Monday, September 28, 2026

Japan's secret to beauty, youth, longevity


Japan's One Secret to Health, Beauty, and Longevity
Samurai Matcha
Will I be turning Japanese? I really think so
(Samurai Matcha) ✪ Members first on Sept. 21, 2026. I’m filming this in one of the many empty houses in my Japanese neighborhood. I’m staying here for a month just to try it. ☺️ 

For anyone interested in R's KOSO, here's the link ✌️ dpbolvw.net/click-1011103... Use code SAMURAIGUT for 15% off (works on first subscription order, too). Subscribe and become a friend today: samuraimatcha.

GET IN TOUCH: If you’d like to talk, feel free to email me at samuraimatcha.japan@gmail.com. I try my best to reply to things, but there sadly aren't enough hours in the day to respond to everyone all the time, so please be patient or reach out again.

Go minimal like Blue Zone Okinawa
The Japanese secret to vitality

Youthful, thin, pretty, long-lived? *Giggle*
What if there were ONE secret to Japanese healthy weight, youthfulness, beauty, and amazing longevity? Westerners rush to say, "It must be genetics" because in that way, they can give up. There's nothing we can do about genetics (as if the West never heard of epigenetics), so let's do nothing.

In the age-old debate between Nature (genes) and Nurture (karma, our actions now), there's much more to be said for karma. First of all, the way most people use the word "karma," they mean both the intentional actions being willed and carried out AND the results of those acts from the past (vipaka, phala). Looked at that way, karma accounts for a lot of (but not all) nurture and a lot of (but not all) nurture.

Nurture is our environment and what others choose to do. How it affects us, that is greatly due to the habits, states, and traits we have built up over many past lives and all of this one. (Karma is vast and touches just about everything).

Nature is not limited to genetics, our innate nature, but all of the biology. In this way, we can see that how we nurture determines if it works well or to our detriment.
Hollywood secret? My grandma knew it!
The Japanese one secret, which the West used to know and respect, is called chokatsu or "gut health." The West used to know this? Before researchers, scientists, and the medical field gave us terms like probiotics and intestinal health, our grandmothers were well aware of the benefits of fermentation. It's an ancient practice of cultivating good (usually lactic-acid producing) bacteria to preserve food and up bioavailable essential minerals, the unknown key to human health.

Minerals are the essential micronutrients (criticalhealthnews.com). Dr. Joel Wallach says that, sadly, minerals are no longer in our depleted soil because we no longer regularly throw ashes into the ground from wood burning. The sea still has those 92 trace minerals, and maybe seaweeds like the thickener Irish sea moss, and vegan sushi nori leaves, salty kombu, and other sea plants can still provide them. 
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Let heart settle: Zen music for stillness


Dedicated to our UCLA MARC (Mindful Awareness Research Center)-trained teacher, bonsai enthusiast, and Angeles National Forest docent Tod (rest in peace), who not only led us in meditation in the foothills of Monrovia but also gifted me an authentic handcrafted Native American shakuhachi-style flute to meditate with, which unfortunately was consumed by the Great Spirit of the mountain during the Eaton Fire. Thank you, Tod.

Let the heart (mind) settle here: Japanese Zen music for peace and stillness | shakuhachi and koto
Beauty through Buddhist serenity? (picmix.com)
Yamato Zen Relaxing(Yamato Zen Relaxing) June 24, 2026: Let the heart settle here, in this Zen garden of contoured (raked) sand. 🍁 A red maple tree stands alone in the mist, where the world grows still.

This Japanese ambient track is inspired by gassho (the Japanese act, inspired by India's añjali mudrā and namaste-greeting), which is the bringing of the palms together near the heart in reverence.

It is a calm state where any fragmented noise of the day softens into something whole. Shakuhachi (flute) and koto (harp) unfold in a still, unhurried flow, supported by a quiet and continuous atmosphere that allows thoughts to float away as the mind/heart settles and remain at ease.

