Naikan Therapy and its origins
"Breathe"
Origin of NAIKAN:
” Naikan is a method of meditative self-reflection, psychotherapy and counselling founded in 1950s by Rev. Ishin Yoshimoto － a Jodo Shin Buddhist Minister. Mr. Yoshimoto was a businessman and introduced Naikan to his employees. In 1955 Naikan practice began in Japanese prisons. Ishin Yoshimoto directed a Naikan centre in Nara together with his wife Kinuko Yoshimoto. In the early 1970's various Naikan Retreat and Meditation centres opened in Japan.
In the late 1970's Naikan Therapy was introduced to Europe. Prof. Akira Ishii, world renowned Neurosurgeon has introduced Naikan Therapy to many countries all over the world.
“Small steps are an elegant approach to indecision. That’s because each of those small steps sends ripples out into the world. Your situation is never the same from day to day, because the world is in a dynamic state of flux. Once you take a small step you get new information and now you can consider the situation from a different perspective.”
― Gregg Krech, The Art of Taking Action: Lessons from Japanese Psychology