Month: June 2016

The Healing Power of Writing

~ OneLuckyLocal ~ Leave a comment

The Expressive Writing Workshop is a serendipitous manifestation of my authentic journey. In November of 2015 I was diagnosed with cutaneous lupus. It was prescribed by my doctor that I minimize my exposure to UV rays and manage my stress levels. As a result, I lessened my involvement at the family accounting firm to pursue my joy of writing. I had a rock solid plan! Well, I thought I had a rock solid plan. I was determined to send impressive pitches to local magazines and become a freelance writer. I had a few jobs, and then it was “crickets.”

I knew I had to keep creating, not just for the benefit of others, but also for myself. I googled “writing therapy” and spoke to a writer-friend on the subject. I found that Dr. James W. Pennebaker was the go-to expert on the subject. I immediately purchased his little book called Expressive Writing, Words that Heal (co-written by Dr. John F. Evans), and soon began to do the writing exercises in the book. The findings of Dr. Pennebaker’s 30 years of research validated why I enjoyed writing so much – writing emotionally AND physically improves overall wellness. Not only did I feel better after writing, but I also gained new awareness about some of the challenges in my life. My next thought was, “I have to share this with others!”

I began to read more books by authors that were in the medical, psychological, neuroscience, spiritual, and creative fields. I combined all of this new knowledge with my life’s experiences and accumulated wisdom from my childhood, living abroad, illness, and my most recent emergence as a writer, and produced a workshop that aims to assist others in mapping out their own struggles and finding new wisdom. As a result I created the following process:

Steps to Emotional Wellness

SHINE THE LIGHT ON YOUR INTERIOR LIFE – Go inward and identify what prevents you from thriving.

WHAT ARE THE EMOTIONS THAT NEED HEALING? Acknowledge and engage with these emotions. Tell your story of sadness, anger, frustration, resentment, guilt, hurt, jealousy, fear….Whatever! Write your story UNCENSORED.

RECOGNIZE THE BEAUTY IN THE STRUGGLE – What have you learned? How has it made you stronger? How can you do better? What do you want your life to look like going forward?

REPEAT AS NEEDED!

The above process could take 20 minutes for some challenges and 20 years for others. I’ve seen that, at first, there may be some very painful stories to face that we have not looked at for a very long time. However, over time, the more this process is maintained, the more of a habit it becomes to search for wisdom when we are faced with new obstacles. In other words, don’t expect life to get easier through this process, because, we can never predict the hardships that may come our way. Instead, you will habitually look for the lessons and wisdom when they do come or at least be able to stand in solidarity and compassion with others who share similar hardships.

Just like yoga, meditation, exercise, and a healthy diet, expressive writing is a another wellness tool to assist in taking care of our whole selves. This has become a spring board for many new projects I am creating to strengthen our emotional intelligence that involve taking this expressive writing into the creative genres of poetry and storytelling. It is the beginning of a brand new journey, and I am full of excitement to see what the universe has in “store-y” for all of us!

For more information and upcoming workshops go to the One Lucky Local Facebook page.

Saturday, July 2, 2016: Open House for Tamagusuku Ryu Senjukai Hawaii Frances Nakachi Ryubu Dojo

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Each gesture is an expression. Movements put together are a story. The music is a narration. Collectively they create Okinawan dance – a connection to ancient culture and ancestry. Come experience, for a day, the rich Ryukuan culture expressed through music and dance. Since 1997, Master Instructor Frances Nakachi has nurtured her students by teaching the values and traditions of Okinawan dance while teaching discipline and self-worth in a positive environment.

On Saturday, July 2, 2016, from 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. at the Mission Memorial Auditorium there will be a rare opportunity to experience an Okinawan dance lesson for FREE. Tamagusuku Ryu Senjukai Frances Nakachi Ryubu Dojo will present an Open House to all who are interested in learning to dance.

About Artistic Director Frances Nakachi
(http://www.senjukaihawaii.com/content/inside.php?id=4)

Nakachi Sensei was born and raised in Okinawa, Japan.  From the age of three, she began learning Ryukyu dance under the dual instruction of the acclaimed sisters, Yoshiko Tanita Sensei and Mieko Kinjo Sensei, co-directors of the Tamagusuku Ryu Senju Kai and are certified as the Preservers of Important Intangible Cultural Properties also known as Juyo Mukei Bunkazai Hojisha.

