Tokyo: Tibet House Japan organised a Yoga class online to celebrate International Yoga Day on June 21. Yoga enthusiasts from different corners of Japan joined the class. Geshe Chaphur Rinpoche of the Gyalshen Institute in California conducted the Yoga class based on the ancient teaching of rdZog-chen, pronounced Zog-chen.
Representative Dr. Tsewang Gyalpo Arya of the Tibet House Japan welcomed the participants and introduced Geshe Chaphur Rinpoche and the interpreter Takeshita Yuri. He explained that Yoga is very much a part of Tibet’s indigenous religion Bon and Buddhist practices, but it was not publicised until recently and had remained intact and esoteric within the religious practitioners. Yoga being the science and exercise of mind and body has a great potential to enhance the practitioners’ physical and mental health, he added.
Chaphur Rinpoche taught the Nine-breathing exercise and the Tibetan Yoga practice known as Keksel (Tib:Kegs-sel). He started the class with an explanation of the importance of understanding tsa, lung, and thigle, (channel, wind, and sphere-light) and introduced the three channels that a human body has: right white channel, left red channel, and central blue channel. He explained how through this nine-breathing exercise negative emotions like attachment, anger, and ignorance could be cleansed. The five Keksel exercises are meant to open and activate the five chakras (Tib:’Khor-lo) that people have in their bodies.
The participants asked questions on breathing techniques, the position of the channels, and the working of the five elements in the body. Rinpoche explained that while breathing in, colours of the outer five elements (earth, water, fire, air, space) should be visualised and how these stimulate the inner five elements (mind, breath, heat, blood, and flesh) and how ultimately these nourish the sacred five elements (heart, lung, liver, kidney, and spleen) of our body.
Tibet House Japan organised the Yoga class because of frequent requests from Japanese who are conversant with Yoga practices but are interested in taking Yoga teachings directly from Tibetan masters.
Chaphur Rinpoche is an accomplished Geshe from Menri Monastery in Dolanji, India. He has written several books and teaches Bon, Dzogchen, and Buddhism in the States. He is the founder and Spiritual Director of Gyalshen Institute and Chaphur Foundation in the San Francisco Bay Area, the United States.
Report submitted by the Office of Tibet, Japan