Human bowls beat AI tools
(Aurabowls) Nervous system calm with raw Himalayan singing
bowls | no artificial effects, just pure resonant sounds
  • That black metal bowl can make all that sound?
    Namaste    . This 5-hour sound bath is the raw, untouched sound of Tibetan Buddhist singing bowls, no effects or music added, just pure, natural resonance recorded as is. These deep tones carry a timeless quality that helps calm the nervous system and bring the mind to a place of rest. Listen for hours or simply set a timer for 15 to 20 minutes. Use it however it feels right. The background is peaceful, like sitting under a tree while a gentle breeze moves through the leaves. Let that image hold. Sounds rise and fade like waves, no need to catch every one of them. Just follow whatever is heard and return to it whenever the mind wanders.
Fumie Hihara playing koto in 2016 (wiki)
This track is suitable for: 🍁 deep focus and inner stillness 🧘 meditation and mindful presence 😴 quiet rest and gentle relaxation 🌿 inner balance and tranquil harmony. Use it to create a quiet space to slow the breath, soften the edges of a harried life, and rest in the stillness that already lives inside us all.

It pairs well with Zen kinhin or "walking meditation." Walk at a slow, deliberate pace, letting each step fall like a stone into still water, and feel the ground rise gently to meet the body.

Let the hands come to rest, palms together, in a moment that belongs only to the stillness.
 
TRACKLIST
  • 00:00:00 1. Raked in Mist
  • 00:02:20 2. Still Roots
  • 00:04:51 3. Crimson and Fog
  • 00:08:55 4. Bamboo Mist
  • 00:12:01 5. Veranda's Edge
  • 00:15:55 6. Red Bough
  • 00:19:39 7. Quiet Bearing
  • 00:23:50 8. Circled Sand
  • 00:28:03 9. Veiled Canopy
  • 00:30:53 10. Solitary Maple
  • 00:35:24 11. Sword's Repose
  • 00:39:21 12. Settled Deep
  • 00:42:36 13. White Sand
  • 00:46:53 14. Worn Reverence
  • 00:51:27 15. Soft Enclosure
  • 00:55:56 16. Fog's Return
  • 00:59:29 17. Repeat
🎨 This video's visuals and audio are produced by real humans with artificial AI tools. If any of this resonates, consider subscribing for more original Japanese ambient and Zen-inspired compositions. 🙏 💿️ Zen music, relaxing music, meditation music, focus music, sleep music, background music, Japanese music, flute music, stress relief, Japanese ambient sounds, healing music, calming music

🔴 24/7 Live #1: youtube.com/live/_Dmgt8yaDs0... 🔴 24/7 Live #2: youtube.com/live/fP9R-uYsRNc... 🍎Apple Music: x.gd/7gBje 🟢 Spotify: x.gd/fuRHzb
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Who will save the trees? Butterfly will

Will anything I ever do make a difference? IDK
If only all of us had Butterfly-will like Julia Butterfly Hill who willed that Luna the Tree be saved from corporate logging.

The Buddha called "will" (cetanā, volition) "karma." (Most of the good things that happen to us in life are due to our karma, as are many but not all of the bad things).

The Legacy of Luna
But what can just one person do? One person can save the world, save a grove, a forest, nature, a species, a region. And more people coming together for a cause can do even more, taking their lead from that ONE person.

Sure, we say she's a "super heroine" now, but at the time, everyone said she was a "crazy hippie" for having uncapitalist ideals and principles. There is that scientific theory called the "butterfly effect," the idea that the smallest change can have a compounding effect, stacking, triggering a cascade much bigger than would ever seem possible by just one act, a kind of domino effect.

Julia, you did the impossible! How'd you do it?
Easy. I just did something. Nature did the rest.

What can just one pretty, little, dumb, colorful, flighty, teensy-weensy butterfly do?
  • No One Is Too Small...
    It isn't just the karmic (willful) action that has an immediate result. There is the inspiring of others, modeling change for them, blowing the whistle, speaking up for the unpopular but honest view of things. Greta Thunberg may not do much more than boycott school, hold a sign, garner attention, speak at rallies, or get herself in the media, and she still has done a great deal. She gets demonstrates, protests, investigates, sticks to her guns (e.g., against Israel), speaks out, gets arrested, talks to movers-and-shakers, addresses the U.N., and inspires millions to think and act. She does participate in direct actions herself, but more than that, she rallies demonstrators and attracts attention to important causes. What can I do? What can you do? What can we do?
I didn't begin with a book. I began a strike.
How, for example, could a single piece of flimsy straw (like a pretty girl in a tree) ever break a robust camel (like a greedy corporation out to hump everyone and steal water from an arid place for itself) with a strong back for carrying bales and bales of hay?
Teaching crusade: female education in the Muslim world around the world (malala.org)
You don't have to be white, right, Barry? - No, but it sure helps, Mal (with Malia+Michael O.)
'Super heroine'? I'm just a regular person with no ability to anything about greedy corporations
    Reverend Dr. MLK Jr. was very popular until he spoke out against the U.S. War on Vietnam.
    A Jew for Palestine? I thought Jews hated them? - Many good people stand for truth and justice
    Devis live at the tops of trees, mostly unseen by ordinary human beings who do not meditate.