After graduating from high school in Okinawa,  she moved to Hawaii to attend Chaminade University.  Nonetheless, she traveled back and forth to continue her studies of dance and completed all three certifications of testing administered by the Ryukyu Shimpo Newspaper Company in Okinawa called the Geino Konkuru, performing Arts Contest.  The Geino Konkuru is an annual event where students of all branches of Okinawan traditional performing arts are judged by a panel of distinguished artists from each respective art form. There are three levels of testing that each student must pass, which are Shinjin sho, Newcomers’ Award, Yushusho, Award of Excellence, and Saikosho, Highest Award.  Frances Sensei has taken all the certifications for not only for the perpetuation of the Ryukyuan Arts and but for her mother who was the biggest fan.  Frances Sensei’s mother also used to dance Okinawan dance and it was her dream to have her older sister, Kathy and her to become teachers just like her senseis, Yoshiko sensei and Mieko Sensei.

In 1997, Frances started teaching Okinawan dance due to many inquires to learn Okinawan dance from her. She was moved by their seeking spirit to learn about the culture.  She felt that teaching will help her continue with her practice and contribute to the community through her dance.

On January 9, 1999, Frances had passed her certification exam in Okinawa and earned her Kyoshi license in Dance from her instructors, Yoshiko Tanita Sensei and Mieko Kinjo Sensei.  To commemorate her accreditation and to formally introduce  the Tamagusuku Ryu Senju Kai Frances Nakachi Ryubu Dojo to the community, she held her first recital at the Hawaii Theatre together with the centennial celebration of the Okinawan immigration to Hawaii entitled, Chu Hisa Na , Fulfilling Dreams, One Step at a Time.

On June 5, 2005,  Frances had passed the highest level of teaching certification exam in Okinawa and earned a Shihan license, Master Instructor license in Dance.  She mentioned that this certification gave her a deeper sense of commitment in preserving the culture and understanding that there are so much more to learn and share .  She mentions that the dance is always evolving and we must not stop learning.

Frances Sensei had performed and held recitals in numerous places in Hawaii such at the Hawaii Theatre, also known as the “Carnegie Hall of the Pacific”, Neal Blaisedell Center, Mamiya Theatre at Chaminade University,  Orvis Auditorium at University of Hawaii  just to name a few. She has also performed at a National Theatre of Japan in Okinawa, Fukuoka and many other places in Japan for cultural exchange. In 2009, she was invited to perform at the Carnegie Hall in New York and in 2014, she is dancing with her students at the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC.

Also, Frances Sensei’s goal is to have students  take their certification testing in Okinawa like how she has taken the testing in Okinawa. She wants to have her students experience what she had learned and train both body and mind.  The students have the opportunity to be trained by the Grand Masters of Senjukai and other senior instructors. The training in Okinawa helps develop character, discipline, self confidence and a develop deeper sense of appreciation towards the culture. It is an life altering experience which helps the culture to be perpetuated and continued for many generations.

Currently, she teaches both children and adult classes at the Kilauea Community Center every Monday and Wednesday nights and performs at various community functions.
It is her mission to spread peace, joy and love by sharing the beauty of Okinawa’s Dance Arts to the world.  “Together, we can make a difference, one dance at a time.”

For more information about Tamagusuku Ryu Senjukai Hawaii, check out their website: www.senjukaihawaii.com.

Orlando

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Another shooting. Is this becoming some common occurrence in our country? It hurts me to think that much like our Honolulu, Orlando is a place people go to for vacation, have fun in the sun, and celebrate life. Also, about 20 years ago, I had a close friend who left Honolulu, and moved to the east coast, to avoid being shamed and judged by his family for his sexual orientation. Going to a nightclub, much like the one where the shooting occurred,was the only place where he felt free and accepted. It was a place where others could exist in solidarity and not fear judgement. The act of this shooting is a vile message of hate. One of my Facebook friends commented that, “..removing guns from the world isn’t going to keep violent F’d up people from killing. They will use knives, syringes, homemade bombs.” I agree that if people are “F’d up,” they will continue to kill and F’d up people need help, mental help.

Seriously, it angers me that we even need statistics to show whether or not gun violence is a mental health issue. Common sense would tell you that if you’re killing mass amounts of innocent people, something is wrong with your brain! Right?

Although we may be angry, we must also be wise. We can ask, “WHY?” all we want. Ultimately, we must figure out HOW to move forward. Since there is no satisfactory answer to – “WHY?” MC Yogi gives a perspective as to HOW we can change direction together,

“When terrible thinks happen, it creates a spiral. It takes a great deal of effort and energy to lift ourselves out of that darkness, that downward pull. But, if we’re wise we can swing the momentum of our mind and move in a different, more uplifting direction….If enough of us can hold the light and push forward in the direction of LOVE, DIGNITY, and STRENGTH, we can turn the cultural tide.”