January 12, 2017 • mccsokinawa.com
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ew Year’s resolutions are a dime a dozen, if you think about it. Already, the gym and streets are full of folks acting on their fitness resolutions, and the local farmers' markets have more than likely seen an influx of customers desperate to cleanse themselves of the holiday overindulgences. Vowing to take charge of your health is always a good idea, but by about March, our good intentions turn to excuses and we slide back into old habits. Even those who chose resolutions to boost their financial health become victims of apathy over time. Yes, it would be nice to have $1,000 in an emergency fund, but JCI and road tax are coming and the kids need braces and [insert excuse here]. If we look closer, the problem is not a lack of motivation, but a deficiency in mindfulness. This year, instead of going big, keep it simple by resolving to include meditation and mindfulness in your life. To help with understanding mediation, there
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is a plethora of apps and websites available on multiple platforms to start you down the path toward calm. Many address the basic issue most have with meditation—quieting our minds— by guiding the listener through sensory checks to keep your mind focused in the now. For example, after being instructed to find a comfortable seated position, one narrative has the listener just stare at a blank space on the wall while actively cataloguing the sounds they hear. Most narratives will gently remind the listener to bring their focus back to the moment if their thoughts have run away. There is truly a minimal commitment to meditation (about 10 minutes) but the rewards are immeasurable. Do not be discouraged if you aren’t connecting right away. The act of mindfulness is a life-long pursuit, but one with the potential to trickle down into all aspects of life, and hopefully help you achieve some bigger goals. Chal-
Winter Wonderland | 3 January Art Connections | 3 Culture Corner: Hara Hachi Bu | 5 Japanese Phrase of the Week | 5
"There is truly a minimal commitment to meditation (about 10 minutes) but the rewards are immeasurable." lenge yourself to spend 10 minutes today practicing mindfulness, or check out our Pick of the Week on page 7 for information about other ways to find inner peace. Many MCCS programs also offer a variety of services to help with becoming more mindful. Try a Yoga class through Group Fitness, an Anger Management class through Behavioral Health, or even a round of golf at Taiyo Golf Course.
Pick of the Week: Zazen Meditation | 7 Typhoon Motors Free Stall Rentals | 9 Off-Base Events | 11 Semper Fit Events | 11
2 | OKINAWA LIVING WEEKLY | January 12, 2017
3 | OKINAWA LIVING WEEKLY | January 12, 2017
livingatlarge
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Winter Wonderland
ut on your pajamas and visit MCCS Libraries for Winter Wonderland! While we enjoy the mild temperatures of Okinawa, many of our friends and family stateside are shoveling their driveways and crossing fingers for a snow day. It may not be snowing here, but that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on cozy winter activities. Snuggle up for story time to hear your favorite wintry tales, and then partner up with a friend while creating a craft. Join hands and belt out your favorite freezing tunes during a sing-along session. Hot chocolate will be available to keep your spirits bright. The Children’s Program is hosting this fun event at the libraries on Camps Courtney, Foster and Kinser. Join us on Friday, January 27 from 6 to 7 p.m. for some frosty fun!
CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER | Jim Kassebaum MANAGING EDITOR | Ryan Anastoplus ART DIRECTOR | Hector Nieves CULTURAL RESEARCH SPECIALIST | Ayako Kawamitsu GRAPHIC ARTS MANAGER | Henry Ortega GRAPHIC DESIGNERS | Margie Shimabukuro, Lisa Miyagi, Catherine Newquist EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | Mike Daley WRITER/EDITORS | Ashley Snipes, Shelbie Thilmony DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER | Thomas Alan Smilie AD/SPONSORSHIP MANAGER | Roy Forster AD SALES | Yoshihiro Shinzato, Aya Chilcote, Yoriko Yamashiro, Tomoko Taylor, Carina Fils-Julien DISTRIBUTION | Kelli Kreider MARKETING ACCOUNTS MANAGER | Andrew Menges ACCOUNTS & RESEARCH | Marissa DeSmet, Ashley Herring, Kristen Wong, Katherine Melrose, Allison Dixon BROADCAST | Kathlene Millette, Gabriel Archer, Emi Komiya VOLUNTEER | Jessie McKean INTERNS | Chloé Stevens, Valeria Solorzano
Questions? Comments? Please e-mail OLW@okinawa.usmc-mccs.org.