    Posted by at No comments:
    Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

    Friday, September 25, 2026

    Japan Zen simple with Grandma Kinoe

    Bodhidharma must be kidding because there's so much we can do, beginning with appreciation

    Japanese grandmother leads simple Zen life
    (Japanese Grandma Kinoe) Living alone in the Japanese countryside: a day in the life of 93-year-old Grandmother Kinoe.
    • Minamoto Yoshiie at Nakoso barrier
      Wisdom Quarterly: Gramma Kinoe, should Lana Del Rey keep obsessing about love, relationships, men, lesbian summer crushes...
    • Grandma Kinoe: What's a summer crush?
    • WQ: It's like when, you know how sometimes at the all-girl schools in Japan you get carried away admiring the little uniforms they make us wear, and two students get, um, carried away?
    • GK: Oh, you mean rezu-dōseiai (女性同性愛者).
    • WQ: I guess. Lana just does it for attention and to be inclusive of her big LGBT fanbase.
    • GK: What's a fan base?
    • WQ: It's sort of, never mind that.
    • GK: I mind that!
    • WQ: It's like a base, for a fan, or fans.
    • GK: Oh, you mean tessen (鉄扇) like for war.
    • WQ: Yes, exactly. Look, you're living the "Zen" life. What's it like? Shouldn't you move to a temple nunnery-monastery (zendo) where everyone practices proper form, slows down, and goes the Way of the Tao, with the flow and wu-wei (noninterference)?
    • GK: You mean seppuku (切腹, harakiri [ritual suicide])?!
      • Why does J art look cartoonish?
    • WQ: No, no, like royal forms and formalities but in a dojo, bowing and turning, taking your shoes off and sitting correctly for zazen on zafu and zabuton, meditation cushion and mat.
    • GK: Oh, you mean go to the senbutsu-jō (選仏場)? I can do that in the comfort of my own home...if my darn grandkids didn't keep filming me for these silly YouTube videos. What is a you tube anyway?
    • WQ: It's like a tube for you.
    • GK: Oh, you mean shiso-arabiki (粗びき) [sausage].
    • WQ: No, no! That's pig slaughter and offal; YouTube is more like crockpot TikTok pig butchering and awful.
    • GK: What's offal/awful?
    • WQ: YouTube is. It's really gone downhill since all the corporate Google censorship.
    • GK: OK, OK, enough chit-chatty. Let's listen to soothing music and talk about 21 healthy foods to add to diet.
    • WQ: Yeah, good idea, Gramma.
    • GK: "Gramma"? I'm Kinoe! Why does that girl keeping calling me "Gramma"?
    • WQ: She's trying to perfect her practice of wabi-sabi (侘び寂び).
    • GK: Oh, that makes sense! Good for her. Good luck, Lezzie!
    • WQ: No, Grandma! It's Lizzy or Lana now.

    Zen: The Art of Simple Living

    Zen: The Art of Simple
    Editor/translator Allison Markin Powell (shown here smiling) and author Shunmyo Masuno have 4.6 out of 5 stars (with 3,688 reviews) for this handy little guide. Relax and find happiness amid the swirl of the modern world with this internationally bestselling guide to simplifying life by a Japanese Buddhist priest who embodies the wisdom of Zen.

    Drawing on centuries of wisdom, renowned Zen Buddhist Shunmyo Masuno applies the essence of Zen to modern life in clear, practical, easily adopted lessons -- one a day for 100 days. Discover how:
    • lining up our shoes after we take them off can bring order to our lives
    • putting down our forks after every bite can help us feel more grateful for what we have
    • spending time barefoot can strengthen our bodies
    • planting a flower and watching it grow can teach us to embrace change
    • going outside to watch the sunset can make every day feel celebratory.
    Author Zen Priest Shunmyo Masumo
    In Zen: The Art of Simple Living, readers will learn to find happiness not by seeking out extraordinary experiences but by [moments of appreciation and] making small changes -- to what we do, how we think, how we interact with others, and how we APPRECIATE the present moment (yes, this one right NOW).

