On our Week 2 Reunion call, so many of us were moved by Yuka's sharing -- and luckily, she has agreed to engage in a follow-up Q&A (at a time that is more convenient for the Japan timezone!) for those of us who are curious about her work and approach.

PERSONAL CONTEXT: All throughout this life, I have heard tales of humans overtaken by spirit in the wake of religious teachings or miraculous moments. Up until Byakko Shinko Kai, I was quite skeptical that these happenings were real. Imagine my surprise when on Day 12, the words in our prompt and the words on the BSK website filled my upper body with tingling energy. Imagine my deeper surprise when I found myself uncontrollably weeping throughout the entire duration of Yuka’s time on our call. I’m no longer skeptical about humans overtaken by spirit. In the wake of this experience, I am deeply curious about how I can bring the spirit and practices of Byakko to my small mountain town, to my smaller community living in that town, and to myself.

YUKA'S BACKGROUND:  While Yuka is currently the Deputy Chairperson of Byakko, she has been called to prayer from a *very* young age. Growing up, her mom would give her a clicker whose counter she could advance everytime she prayed for someone else, mostly strangers. It was no surprise that when she addressed the United Nations general assembly after the 2011 Tsunami, she not only got a standing ovation but moved everyone to tears. Today, she is a mother of two, finds her deepest satisfaction in small acts of service, and practices blooming where she is planted. 

In simple terms, she often explains profound concepts:

I like the metaphor of an Avocado. Sometimes we see ourselves as our shell -- our name, our occupation, our nationalities, our family background and history. And sometimes we can get a glimpse into the fruit inside the shell -- our thoughts, emotions, feelings. When are really quiet, though, we connect with something even subtler -- the important part of who we are, our core,  the seed. The seed that is connected to the source. The seed that is open to infinite possibilities, that is just awaiting the energy of life. Nurturing the seed is so important because it connects us to our source, to that divine spark within us.

Below is the kind of "larger than life" prayer mandalas that her community creates:

And a visual of big-hearted everyday heroes who come out to pray for World Peace, no matter what the weather.

Join us for an emergent conversation about the heart of prayer from someone who has (as her family says) has been praying before she could even learn to speak. Simply RSVP below and as there is a quorum, you'll be emailed the details.