Born in 1954 and having grown up in Japan. As a student, I read a book written by Master Masahiro Oki, one of the most well-known Japanese yogis. He was a distinctive teacher-healer-philosopher and the originator of a very individual system of yoga, known as Oki Yoga or Okidō Yoga, ‘Yoga in Oki’s way’, as dō means a way for searching for truth in life. Based on profound disciplines in many fields, he had founded the International Oki Yoga Institute (We call it as Mishima Dōjō) in Japan, in 1967. I started attending this place in 1978 while I was still a student.
After graduation and a period of teaching at high schools, I entered a residential apprenticeship under Master Oki and studied yoga between 1980 and 1984, sharing daily life with many colleagues. He used to say ‘Eating from the same pot is the base line of Okido Yoga.’
When I studied in Mishima Dōjō, it was running under a non-stop ‘live and learn’ system, for 24 / 7 / 365(366). There was no structural syllabus in this learning style. Here I learned that the essence of Okido Yoga is life-style yoga. I attended lessons and lectures given by the master, senior staff members and occasional guest teachers. I also learned by assisting their lessons and working together with colleagues. For his students to develop wider perspectives, Master Oki invited many guest teachers. Some of them were internationally well-known teachers including B.K.S. Iyengar of Yoga, Nathmal Tatia of Jaina Philosophy, and masters of Japanese Dō-arts.
Then, the master appointed me to work for an English charitable company, Okiro Natural Health Education Trust Ltd (known as Okido Yoga UK). I arrived in the UK in May 1984. Since then, I did all my yoga activities under this charitable company and retired from employment at the end of August 2022. I am now contributing, as a volunteer, occasional workshops, educational web-articles and administrative work to this organisation.
In a personal capacity, I give small-scaled yoga activities, which are intoroduced in this website.
As well as running yoga activities in the UK, I sometimes teach abroad, and also welcome international participants to my online lessons. Also, hosting a Facebook page ‘Okido Yoga Gatheing’, I am promoting international communication among Okido Yoga learners. I am a certified teacher of the British Wheel of Yoga, the largest yoga membership organisation in the UK.
© 2024 Tomoko Mori