In July, Begin to Reexamine life (1)

This is the theme of my livestream— and also a little fill-in-the-blank question I’d love for you to sit with.

It ties in with the workshop I’m leading this July 13th to 17th on Japan’s Kumano Kodo trail, where we’ll walk, reflect, and reconnect with what matters.

That’s why I’m calling the upcoming short pieces: "In July, Begin to Reexamine Life."

We often find ourselves in a rather stuck state—unable to move forward. Sometimes it's at work, sometimes in life, and sometimes nothing in particular has happened, but we don't feel there's anything to be grateful for or joyful about. But deep down, we do feel something— we just need a certain perspective to restart.

So how do we restart? Restarting often feels like there's nothing solid to hold on to. Take changing jobs, moving to a new place, or starting school, for example— these are clear external reasons that push us to restart. But most of the time, life and work flow like a river, and we can’t find a place to grip or take hold of how to move forward. That’s why we call it “reexamining.”

From having, doing, to being

In our work, there are many methods or techniques we can apply right away, but many people don’t make use of them. That’s because we’re often unaware of our own inner world. So I’d like to share my own journey, and talk about how to break through the limits we face in the workplace.

These so-called “limits” are often caused by our patterns of thinking— the definitions and judgments we impose on ourselves. So I’ll begin by sharing a simple yet crucial concept: we operate on three levels: having, doing, and being.

The top level is called having ("I have"). Having refers to things like what job you have, what assets you own, what degrees you’ve earned, and so on. These are usually the things we pursue in life, but they are only surface-level phenomena.

The next level is doing ("I do"). This means you have to do certain things to achieve certain results. So the doing level is less visible on the surface, and most of what we do isn’t visible. I think this is actually a truth about life.

The Buddhist scriptures say, “All forms are illusion.”

When people search for truth, what they often see is actually an illusion. The things we have are visible. For example, you can see that my friend has a job, owns two cars, and holds a degree, but you can’t see the doing part of his life. Even if people are both pursuing degrees, what they do every day can be completely different. So most of the doing is actually invisible.

Below doing, there’s another important level, which is being ("I am")—in other words, who you are at the core. This is a deeper and fundamentally different level.

Because different being leads to different doing. For instance, in class, you’re told to listen carefully or think actively. Listening attentively or thinking actively are all part of doing, and they may seem simple, but sometimes we just can’t manage it. That’s because our internal state—our being—is off.

If you truly pay attention to your own state, you’ll find that these doings are actually hard to carry out. Sometimes they’re accompanied by fear or hesitation. If your underlying being isn’t right, then you won’t be able to follow through on the doing. Even if someone tells you what to do, you still won’t be able to do it.

So from this perspective, many seemingly righteous and well-meaning methods are, in fact, ineffective.

We often say things like, “Once I’m financially free, I’ll do this or that,” or “Once I’ve paid off my mortgage, I’ll finally be able to…” We think we need to have first, then do, or that once we do something, we’ll suddenly become brave.

But that’s not how it works. In reality, if you aren’t brave to begin with, you’ll never take action, and certainly won’t do anything different or remarkable.

We think, “If I do something, I’ll become different,” but in fact, only when there’s a shift in your being can you truly do things differently.

If your being is grounded in acceptance and courage, you naturally know what to do.

So, from this point of view, it should start with the right being, which then leads to the appropriate doing, and eventually, having will follow, naturally.

From July 13 to 17, 2025, I’ll be hosting a five-day, four-night in-person workshop on the thousand-year-old Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trail in Japan.

We’ll walk the ancient path together, surrounded by nature’s quiet power— taking in the forest, the air, the rhythm of our own steps. Through reflection and honest conversation, you’ll have space to recharge, reconnect, and come home to yourself.

““Each of us is a deep ocean. When we focus only on our practical, day-to-day roles, something inside us falls out of balance. That’s why we need to return to nature—because we are nature. And we need deep connection with others—because we’re built for it.””

On July 14, we’ll witness the Nachi Fire Festival, one of Japan’s three great fire festivals, held right in the heart of Kumano’s ancient forests. It’s a powerful, sacred ceremony that’s been passed down for generations. Watching it together, we’ll feel the presence of something larger— a quiet reminder of awe and reverence.

But this journey isn’t just about hiking. It’s about having a meaningful conversation—with the land, with culture, and with yourself.

Our theme is “Rediscovering the Vitality of Life.” We’ll create a space where you can pause, take a breath, and make space for change. We’ll explore what might be blocking your energy, and use insights from body-mind science to gently shift those patterns. Even life’s challenges can be invitations—to grow, to awaken, to feel alive again.

As I see it, “We can’t resolve what’s inside us without understanding the world we live in.”

During our time together, you’ll learn to notice the inner systems that shape how you experience life, let go of what’s holding you back, see your outer and inner worlds with fresh eyes, and reconnect with your own natural strength and energy.

If this calls to you, I hope we’ll meet this summer— and take this meaningful journey side by side. Let’s walk, reflect, and rediscover the joy of being fully alive.

For more information, please check here

https://yinuoli.org/product/2025-immersive-workshop-kumano-kodo/

Or reach out to my devoted customer service team at info@yinuoli.org. They’ll be happy to help.