The breath is the very essence of life,
as we take in 20,000 breaths each day,
fueling our bodies with the energy we need to thrive.
Discover the power of conscious breathing
with the Nishino Breathing Method
– a groundbreaking approach that activates all the cells in your body,
promoting greater health, inner peace, and vitality.
By harnessing the energy of your breath,
you can transform your own life and ultimately create a better world for all.
What is the Nishino Breathing Method®?
The Basic Concepts of
the Nishino Breathing Method
How to Practice
the Nishino Breathing Method
■ Sokushin Breathing
"Sokushin Breathing" is a unique breathing technique in the Nishino Breathing Method, in which one inhales through the nose with the image of taking in energy from the soles of the feet (sokushin) and exhales through the mouth with the image of releasing energy from the soles of the feet, while consciously circulating the breath throughout the whole body.
■ Karin (Axis Rotation Exercise)
Karin is a preparatory exercise for the Nishino Breathing Method. It helps loosen up the body and create an ideal physical condition called 'Chūyū' (which literally means 'playing in the universe'), thereby enhancing the benefits of the Method.
1. Stand with the entire body relaxed, feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. Breathing out, gently swing to the left and right, rotating around the axis of the spine. Move from the Tanden or lower abdomen region. Let the arms, which are relaxed and loose, wrap around the body as a natural result of rotating the trunk.
2. Continuing to rotate left and right, let one arm wrap around the shoulder while the other arm wraps around your hip.
3. Maintain the same swinging motion. Turn your body to the left and the right, look at the heel of the farthest leg. Arms wrap naturally around your body. The swing to the right and then left is one set. Repeat each set about thirty times. Karin is practiced with normal inhaling and exhaling.
■ Basic Sokushin Breathing
This is one of the very basic breathing exercises in the Nishino Breathing Method. It is done with a childlike spirit of innocence, free and unencumbered under the open sky. With regular practice, it is possible to improve blood circulation, as well as enhance energy and stamina.
1. Release all tension from the body and stand, knees relaxed, with the feet shoulder-width apart.
2. While exhaling from your mouth with your attention down toward the soles of the feet, slowly bring the upper body forward.
3. As you inhale from your nose, visualize your breath coming upward from the soles of your feet, gradually bring your arms forward and up. Lift both arms until they come above your head and bring the breath to Hyakue (the crown of your head).
4. Then hold the breath down to your Tanden (lower abdomen). Bring both arms down, extending them wide on either side at shoulder level.
5. Slowly lower your arms to your sides as you exhale from your mouth and return to the original starting position. If you repeat, continue to bring the upper body forward to the position of 2.
■ Taiki
Taiki is a practice that enhances Ki-energy by working in pairs. In our classroom at the Headquarters, we do about an hour of basic breathing training followed by an hour of Taiki. Taiki literally means the exchange of Ki-energy. A student and an instructor work in pairs to exchange Ki-energy by placing the backs of their hands together. Through their hands, one transmits their entire body's Ki to the other person.
Note: Practicing Taiki requires a lot of training. Due to the risk of injury, we recommend that you practice Taiki under the supervision of certified instructors accredited by the Nishino Method Headquarters or its certified organizations.
Scientific Viewpoints
The Nishino Breathing Methods is
the World of Sensing and Enjoying your “DeepBody”
Toshihiro Nukiwa, M.D., Ph.D. / Professor Emeritus, Tohoku University
What is the Nishino Breathing Methods?
I have been practicing Nishino Breathing Methods (NBM) as a physician for over 30 years.As a physician, I am in the position of a professional regarding the body. From that standpoint, I must be able to explain the phenomenon of the NBM called "Taiki." To explain means to be able to use the "common language” of Western medicine. In the past I have said that I feel a "profoundly unknown body" or "Archetype" inside when I practice the NBM “Taiki”. I now know what it is.
Read More +
In the late 20th century, medicine began to understand molecular biology. Molecular biology is said to be the study of DNA, but it is actually the study of understanding the language of "Cells”. The language of the invisible cells needs to be translated into the medicine of the visible body. This is actually “Translational Medicine”.
Since the early 2020, Japan is suffering from the corona pandemic. However, I happened to notice that the TV program "Trunk Exercise" for supporting the people’s stay home under Corona disaster, is very similar to the NBM basic exercises. I searched the latest research on body trunk and discovered the principal mechanism of the NBM "Taiki" phenomenon. The trunk is the motor structure of the locomotion (the oldest one is the undulation of lamprey), which is an origin of the forward locomotion system in the evolution of vertebra. This neural mechanism is indeed the “DeepBody” inside (“Deep” means anatomical location as well as evolutional, some 500 million years). For more information, see the following URL: https://kokyurinsho.com/focus/e00095-3-1/).