    [This is what the historical Buddha called sati or "mindful awareness," diligence, vigilance, conscientiousness, wakefulness, and MINDFULNESS].

    With each task, we open ourselves up to a renewed sense of peace and inner calm. More

    Maybe centenarians are what they eat?
    (PhytoWise) 21 foods that make Japanese people virtually immune to any illness for longevity
    1. natto (whole fermented soybean)
    2. miso (fermented soybean paste)
    3. tofu (vegan soymilk bean curd cheese protein)
    4. edamame (young saltwater boiled soy pods)
    5. shoyu (umami savory soy sauce)
    6. tsukemono (lactic acid pickles, sauerkraut)
    7. [taiyaki] (murdered cooked fish)
    8. sashimi (murdered raw fish, omega fatty acids)*
    9. wakame, nori, and kombu (mineral-rich seaweed)
    10. shirasu don (bowl of warm rice, calcium topping)
    11. daikon winter radish (enzyme-rich)
    12. beni imo (Okinawan-purple-sweet potato, anthocyanins)
    13. shiitake and other mushrooms (dried savory beta-glucan)
    14. goya bitter melon (bitter gourd, Momordica charantia)
    15. J-rice (white and brown, polished and whole integral)
    16. soba (buckwheat noodles, gluten-free with its own toxin)
    17. matcha (green tea, phytonutrient-rich, antioxidant catechins)
    18. yuzu (flavonoid-rich citrus zest, usually for warm soaking)
    19. wasabi (horseradish vegetable with antimicrobial powers)
    20. umeboshi (salted fermented citric acid apricot-like plum)
    21. [*hemp seeds (raw Cannabis sativa, protein, EFA-rich): Gummy 'flower' on 4/20? Cannabis (ma huang)].

    Unseen Japan: magical land of many worlds

    UNSEEN JAPAN | The Secret and Incredible Places in Japan | Travel Video
    World Travel Doc(World Travel Doc) May 16, 2026: This documentary is a guide through the most extraordinary places in Japan, perfect for planning a trip. Discover wonderful Buddhist Japan through spectacular images and fascinating stories for an unforgettable journey through unseen places that will leave viewers breathless.

    I think it's very wabi-sabi. Good work!
    01:48 - Yakushima. 04:20 - Ishigaki and Yaeyama Islands. 07:09 - Shirakawa'go. 09:46 - Koyasan. 12:44 - Ise. 15:29 - Hakone. 18:15 - Nikko. 20:59 - Kanazawa. 23:42 - Takayama. 26:37 - Japanese Alps/Nagano. 29:28 - Mount Fuji. 33:14 - Kamakura. 36:12 - Yokohama. 39:03 - Tokyo. 43:12 - Kyoto. 47:09 - Arashiyama. 49:54 - Outro – Japan Beyond the Postcard.

    Is this "hardcore" enough for you, American Zen Priest Brad Warner, the punk-monk?
    Posted by at No comments:
    Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

    There really are underground worlds

    Iron Age European tunnels built 7,300 years ago in Austria (© DEA/M. Santini/Getty Images)

    Archeologists found 1,000 feet of tunnels hiding an entire underground world

    In this story:
    • African Egyptians built more 25,000 years ago?
      Research into ancient Austrian salt mines reveals an extensive Iron Age tunnel complex and evidence of mining from as long as 7,300 years ago.
    • Archeologists uncovered nearly 1,000 feet of mining tunnels through the mountains at Hallstatt.
    • Finds from within the mining chambers show history of the site and the evolution of tool usage.
    • VIDEO: Hidden world beneath city just discovered
    (Popular Mechanics) Nearly 1,000 feet of ancient salt mining tunnels and chambers in the mountains near Hallstatt, Austria, have revealed a remarkably extensive mining history from the Iron Age. But the mountain’s history of salt mining goes back even further—7,300 years to be exact.

    Ancient Turks made an underworld in Türkiye.
    Archeologists have the ancient tools to prove it. As the Natural History Museum in Vienna continues to open a window into the salt mining history of the site, newly discovered mining chambers tell the story of how ancient inhabitants tracked salt deposits through the mountains, digging deeper with each hopeful find.

    “These impressively demonstrate how salt mining has driven innovations in technology, organization, and transport since prehistoric times, playing a pivotal role in Hallstatt’s development into one of Europe’s oldest industrial centers,” the museum wrote in a statement.

