Ichi Go Ich E Training
April 8th - 18th, 2006

Ichi Go Ich E, literally “Here and Now”, is a Japanese discipline which incorporates exercises from Shintoism, Judo and Aikido and aims to teach us to “value the moment” through an integrated adventure for the body as well as the mind.

Four participants engaged in a seminar which was conducted by experienced trainer Heinz from Austria in Nishtha Community Centre from 8th to 18th April 2006. The Physical Training began each day at 6am when all participants met outside to practice Qigong facing the Mighty Dhauladhar Range while the sun gradually rose and give us a warm welcome for the day. This was followed by a delicious Indian Breakfast. We made it a point to serve traditional dishes for all meals to introduce our guests to the wonderfully varied and nutritious Indian vegetarian cuisine.

From 10 to 12 am daily a session focused on body relaxation and stress reduction meditation through the renowned Alexander technique. The afternoon was used mainly for excursions and walks in nearby areas and from 5 to 6pm we practiced judo using bamboo sticks that we prepared ourselves on the first day. In the evenings a self defense course was conducted for the Jagori Girls who learned to defend and protect themselves through special techniques from Karate, Aikido and Police training.

Several excursions familiarized the participants with aspects of the very varied local culture. We visited important institutions set up by the Tibetan Refugees including the main temple of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Nechung Monastery which is the seat of an important Tibetan oracle, the Norbulingka Institute which specializes in preserving Tibetan arts and crafts and the Tibetan Medical and Astro Institute. The participants showed a keen interest in Buddhist philosophy so we visited two lectures by a renowned Tibetan Lama at the Tibetan Library of Works and Archives.

We contacted the local Gaddi Tribal Culture during an excursion together with a group of local Gaddi boys to a very special religious site situated on the mountain side at 3,000 meters called Chamunda Devi Temple. We trekked for 10 hours to reach this old magical temple surrounded by unbelievably wonderful views of the Dhauladhar mountain range and the Kangra valley. We conducted a whole day’s training in this picturesque setting.

At the end of the course we visited the Golden Temple in Amritsar, one of the most important temples in the Sikh religion. A monument symbolizing religious tolerance and universal acceptance seemed fitting as a farewell to India after this very special experience.