Awaji Island’s hidden gem — wellness and healing at Zenbo Seinei
Find your inner tranquility with a harmonious retreat amidst the splendour of natural beauty.
Words: Grayson Hale
For an experience that promised a peaceful escape from the stresses of everyday life, it was hard not to be instantly captivated by the gentle sunlight streaming through the windows, the soothing aroma of natural wood, and the exquisite taste of tea that greeted me upon my arrival at Zenbo Seinei. Nestled on the picturesque Awaji Island, between Honshu and Shikoku, Zenbo Seinei offers an immediate sense of retreat from the rush of daily life filled with work responsibilities, TV screens, and buzzing phones. Struck by the calmness of my surroundings, I instinctively reached into my pocket and turned my phone off, vowing not to turn it back on for the duration of my stay.
Incorporating Zen philosophy, this retreat offers comprehensive wellness and detox programs; meditation and yoga sessions (immersed in breathtaking 360-degree views from the Zen deck), Zen experiences (including calligraphy, tea, and incense—highlighting Japan’s rich traditional culture), and meals featuring dishes made without animal products, flour, oil, or sugar (aiming to swiftly rebalance your mind and body).
While Japan’s notoriously hot summer raged on outside, within the walls of Zenbo Seinei there was only a comfortable warmth that promised to buffer all four seasons. This serene atmosphere was further enhanced by the stunning architecture of Shigeru Ban, 2014 Pritzker Prize laureate (the highest honour in architecture). His design, harmonising built environments with nature using combined Japanese wood materials, extends 100 metres into the forest without breaching the mountain ridgeline. The secondfloor Zen deck offers a space completely enveloped by nature, perfect for meditation and yoga.
Zenbo Seinei features 18 guest lodgings designed for self-reflection, each adhering to the spirit of “one tatami for sleeping, half a tatami for waking,” providing just enough space to facilitate mental organisation. The calming space, with wood-scented floors and windows that let in soft light, is complemented by room names that use Zen terms, offering guests an opportunity for introspection. My room, called 一以貫之 (ichii kanshi), translates to “consistency throughout,” a phrase attributed to Confucius.
After enjoying the welcome tea and being shown the rooms and facilities, we were invited to the Zen deck for a body posture meditation. Our instructor, Naoko Matsumoto, has been teaching posture and body use for 20 years in New York and has since opened a studio in Kyoto. Despite being the only English speaker present among the attendees, she effortlessly translated everything for me and switched between languages with ease.
Naoko is a teacher of the Alexander technique, a way of learning to move mindfully through life. After doing self-introductions and sharing what we hoped to achieve from our stay at Zenbo Seinei, she guided us through noticing areas of discomfort in our bodies, before asking us to get into groups to discuss what we had observed. This presented an ideal opportunity to break the ice with some of the other guests, of which there were about 16 in total, and it was interesting to note that we were all experiencing pain in similar areas (the shoulders and lower back). We also had the chance to reflect a little on how we felt during the meditation so far. Following this, we spent some time sitting with good posture and breathing into the areas we felt pain. Naoko came around to check on each person, lightly correcting their posture as necessary. Not long into the practice I found myself in a state of deep concentration, with the sound of cicadas buzzing in my ears.
Following our meditation and body posture practice (which also included walking with good posture to reduce pain), we were given time to enjoy some calligraphy. Each participant was provided with calligraphy paper and brushes, along with some mindful phrases to copy. As downtime in my day-to-day life is usually filled with mindlessly browsing social media or distracting myself with cat videos, it felt refreshing to allow myself to simply focus on one task for an extended period of time. The natural surroundings and peaceful atmosphere contributed to the serenity I felt, even if I only understood a small amount of what I was writing (while trying my best to remember the correct kanji stroke order!).
While the overall sense was one of ample time and relaxation, it wasn’t long before we were invited to the dining area to enjoy Zenbo cuisine. With all of the food being prepared without animal products, using completely natural ingredients and methods, it was a bit of a shock to eat food without meat or familiar seasonings. However, the stunning presentation and natural flavours made for a filling and delicious meal. I couldn’t help but wonder how eating this sort of food for an extended period would affect my mind and body.
After dinner, we headed back to the deck for a Lunar Meditation session. This session was more relaxed than the earlier one, and we were invited to lie down on yoga mats to feel all parts of our bodies in contact with the ground. The quiet of the evening, combined with the opportunity to be on our backs with our eyes closed, made for an incredibly calming practice. After the session, we had free time to do whatever we liked. On the bottom floor below the deck, there was a beautifullydesigned foot bath, where I enjoyed a few minutes soaking my lower limbs in healing water. I then headed up to the showers and cleaned up before returning to my room. Without my usual distractions, my mind began to wander, but eventually, it quietened down, and I appreciated the rare opportunity to feel beyond time, as though there were no deadlines or tasks that needed accomplishing. I drifted off to an early night’s sleep.
The next day, we were awoken at 6:30 a.m. by the ringing of a bell (we had been encouraged not to set alarms) and went up to the deck to participate in mindful cleaning. This involved wiping down the deck, chairs, and yoga mats with a damp cloth. The morning sun shone down onto the deck, but fortunately the building’s design ensured we were never exposed for too long, avoiding sunburn or excessive heat. We then had a few minutes of free time, which I used to visit the foot baths once more. A morning meditation session followed before breakfast. This Solar Body Meditation was more active than the previous sessions, focusing on stretching and energising the body for the day ahead. Many activities involved the help of a partner, so it was good to have made connections the day before. When the session ended, it felt like it was time to start preparing to leave our small refuge from the outside world. I wasn’t ready for it to come to an end.
At breakfast, Naoko asked us to share our experiences from the retreat. Many spoke about the stress of their daily lives and how refreshing it had been to step away from it for a while. It was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on our time and how it had changed us. Naoko reminded us of some of the techniques we had learned that we could take with us and bring into our regular lives to feel more at ease. After breakfast, we headed back to our rooms to pack and then it was time to say goodbye. While I was certainly looking forward to enjoying some home comforts again, I couldn’t help but feel I would have enjoyed an even longer stay (available on request, and includes even more activities, such as pottery and hiking).
Before leaving Awaji Island, there was time to stop by Farmer’s Restaurant Haru San San, which is located about 5 minutes by car from Zenbo Seinei. This quaint farmhouse restaurant has a mouth-watering menu featuring meat and fresh vegetables grown on their own farm and on Awaji Island. The appetiser was a healthy and delicious salad that brought out the flavours of the vegetables. We were also served tomato soup, which provided a warm counterpoint to the fresh and crisp flavours of the salad, and homemade bread.
For the main course, I sampled both the “seasonal vegetables and meat dish,” as well as the “fresh pasta with seasonal vegetables.” The former looked incredibly simple but was packed with complex flavours. Each vegetable had been lovingly prepared, and the famous Awaji onion was a particular standout, while the beef was cooked to perfection. The beef was paired with a sauce created by making use of vegetable scraps, which are also used in some of the desserts offered. The pasta was a Bolognese containing generous amounts of local vegetables, all of which added to the rich taste of the dish.
The meal at Haru San San was the perfect way to end our trip. As I switched my mobile device back on, I couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed to be rejoining the outside world. As nice as it is to be connected, sometimes the true connection comes from within.
