DONI OM
Director of Retreat Village Ensou, a secluded yoga facility coexisting with the blessings of the mountains in Kaiyo-machi, Tokushima
Bio
Doni learned the wisdom of nature through mountain climbing, rock climbing, and surfing. Since 2012, he has spent about half of each year in India, where he explored the study of yoga while living in temples and ashrams. He has been an assistant to his teacher in India for many years and has assisted yogis from all over the world. During his time in Japan, he has given yoga classes and food workshops at studios around the country. He has now moved his base deep into the mountains of Kaiyo-cho, Tokushima Prefecture, and established Retreat Village Ensou as a place where one can face oneself in the midst of abundant nature. By creating a healthy environment for nature and all life, it leads us to enrich our bodies and minds. We operate a retreat village where guests can spend time to deeply understand the connection between people and nature.
Message
Retreat Village Ensou is located in an area with almost no cell phone reception. All the water in this village comes from a mountain spring, and all the waste water flows into a beautiful river right in front of the village. By spending time in a place where such a connection with nature spreads out before our eyes, we can directly see how our small daily choices affect the global environment. In this area, close to mountains, rivers, and the sea, life itself is a blessing of nature. What does yoga, which has been handed down in India for thousands of years, originally convey? This retreat village allows guests to experience such a way of life as seen through yoga. We offer classes at a level suitable for any long-time practitioner of yoga, as well as for those with no experience. Many athletes can benefit from deep knowledge of their body and its movements. In addition to yoga, guests can spend time preparing their body and mind from a sauna experience in a secluded area, and vegan cuisine made from the bounty of fields, rice paddies, and mountains. You are yourself with nature. You will find deep insights without having to say much.
Guide Q&A
Q: What is your most memorable experience in nature?
Mt. Fuji in the frigid winter. I had been defeated many times before, and when I finally reached the summit of the bowl with my nerves on edge, the soaring clouds looked like celestial maidens dancing. The beauty of the clouds made my heart soar and my body want to dance, but then the image of being blown away by the wind came to my mind. If I had been dancing in a fit of excitement, I might have slid down the slope for hundreds of meters. I think that moment taught me to always keep my feet firmly on the ground while my heart dances.
Q: What does nature represent to you?
I am nature, and the trees, water, and all living things that surround me are also nature. I feel that there are no boundaries between the two, and that wherever I go, it is me. Therefore, I want to treat all of nature with as much care and attention as possible, just as I treat myself. If the environment around me is as fulfilling as possible, I can be rich in its bounty. I think that is what nature is like.
Q: What has nature taught you?
All is one.
Q: What do you hope that people will get out of experiences with you as a guide?
First of all, I want them to realize that they are already fulfilled. No matter where they are or what they are doing. There is nothing special here. In fact, there may be nothing. If people feel fulfilled here, then they are fulfilled wherever they are. And if they have realized that they are fulfilled, then I hope that they will increase such actions to fulfill someone else.
Highlights
・ Director of Retreat Village Ensou ・ Chairman of Ashtanga Yoga Mountain & Ocean ・ Established Ashtanga Yoga Mountain & Ocean in 2012 ・ Established Retreat Village Ensou in 2022 ・ Languages: Japanese, English
