Short Story
Sahaja is from Japan.
She studied Communication and Journalism in the University of Tokyo and Tokyo woman’s University. After that she studied social work with a special focus on people with cognitive disabilities. She worked as social worker in psychiatric hospital in Tokyo.
After her spiritual quest in India, she has lived in the Netherlands since 2000.
She first encountered 5 Rhythms in Amsterdam and has been dancing and experiencing spiritual mysteries in many countries in Europe, Asia and North America . She completed 5 Rhythms teacher training with Gabrielle
Roth (2004-2005) and is the first Japanese qualified teacher.
Her passion for dance led to dance with Vinn Marti (Soul Motion) in USA and she completed the Soul Motion teacher training (2007-2009). Susannah and Ya’acov in UK (Movement Medicine) and Susan Harper ( Continuum ) keeps inspiring her. She is teaching dance in the Netherlands, other European countries and Japan. And she loves it !
She also loves travelling around the world. In recent years, she has visited Hawaii annually and gets inspired by wonderful people and nature and spirituality in Hawaii.
Long story
Sahaja is born and grew up in Tokyo.
Sahaja has loved to dance since she was very young, started to dance Hawaiian Hula & ballet when she was 4 years old. When she was around 10 years old, she fell in love with western pop music (especially Madonna !) and started to discover the power and mystery of the dance. By dancing freely and fully was emotions inside including sadness, confusion, frustration, unspoken longing, full range of emotion in puberty, she was able to transform these emotions into joy and tenderness and created a new space inside her heart, as if it connects something bigger, holy and sacred.
She lost sight of her true self when she felt pressured by all the competition and academic stress of Japanese society and studied so hard to adjust what required from outside. She studied communication, journalism, woman’s study in University of Tokyo and Tokyo Woman’s university (graduated both in 1997) In the middle of the job hunting time, she started to ask herself why I am alive now and what the meaning of life, what the true happiness ??? So she left this way of life which felt all the pressure from the outside and started to seek and listen the heart longing from within. She started traveling by herself around the world including places where no electricity and no gas. (in village of Fiji and Nepal. )
Then she decided to study and work as social worker in psychiatric hospital in Tokyo where she leaned so much about the heart and soul of people.
Then she went to India for spiritual quest and life brought her to live in the Netherlands. By living in the Netherlands more than 9 years, she learned so much about the difference between Japanese and western life.
In Amsterdam, she met Mati (Dutch 5 Rhythms teacher) and fell in love with 5 Rhythms and felt ” This is what I want and this is what I have been looking for ! ” Since then she has traveled many European countries and North America to dance and to experience spiritual mystery. To dance with Gabrielle Roth (5 Rhythms ) has been an amazing gift and blessing. Susannah and Ya’acov ( Movement medicine ) in UK have been her wonderful teachers who inspired her a lot. She completed 5 Rhythms teacher training (2004-2005) and is the first qualified Japanese teacher.
When she was in the transition of life and had a hard time, she was blessed to meet Vinn Marti ( Soul Motion ) at Esalen in California. Soul Motion encouraged Sahaja to trust in Miracles of Life. She completed Soul Motion teacher training in USA (2007-2009). Also Susan Harper ( Continuum ) is now her favorite teacher and has inspired her life so deeply.
She loves travelling and in recent years, she visits Hawaii annually andcontinues to be inspired by the mystery and unexpected miracles there.
She has been teaching Dance in the Netherlands and other European countries. Through teaching, dancers give her so much inspiration and support to create her own unique style of teaching dance. Her passion and love for dance now has spread in Japan.