This DeepBody is identified through the research in molecular biology of the spinal cord in the 21st century. How can we access this DeepBody? That is the Sokushinkokyu (Body awareness while breathing) and the Karin (Body rotation & reactivation while breathing), which are initially hard to understand immediately after starting the NBM practice. Then, in the practice of Taiki (Body trunk mutual signaling while breathing), we actually sense the mutual DeepBody and activate each other. Breathing is deeply linked to the trunk mechanism (i.e., Locomotion CPGs (central pattern generators)).
The NBM is truly “Translational medicine”
This DeepBody is used to be the world of Oriental martial arts. The great achievement of Master Kozo Nishino is that he has opened up this body work to the general public as breathing methods and has paved the way for everyone to actually feel, enjoy, and deepen the world of DeepBody. In this sense the NBM is “Translational Medicine” (“Translational” means from Oriental tradition into modern Western science. It is also from fundamental neural mechanism into breathing and energetic wild body)
As a doctor, I will make every effort in the rest of my life to spread this "DeepBody," which can now be understood in a common language, to medical practitioners around the world, so that the world's eight billion people can enjoy the DeepBody. The science of the unknown of DeepBody is still expanding (e.g., the partner's body reacts without touching).
Now things are getting interesting! Let's all enjoy DeepBody with NBM.
Biography: Toshihiro Nukiwa, M.D. Ph.D.. (Red letters: personal history in the NBM)
Born in 1947 in Tatsuno, Hyogo, Japan (Age, 75)
Education:
1967 - 1973 M.D., Tokyo University, Tokyo, Japan
1974 - 1976 Graduate Course, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
Chronology of Employment:
1976 - Residency of Internal Medicine, Tokyo University Hospital
1978 - Senior residency of Respiratory Medicine, Jichi Medical University
1981 - Lecturer, Respiratory Medicine, Jichi Medical University
1983 - Visiting Associate, Pulmonary Branch, NHLBI, NIH, USA
1988 - Associate Professor, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Juntendo University
(1989 - Joined the Nishino Breathing Method in Shibuya, Tokyo)
(1990 - Approved as a sub-instructor for Taiki training of the Nishino Breathing Method)
1993 - Professor, Respiratory Oncology and Molecular Medicine, IDAC, Tohoku University.
(1993 - Launched the NBM Sendai in the campus of Tohoku Univ, Department Medicine)
2007 - Professor, Respiratory Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University
2011 - Professor Emeritus, Tohoku University
2012 - Medical Commissioner, the South Miyagi Medical Center, Japan
2014 - Executive Director, Japan Anti-tuberculosis Association, Tokyo, Japan
(2017 - Certificate of International instructor of the basics of the Nishino Breathing Method by Master Kozo Nishino)
2017 - Director, the Elderly Care Institute, Sakura, Osaki, Japan
(2017 - 19; International NBM Instruction in Munich and Zurich, 3 times)
(2019 - Launched the NBM Sendai in the Kahoku-TBC culture center at the Sendai station)
Honors:
1992 - The Kumagai Award of the Japanese Respiratory Society
2007 - The Harasawa Memorial Award, Asian Pacific Society of Respirology
He is an honorary member of the Japan Respiratory Society (a former board chairman, Congress President of the 47th Academic Meeting), an honorary member of the Japan Society of Internal Medicine, an honorary member of the Japan Lung Cancer Society, 2013 Congress President of Asian Pacific Society of Respirology (APSR), a former associate member of Science Council of Japan, a member of the Committee of Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED), and an Official International Senior Instructor of Nishino Breathing Methods.
Publications:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=nukiwa+t&sort=date
Series of Nukiwa’s Articles on Breathing in the Kokyu Rinsho (PDF)
Testimonials
The Nishino Method Headquarters has a wide range of trainees of various ages, from elementary school students to retirees at the age of 96, from Japan and other countries. Trainees from different professional fields and walks of life continue to enjoy their training for years. Here are some of the striking written testimonials from our trainees outside of Japan.
-
Timur Ucmak, M.D., Ph.D.
Lives in Zurich, Switzerland
Nishino Breathing Methods Senior Instructor
Operator, Taiki SwissThe Wondrous “Physical Now”
At the Headquarters the lessons are not teacher-but “trainees-centered”. Whoever wants to learn can learn. If you are facing overthinking, come here straight to practice. See how easy and instant it is to get out of an overthinking mind and right into a physical reality -I would say: the wondrous “physical now”.
Read more+The first time when I started to practice NBM (Nishino Breathing Methods) was 23 years ago. My father-in-law - he himself a long-term attendee of NBM Juku and a Tai Chi Chuan master - used to teach me the basic exercises. Back then I started to get a glimpse of how powerful those exercises were. After 20 minutes of Sokushin breathing and Karin I was totally relaxed and at the same time completely energized.
