Nanami (from madocaproject) and Mami, who certified together as mindfulness meditation instructors, hosted a half-day retreat in Zushi, Kanagawa!
This was a donation-based event, with all profits (after expenses) going to support relief efforts for the Chiba flood disaster in August and September 2026. Thanks to everyone's kindness, we were able to donate 3,819 yen.
Our main venue was Kuromon Culture Club, a cozy rental space right near Zushi Beach. We also headed out to the beach itself for some of our practices.
The hidden theme for the day was “Connection.” We experienced six different types of mindfulness together:
1. Breathing Meditation (Basic Meditation)
2. Mindful Walking
3. Sound-Focus Meditation
4. Loving-Kindness Meditation
5. Mindful Eating
6. Mindful Listening & Sharing
It was all about using the breath to come back to “here and now” and check in with ourselves. Walking on the sand, listening to the ocean, feeling warm compassion into the world… Tuning into the present moment helped us feel connected to nature, to others, and to everything around us. We also took the time to mindfully listen to one another.
This was the very first event for Mami and Nanami to plan from scratch. Thanks to a welcoming space, wonderful guests, and beautifully bright autumn weather, our hearts were just overflowing with gratitude.
Here are a few gentle words shared by our participants:
“Whenever I tried meditating on my own with books, I found it tricky. Having instructors guide us made it so much easier to stay focused.”
“Usually, even when I come to the beach, I’m always in busy to move around. Having a chance to just 'be' and do nothing is so rare in everyday life—it felt like a real luxury.”
“In the loving-kindness meditation, starting with kindness toward myself gave me permission to think, 'Oh, it’s okay to care for myself first!'”
“I often listen to ocean soundscapes when I meditate at home, but nothing beats the real thing. It felt so good.”
We even heard from people saying, “I couldn’t make it this time, but I’d love to come to the next one!”
Because of that, we’re already looking into holding our next mindfulness retreat this coming February. We’ll share all the details here as soon as they’re set!
For our mindful eating practice, we served special muffins from local favorite Beach Muffin!