alive'.
The moment I put my hands together, my heart felt suddenly lighter.

Yuigahama Beach Walk—Surrendering Your Heart to the Rhythm of the Waves

The path down from the Great Buddha continues straight to the sea.
After passing through the quiet mountain trails, the blue horizon spreads out before your eyes.
Following the natural flow, my journey alsoled to Yuigahamaas well.

The theme here is to "assimilate into the rhythm of the sea."
In society, we are constantly chasing something, living at a speed far removed from the rhythms of nature.
Smartphone notifications, back-to-back meetings, non-stop thoughts.
Everything is just "too fast."

Standing before the sea, simplywatching, listening, and feelingthe sound of the waves.
That alone allows the inside of your body to loosen up little by little.
The rhythm of the waves is the rhythm of breathing.
When you align your consciousness with the sound of them rolling in and out, you get the illusion that your own heartbeat is overlapping with the pulse of the Earth.

Emotions, too, ebb and flow like the waves.
There are days of calm waves, and days of raging ones.
But every wave eventually subsides.
Perhaps "viewing emotions as waves" is what it means to be in sync with nature.

Just past 10:00 AM, there were many surfers at Yuigahama.
Waiting for waves, surrendering to the flow, becoming one with nature.
Watching them, I suddenly think:
Surfing is not just a sport, but an "act of reclaiming the rhythm of nature."

The scent of the wind, the sound of the tide, the feel of the sand underfoot.
Unleashing all five senses to breathe along with the waves.
Humans are a part of nature—this sea reminded me of that simple truth.

Onari Sauna—"Aligning" with the Energy of Fire and Water

After fully enjoying nature, I prepare to return to the real world little by little.
Komachi-doriis a place everyone who comes to Kamakura walks.Before that bustle, there is "another sanctuary" you should quietly visit.

That is "Onari Sauna," quietly nestled in the back alleys of Onari-dori, just before Kamakura Station.
Here, you can truly experiencea "modern Zen."
Fire and water, heat and cold, tension and relaxation—in that back-and-forth, the energy of your entire body is realigned.

Sauna is Modern Mindfulness

Nowadays, the word "totonou" (to align/be in a state of equilibrium) has become synonymous with self-care for modern people, alongside mindfulness.
The mechanism is simple.

Heat with fire, cool with water.Through this repetition, you artificially reset the balance between your sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.

The feature of this Onari Sauna is that it is not just a "hot place."
The temperature of the sauna room is just under 90°C, butthe humidity is extremely high,
allowing the heat to soak gently into the core of your body.
And the biggest feature is"Human Self-Löyly."Instead of pouring water on the sauna stove, you pour water directly onto your own body.

In that moment, steam clings to your skin, and the heat amplifies all at once.
Your whole body is enveloped in a wave of heat as if it were igniting, and you are overwhelmed by the "sensation of fire and water coexisting."
Furthermore, because other users perform löyly at the same time, the humidity of the entire room is kept high, and

the more people there are, the hotter it gets.
Like a collective meditation, a hot space with a sense of unity is born.

Rooftop Open-Air Bathing—Enveloped by Wind, Trees, and Sky

And another charm of this sauna is therooftop open-air bathing.
A wooden deck spreads out across the area, and if you lie down on a deck chair, the Kamakura sky and trees spread out before you.
Feeling the fire in the sauna, cooling down with water, and finally

bathing in the wind—it is truly the moment when the four elements of nature come together.

If you close your eyes, you can sense the sea in the distance.
The wind brushes your cheeks, and your heartbeat calms down.
You realize that "aligning" is more than just your body relaxing; it is
the moment your heart synchronizes with nature.

After coming out of the sauna, energy wells up from deep within your body.
It feels as if you have replenished your entire body with the energy of fire and water.
The time spent at this "Onari Sauna" was truly an embodiment of "modern Zen."

Komachi-dori—The Rhythm of Returning to Daily Life

Once you are aligned, it is time to return to daily life.
The symbol of this is Komachi-dori Street, which colors the heart of Kamakura.

The street is bustling with many people, including foreign tourists, and the savory scent of street food mixes with the sound of laughter.
Even amidst the hustle and bustle, there is a definite 'rhythm of life'.
I feel that the noise of the town is also a part of nature.
The town's buzz is also a part of nature.

The 'food energy' after filling my heart was exceptional.
The aroma of grilled dango, the crispy texture of shirasu croquettes,
when you taste them using all five senses, each flavor feels more vivid than usual.
Replenishing food energy after mind energy.
This is the final touch of the retreat.

Strangely, the usual scenery of Komachi-dori looked a little different.
Even in the crowd, there was no stress at all.
When your mind is aligned, even the way you see the world changes.
The balance of stillness and motion, the rhythm of nature, the harmony of the autonomic nervous system.
Kamakura, seen in a state where all these are unified, was incredibly comfortable and peaceful.

Kamakura Perfect Serotonin Retreat

This experience was, to my own surprise, perfect.
There are few places in Japan, as vast as it is, where you can achieve such a 'harmonized self' in half a day other than Kamakura.

Feeling 'stillness' through Zazen,
opening your 'senses' with coffee,
melting into 'motion' and 'nature' through hiking,
reclaiming 'prayer' and 'humility' at the Great Buddha,
entrusting yourself to the 'flow' at the beach,
experiencing 'Zen of fire and water' in the sauna,
and finally returning to daily life through the 'bustle' of the town.

──This is what I consider the 'Kamakura Perfect Serotonin Retreat'.

Moving forward, based on this package,
I would like to invite readers in small groups and hold this regularly.
Align your mind and body in Kamakura in the morning, and walk through the town in the afternoon as a calm version of yourself.
I would love to share that experience with you.

If you are interested, please send me a message.
Let's spend time together in Kamakura to align the 'serotonin' within you.

Kamakura Perfect Serotonin Retreat──A Half-Day Journey of Silence and Harmony
Applications opening soon.