Definitely I wanted to learn more: a couple years later I began to travel regularly to Tokyo to attend the NBM classes. As a young medical student my rational and scientific understanding was challenged in many ways, because what I saw and experienced at the Nishinojuku (Nishino School) was absolutely amazing.
Just within one lesson (breathing, turning around ones axis and through Taiki) every attendee had an instant access to an invisible power - which was vitalizing the whole body and freed the mind of its overactive boundaries. These positive effects - so quick and so strong - were and still are truly the trademark of this wonderful method.
There are not enough words to express my gratitude towards Nishino Sensei (Master Kozo Nishino). I believe he changed the lives of thousands and thousands of people. As a Nishino method student and as a medical doctor I can say: I am sure everybody who gets in touch with the Nishino Method will see its positive and powerful impact on one's mental and physical health. And not enough to mention it again and again: the NBM makes me happy. Thank you, Nishino Sensei and all the instructors who are diligently teaching this method.
-After attending the Headquarters’ training in February 2023-
I experienced the new way of teaching at the Nishino Headquarters: on the one hand the lessons are completely rooted on the well-known basics of the Nishino Breathing Methods developed by Nishino Sensei. And on the other hand - and that is outstanding - the instructions are much more in detail. In every single journey to Japan (approximately around 30 times until now) I was looking for that, finally it is accessible to everyone.
And that makes the practice much more effective and joyful. Formerly it took a week to acclimate and to get the body into a deep relaxation. But at the Headquarters now I was able to get that intense sense from Day 1. There are so many new exercises of non-verbal communication (Taiki). I think that accelerates the experience immensely.
At the Headquarters the lessons are not teacher- but “trainees-centered”. Whoever wants to learn can learn. The transparency of teaching is something that is not measurable in value. Normally, in most traditional practices, the teachers keep many things secret.
Long story short: here the attendee can experience an open and generous way of transmission of knowledge which stands for: “There are no secrets!”. Every practitioner or seeker of “internal arts (any kind of exercise which deals with internal power or Ki)” will find a very high quality of teaching here.
Also, there are so many teachings dealing with quieting the mind. If you are facing overthinking, come here straight to practice. See how easy and instant it is to get out of an overthinking mind and right into a physical reality - I would say: the wondrous “physical now”.
-
Zeev Golan
President, Golan Architects
President, Golan Consultants
Lives in Kfar Yona, Israel with his wife RonitMy personal experience with the Nishino respiration method
In 2015, my life took an incredible turn, after my encounter with Master Nishino, and with his help, I got to know the breathing method he developed. During the weeks I spent in Tokyo, I came to the institute every day and made sure to stay for a couple of classes every day.
Read more+When I returned to Israel, I began to practice on my own what I learned in Japan. Without a doubt, the ability to disconnect thoughts from the daily unpleasantness flying around us, to isolate external sounds, listening to the body, the breath, directing and focusing the thought in the flow of energy from the earth to the body from the body back to the earth, helps me a lot to start another work day when my thoughts are clear, and the body feels lighter.
Many people were interested in what I did in Japan, what method I speak of so much. I thought about it a lot and finally came up with a personal idea: the breathing method teaches me to use the body and its respiratory systems more properly and feel connected to the world that surrounds us.
For a better understanding of the method, I made sure to purchase many books by Nishino. And although they are written in Japanese, I spend hours translating the pages and trying to better understand the wonderful method I learned.
Kozo Nishino
Founder
The Nishino Breathing Method
Biography of Kozo Nishino
Kozo Nishino (1926 – 2021) was born in Osaka, Japan. While studying at the Osaka City University Faculty of Medicine, he was inspired by the great accomplishments of the famous ballet producer Sergei Diaghilev, and joined the Takarazuka Musical Dance Revue, soon becoming the resident ballet instructor and dance choreographer. In 1951, Nishino enrolled in the Metropolitan Opera Ballet School in New York.
After returning to Japan, he established the Nishino Ballet Troupe in 1954, and produced famous prima dancers. After embarking on a career that encompassed choreography as well as T.V. and stage productions, he created a string of a great hits by producing and directing many T.V. shows.
He learned Aikido from Kisshomaru Uesiba Doshu (son of the Aikido Founder) and trained in Kung Fu under Master Kenichi Sawai. He attained the highest rank "Shihan"(Master) in both Aikido and Kung Fu. Through his mastery of the sciences of life - "medicine", of the arts of the body - "ballet", and from his acquisition of advanced interactive senses - "martial arts", he originated and developed the way to cultivate life energy, The Nishino Breathing Method.
