“The best holiday I ever had in my life!”

In the end of the year 2024, I gave myself ample time to reflect on the year. I just finished three autumn retreat programs in October and November, and during the programs, multiple guests told me that it was the best holiday they ever had in their life.

This meant the world to me. Just one simple phrase made my 2024 so colorful and meaningful.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

During the programs, I saw so many smiles, and was hearing laughs all the time. Every time I look back the retreat photos from the spring programs to the autumn, it instantly brings me back to the time then with the guests. Interestingly, what always comes up first in my mind is not so much of yoga and cultural activities, but more like someone’s funny jokes, small talks and random stories from the guests. Some random moments that look mundane seemingly might be the special time that stays forever in our heart.

If you have joined our retreat, you would probably have noticed that our programs are not 100% guests oriented. It really doesn’t mean we don’t do enough for guests, but while making 100% effort to make the moments special for our guests, we pay the same amount of attention to the locals. The accommodation staffs, amazing local chefs, the kimono professionals, the local tea master, the wonderful plant dye artist team, the Buddhism monk, the Japanese cooking teacher, and more. Local staffs and guests are equally important to us.

Local people, they are the ones, that make this Prana Retreat special and different from other retreat programs. They are the ones, that help keeping the local cultures and traditions alive and rich.

You would really understand what I am trying to say here in a true sense if you have joined our retreat.

There were so many special moments and memories I made in the retreats this year, but one of the things I might want to bring up here is how local people started to open their heart to guests.

As we are located in the countryside where not many tourists can have an access to, the local people are not so used to foreign tourists (and I am hoping this village will stay like this even in this Japan tourism boost).

As opposed to someone like me who is a local here but have spent the last 10 years overseas, many of the local people didn’t know what to do and how to do with foreign guests.

I remember that many of the local guest teachers, who are all super professional in their fields such as tea, calligraphy, plant dye etc, were all so nervous in front of foreign guests in the first retreat.

They did lots of preparation for their cultural workshops in the retreat because of their nervousness, and although they put their 100% into their offerings, at the beginning they were not trying much to communicate directly with guests without me in the middle as an translator. They simply didn’t know what to do.

In every retreat, I have seen them changing.

They have started to say “hello!” and “thank you” in English. They now try their best to communicate with guests without hesitation, using their (often limited) English vocabulary.

Although whether they can actually communicate with guests is a different story, they are at least trying with a big smile on their face. Nothing makes me happier than watching locals and guests in the happy interaction.

I didn’t want to make this retreat turn into a general retreat template. I wanted an authentic communication between guests and locals beyond the business and tourism, and that’s what we have now. I am so happy.

It is really difficult to express how I feel by words, but if you have joined our retreat, you would probably understand my intention as you also have seen what local people are like here. They are lovely. More than generous. More than authentic, and more than kind.
If the guests have experienced that, that’s really enough for me.

Fukuoka is welcoming winter now.

All the colorful autumn leaves are gone and the trees are naked. The local veggie farms have full of winter crops such as spinach, daikon radish, burdock roots, lotus roots and womboks. Meanwhile, the flower buds of cherry blossoms have started to come up, and that’s the sign when the local plant dye artists get busy to collect them for the coming season. Seasons change. Life flows

.

Again, thank you all who chose to spend time with us this year. I had such a wonderful time with you all, and the local team are still often talking about all the 6 retreat programs they had this year. It was such a special experience for them, too.

Thank you those who sent us letters, parcels and gifts, and gave me a video call to introduce the important family members after you went back home. I feel connected, and that means a lot to me.

And, I know some of you, who have joined us this year, are already planning to come back sometime next year, and I am so looking forward to the reunion!!

If you are looking for some special, unique and authentic experiences in Japan, Prana Retreat is for you.

We have 2 programs in March, and just opened the booking page for another program in May.

If you like to combine your ski/snowboarding trip and retreat experiences in Japan, join us in the program from March 12th.
If you want to see beautiful cherry blossoms, join us from March 25th.
If you are looking for a warmer season, the program from May 21st is the prefect one.

We are looking forward to meeting you in Fukuoka this year!