    “The exceptionally well-preserved finds from the salt mine provide valuable insights into the economic practices and lifestyles of past societies.”

    Experts believe that when Neolithic inhabitants settled in the area above Hallstatt 7,300 years ago, they began mining salt almost immediately. Salt production hit an all-time high around 1200 B.C.E. [before the common era], in the late Bronze Age, with daily totals soaring to 1.5 tons of salt extracted from the mountain.
    It’s the extensiveness of the mining chambers and the clues left behind inside them that help illuminate that history. Archaeologists discovered not just a single massive mining cavern, but a series of tunnels and chambers, some running in parallel directly over and under others, progressively dipping deeper into the mountain.

    Geological drilling helped reveal additional tunnels that were previously unknown. According to a report by Austria Press Agency (APA) published by Salzburger Nachrichten, experts say the chambers reached widths up to 80 feet and heights of 65 feet.

    .
    The chambers traced salt deposits, showing how ancient miners chased the [edible rock and] valuable mineral deep into the mountains. Throughout the centuries, intense landslides caused major disruptions in salt production. “But mining went on and on,” Daniel Brandner, head of underground excavations from the museum’s prehistoric department, told APA.

    “It was a very resilient community that provided salt again in a few years after these landslides.” Excavating the chamber floors—where mining debris and sediment have accumulated into a layer nearly 30 feet thick in places—turned up broken tools hafted in several different ways.

    Iron Age mining implements are typically standardized and purpose-built, so the variety suggests that uniformity gave way to experimentation as the period went on. The site’s Neolithic beginnings are documented separately, by antler and stone picks recovered elsewhere in the mountain.

    Some underworlds below us built themselves
    Additional artifacts include burnt pine splinters, clothing fragments, wooden bowls with food residue, and even human waste.

    The very salt mined in the mountains helped preserve the artifacts. With a bounty of finds peppering the 1,000 feet of chambers, archaeologists hope to continue searching the mountain for additional evidence of chambers in the mining network while analyzing the finds to create a better picture of prehistoric and ancient mining near Hallstatt.
    Posted by at No comments:
    Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

    Alien Human War: deep underground bases


    Alien-Human War: secret Deep Underground Military Bases (Phil Schneider lecture)
    EpicClipNation(EpicClipNation) This video opens with an auditorium filled with people eager to hear the words of Phil Schneider, a former U.S. government engineer and geologist.

    He has become a legend in the world of forbidden topics because of his daring to reveal secrets, whistleblowing as a worker on top-secret projects for the U.S. government.

    As he takes the stage, he begins to speak in a soft, measured tone, recounting his personal experiences working on black budget projects such as the construction of DUMBs (deep underground military bases) and the development of advanced U.S. military technologies derived by reverse-engineering alien technology.

    Schneider speaks of personal encounters with dangerous ETs (extraterrestrial beings) and secret government cover ups. His words are punctuated by occasional gasps and murmurs of amazement from the audience.

    Schneider's revelations are harrowing as he describes the dangers and risks of working on top-secret (and beyond top-secret) projects.

    He speaks of underground explosions that nearly killed him and of the intense pressure to keep his government work secret from the general American public.

    Throughout the lecture, the video cuts between shots of Schneider and the audience, capturing their reactions to his amazing words. Some are clearly skeptical, while others hang on every word, nodding in agreement, muttering affirmations.

    As the lecture draws to a close, Schneider's tone becomes more urgent, as he implores the audience to take his words seriously and to spread the truth about what's really going on behind the scenes.
    • [NOTE: Washington, D.C. is a front; there's more power and decision-making in the Pentagon and in the offices of the NSA, NSC, Shin Bet, Mossad, and CIA Headquarters.]
    The video ends with thunderous applause from the audience, which rises to its feet to show appreciation for Schneider's bravery in delivering this message.

    HASHTAGS: #PhilSchneider #conspiracytheories #governmentsecrets #undergroundbases #extraterrestrialbeings #alientechnology #militarytechnology #vimanas #dieglocke #timetravel #antigravity #cover-up #UFOsightings #deepstate #newworldorder #blackbudget #whistleblower #unexplainedphenomena #alternativehistory #hiddentruths #DUMBs #underground #militaryindustrialcomplex #militarybases
    Posted by at No comments:
    Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
    Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)