Publications
(Books in Foreign Languages only)
THE BREATH OF LIFE
Nishino, Kozo. The Breath of Life, Using the Power of Ki for Maximum Vitality. Japan: Kodansha International Ltd., 1997 ISBN 4-7700-2022-8
LE SOUFFLE DE VIE
Nishino, Kozo. Le Souffle de Vie, Utiliser le Pouroir du Ki. Paris, France: Guy Tredaniel Editeur, 1998 ISBN 2-84445-027-x
IL RESPIRO DELLA VITA
Nishino, Kozo. Il Respiro Della Vita, La massima vitalita dalla forza del Ki, Esercizi di Respirazione facili, effieaci, completamente illustrati. Roma, Italy: Edizioni Mediterranee, Via Flaminia 1999 ISBN 88-272-1256-6
Overseas Certified Organizations
Zurich, Switzerland Taiki Swiss
Taiki Swiss
Eichstrasse 2, 8620 Wetzikon ZH
Zurich, Switzerland
Contact person: Timur Ucmak, M.D., Ph.D.
Email: tucmak@me.com
Geneva, Switzerland Headquarters of the United Nations in Europe
Palais des Nations,
Batiment E - Rez-de-chaussee, Porte A15 , Ascenseur 29 ,
Gym Room E.47 Taus les mercredis, de 17h a 18h
14 Avenue de la Paix, 1211 Genève, Suisse
Official website: https://kijaponais.ch/
Contact person: Hiroshi Nakajima
Enrollment/Experience
Training Courses
■Regular Course for all trainees
- Group Lessons:
-
Sokushin Breathing exercises (1 hour)
Taiki Ki-Energy enhancing practice in pairs (1 hour)
The total training duration is 2hours. Sokushin Breathing exercises are being practiced in Japanese. English-speaking instructors briefly explain how to practice before and after the class.
Regular Class Schedule
| MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT | SUN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class A | - | - | 10:00 | - | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Class B | 14:00 | 14:00 | 14:00 | - | 14:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 |
| Class C | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | - | 18:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 |
Monthly Membership Fees
- Membership Registration Fee
- 10,000 yen(11,000 yen including tax)
- Monthly Membership Fee
-
20,000 yen for 4 lessons(22,000 yen including tax)
30,000 yen for 8 lessons(33,000 yen including tax)
40,000 yen for 12lessons(44,000 yen including tax)
※ Additional fees will be charged for every 4 lessons.
※ If you add only one lesson, the additional fee is 5,000 yen (5,500 yen including tax).
■Intensive Course for Overseas Visitors
-
Private/Semi-Private (up to 2 persons) lessons with English-speaking Senior Instructors
Fees: 10,000 yen(11,000 yen including tax)per person for each lesson. -
Small Group Lessons(3~5persons) with English-speaking Senior Instructors
Fees:7,000 yen(7,700 yen including tax) per person for each lesson. - Group Lessons(the same system as the Regular Course)
For the above three programs, there are two courses: Beginner Course(12 lessons or more) and Intermediate Course(12 lessons or more).
■Certified Instructor Training Course
Are you interested in teaching the Nishino Breathing Method in your local area or country? We offer training to become a Certified Instructor of the Nishino Method. To be qualified as a Certified Instructor candidate, the trainees must complete the Beginner and Intermediate Courses. Then, the trainees are required to practice by themselves or attending the Regular Course for a couple of years (depending on the individual trainee).
An organization operated by a Certified Instructor can join the network of Certified Organizations under the Nishino Method Headquarters.
For more information, please contact the Headquarters.
Visits/Trials
You can visit our headquarters to observe a lesson. Not only will you be able to experience the atmosphere of our facility firsthand,but our staff will also provide detailed explanations to alleviate any anxiety you may have. If you're unsure about joining, please feel free to visit us first.
We offer free visits for observing a class for the first 30 minutes. It is also possible to experience a 2-hour lesson, which is paid. The price is 5,000 yen(5,500 yen including tax).
Reservations are necessary for visits and trial lessons. Please contact us at info@nishinomethod.com to make a reservation.
Contact for Inquires or Reservations for Visits/Trials
Note:
Please wear comfortable clothing. You will practice barefoot in a matted room.
If you enroll immediately after your trial on the same day, 5,500 yen will be deducted from the monthly membership fee.
Access
-
The Nishino Method Headquarters
1-15-8, Miyamasu O.N Building 4F
Shibuya-ku, Shibuya, 150-0002 Japan
Tel：81-3-6433-5953 Fax：81-3-6433-5954
Email：info@nishinomethod.com
Official Japanese Website：https://www.nishinojuku.com/
Official English Website：https://nishinojuku.com/en/
3 minutes’ walk from JR Shibuya Station
2minutes’ walk from the B1 or B3 subway exits
1 minute walk from the 20B subway exit (elevator)