YAMABUSHI RESET TRAINING

Three-day program on Mt. Haguro incorporating core elements of yamabushi training and Zen Buddhism with more modern methods of reflection focused on a spiritual reset of body and mind.

The Program

For the ancestors, times of strife called for a trip to the mountains. The Dewa Sanzan are known as a place of rebirth, and being in the three mountains provided a way to reassess the situation, reflect, and reset. If recent years are anything to go by, now is the time for many of us to enter the mountains. By taking the core elements of yamabushi training, and combining them with more modern methods of reflection, the Yamabushi Reset Program aims to provide the opportunity for a spiritual reset of body and mind.

Featuring sessions in a Japanese Zen temple, a stay in an authentic Shukubo pilgrim’s lodge, a stay in Shinto Shrine accommodation, night walks, Shinto-style meditation, yamabushi guided reflection sessions, and a yamabushi guided hike up the Dewa Sanzan’s Mt. Haguro, the Yamabushi Reset Program is jam packed with opportunities for a spiritual reset.

The Yamabushi Reset Program is a completely customized experience which we will organize for you individually, as a couple, or a small group of friends.

Day 1: Disconnection

Day 1 is all about disconnection and includes activities in a Zen temple, a fire ritual of purification, and yamabushi-style meditation at a secret shrine, topped off with a stay in a yamabushi-run Shukubo pilgrim’s lodge with Dewa Sanzan Shojin Ryori (ascetic cuisine) dinner.

Day 2: Liminality

Day 2 is all about liminality. After a hearty breakfast, we will head up Mt. Haguro under the guidance of a yamabushi. We will pay our respects at important locations along the way and hear lessons of the yamabushi that we can incorporate into our lives. Once at the summit, we will undertake official shrine worship, and have a quiet afternoon of reflection over a selection of locally-sourced tea and snacks. The climax of day two is the evening prayer session that includes Shinto-style meditation, a night walk, and other yamabushi-based activities near our accommodation in Saikan.

Day 3: Reconnection

On day 3 we wake up early to partake in a shrine ritual dedicated to the kami, and have a breakfast of Dewa Sanzan Shojin Ryori. Before making our descent down Mt. Haguro, we will explore the kitchens and storehouses of Saikan, one of the main providers of Dewa Sanzan Shojin Ryori. The descent down Mt. Haguro then begins, however we will be taking a special way down the mountain visiting special yamabushi-related spots we couldn’t visit on day two. Lastly, we will complete the program with a prayer session at Daishinbo pilgrim’s lodge, and have a Naorai meal to celebrate a successful Reset Program.

LOCATION

MT. HAGURO

Mt. Haguro represents the world of the present where the troubles of the current day are overcome. With its stone stairway and Five Story Pagoda situated amongst the hundreds of towering cedar trees and Japan’s thickest thatched roof at Sanjingosaiden Shrine, the lowest-lying Mt. Haguro is the perfect initiation into the world of the Dewa Sanzan.

Dates

There are no set dates for the Yamabushi Reset Program, it is a completely customized experience which we will organize for you as a couple, or a small group of friends. Contact us for more information.

MASTER HAYASAKA

Born and raised at the foot of Mount Haguro, Master Hayasaka is the 17th generation proprietor of Daishinbo Pilgrimage Lodge. After attending university in Tokyo, he moved to Sendai for work. At 29, he returned to Mount Haguro and became a Yamabushi, in order to carry on the family business. His hobbies are intertwined with the mountains, including hiking, skiing, and foraging for mountain vegetables. Until his father’s generation, Daishinbo was one of only two lodges which facilitated the Fuyunomine Winter Peak Ritual, one of the most intense ascetic traditions in these mountains.

MEALS

Meals during the Yamabushi Reset Program are Shojin Ryori (ascetic cuisine) provided at Gyokusenji, Daishinbo, and Saikan located at the top of Mt. Haguro. There will also be other locally sourced teas and snacks available throughout.

Dewa Sanzan Shojin Ryori (ascetic cuisine)

GALLERY

The gardens of Gyokusenji Temple on Mt. Haguro

The gates to Gyokusenji Temple at the base of Mt. Haguro

Enjoying Tea Ceremony in the gardens of Gyokusenji Temple

Tea Ceremony at Gyokusenji Temple on Mt. Haguro

The halls and gardens of Gyokusenji Temple on Mt. Haguro

Daishinbo Pilgrim Lodge on Mt. Haguro is run by the Hayasaka family

The main altar at Daishinbo Pilgrim Lodge

The Zuishinmon gates at the entrance to Mt. Haguro

The entrance to Saikan at the top of Mt. Haguro

Dewa Sanzan Shrine at the top of Mt. Haguro

A Jizo statue in the grounds of Gyokusenji Temple on Mt. Haguro

OTHER PROGRAMS

MASTERS SHUGYO

Weeklong experience that takes place on all three of the Dewa Sanzan: Mt. Haguro, Mt. Gassan, and Mt.Yudono. Includes waterfall meditation. Only limited places available.

BASIC SHUGYO

The Yamabushido Basic Shugyo is a five-day Yamabushi experience under the direction of a certified Yamabushi master. This program has less physical demand than the Masters Yamabushi Training Program, yet maintains the core rituals including waterfall meditation and is just as intense, making it the perfect initiation into the world of the Yamabushi.

WINTER RESET TRAINING

The Yamabushi Winter Reflection is a three-day experience during the snowy winter months that is perfect for reflecting on the year that was, and preparing for the year ahead.

THREE PEAKS RESET TRAINING

Ultimate personalised journey of discovery under the guidance of yamabushi and Zen masters on all three of the sacred Dewa Sanzan mountains.

Options and customized experiences are also available.

YAMABUSHI RESET TRAINING