In Tokyo, the cherry blossoms have passed their peak, and their petals are now fluttering lightly through the air. Perhaps the beauty we perceive in their transience lies in the fact that they bloom and fall just as they are, without clinging to remaining in their current form or state. There is no pretense of trying to “look good” in them.
It is important to strive to be better and work on self-improvement. However, when we look at our daily lives, we often find ourselves feeling the pressure to “make ourselves look good to others” in our relationships.
When we become fixated on becoming our unrealistic ideal image driven by self-doubt (“I’m not good enough”) or anxiety (“I’m lacking something”), unnatural tension arises. The moment we try to stretch ourselves to become “something else” that is other than who we are, our mind and body tenses up and becomes rigid.
To release this tension, we need to “calm our mind at the One Point in our lower abdomen” during these moments in our daily life.
Once the overwhelmed / upperside condition subsides, just as the moon is reflected on the calm surface of a lake, we will be able to see our true self clearly. We may even realize that we are attempting to “put on a front” to appear as something more than we really are. It is precisely this realization that will free us from that unnatural tension.
We should be especially careful when we find ourselves “trying to live up to others’ expectations.” Everyone has different expectations, and it is simply impossible to meet them all. “Expectations” are external things that others arbitrarily place on us, while our “roles” are internal things which we consciously recognize within ourselves. Do not be swayed by something as vague as expectations; simply understand our own roles and do our best in what you need to do.
The same applies to writing. The moment we fall into the trap of trying too hard to “write well,” the natural flow becomes stagnant, and the words lose their vitality. While writing my new book, “Chikara o Nuku Renshu” [Practice of Relaxing Completely], which is now being published, I felt tension whenever my pen stopped moving, and I had to return to the practice of calming my mind on the One Point in the abdomen. Through this process, I was able to create a book that captures things exactly as they are.
When we release the tension that comes from trying to “present ourselves in the best light” or “put on a good show”, and return to our true selves, we shed the burdens we have unknowingly been carrying, allowing the inherent strength that all humans possess to shine through.
The publication of this book was, in fact, a personal practice for me through the very act of writing. I hope you will pick up this book at this time of year when the seasons are changing.
On sale May 22, 2026 <Japanese version only>: “Chikara o Nuku Renshu: Dojinai Jibun no Yashinaikata” [Direct translation: Practice of Relaxing Completely: How to Cultivate an Unshakeable Self] by Shinichi Tohei (Gentosha Inc.) https://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN/4344045696/
Translated by Mayumi Case
Edited by David Shaner
Eastern Ki Federation
https://easternkifederation.org/
Original article in Japanese: あるがまま、ありのまま (Aru ga mama, Ari no mama)
April 1, 2026
https://shinichitohei.com/japanese/01-%e3%82%b3%e3%83%a9%e3%83%a0/36784/