events&happenings
From top to bottom: dolgachov/bigstock.com, BillionPhotos/bigstock.com
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January Art Connections
ome support local youth artists at the Camp Foster Library Art Connections now through January 31. Our very own talented group of youth and teens from Camps Courtney, Foster and Kinser created a wide variety of media in December, and the winning pieces are on display now. The pieces will again be judged, then winning submissions will be sent to MCAS Iwakuni for the Pacific-Wide Art Show Competition. Nine categories are on display from different age groups: Monochromatic Drawing, Watercolor, Multi-Colored Drawing, Pastel, Print Making, Mixed Media, Collage, Oil or Acrylic and Group Projects. The exhibit is part of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America National Fine Arts Program. The program aims to develop creativity and generate cultural awareness for youth during after-school hours. Camps
Courtney, Foster and Kinser each have a Youth and Teen Center that offers daily projects, games, movies and more. Go to mccsokinawa. com/libraries for more information
about the Art Connections Exhibit, or go to mccsokinawa.com/ youthandteen for more information about the MCCS Youth and Teen Center events.
To advertise in Okinawa Living Weekly, call 645-2245, fax 645-0975, or email sales@okinawa.usmc-mccs.org. MCCS is not responsible for designing and editing outside ads. No Department of Defense, U.S. Marine Corps or Marine Corps Community Services endorsement of commercial advertisers or sponsors implied.
This publication printed with
4 | OKINAWA LIVING WEEKLY | January 12, 2017
5 | OKINAWA LIVING WEEKLY | January 12, 2017
culturecorner
japanese phrase of the week
Iie kekkô desu. No thank you.
Clockwise from the top left: Dolgachov/bigstock.com, lolostock/bigstock.com
For details about FREE Japanese language classes, please call Marine & Family Programs-Resources at 645-2104/2106.
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Hara Hachi Bu
kinawan people are widely considered some of the healthiest in the world, and for good reason. Okinawans eat a diet rich in colorful foods full of antioxidants and vitamins, enjoy relaxing ocean air, and practice something known as hara hachi bu. The practice has roots in Confucianism, and indicates that followers should eat only until they are 80 percent full. As a result, Okinawans consume up to 20 percent fewer calories than Americans. The stomach has a delayed response to food; the feeling of fullness is not realized until roughly 20 minutes after food consumption. It is believed regularly eating until you feel full actually stretches the stomach, meaning you’ll need to continue eating more food than necessary to feel satiated. This type of chronic overeating can result in debilitating illnesses, such as obesity, diabetes and
heart disease. For those trying to get in shape, overeating can hinder weight loss results, even with regular exercise. If you are looking for a way to boost your fitness resolutions for 2017, consider partaking in the practice of hara hachi bu. Researchers warn that it can take time for the body to adjust to smaller portions—roughly 20 to 50 meals. Start by eating a portion half the size that you normally would, and returning to it 20 minutes later—but only if you’re still hungry. Hara hachi bu requires mindfulness and bodily awareness, so be sure to pay close attention to your stomach during meals. Any slight pressure in the abdominal area likely signifies fullness, even though your mind may be telling you to continue eating. Not only can hara hachi bu help you make healthier choices, it can give you a deeper cultural understanding of the Okinawan relationship with food.
If you have any burning questions about Japanese culture, please send them to OLW@okinawa.usmc-mccs.org.
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7 | OKINAWA LIVING WEEKLY | January 12, 2017
getting there
pickoftheweek
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Shuri Kannondo
Instruction is provided in Japanese only. Reservations are required. Each session is ¥500. Call 098-884-0565 for more information. GPS coordinates: 26°13'10.0"N 127°42'31.3"E
Zazen Meditation
s our lives get more and more overloaded with information and constant updates, a greater emphasis is placed on taking time for mindfulness. We hear accusations about how technology is making us stupid, immature and entitled, while reducing our attention span to that of a mosquito. Maybe it is true, or maybe it is just another example of nostalgia creating distaste for progress. Either way, taking a break from information and directing your attention inward eases stress, improves memory and cognition, fights depression and enhances many more aspects of brain function. A few studies suggest one will notice changes in how they feel after eight weeks of meditating just 30 minutes per day. In Japan, take advantage of practicing meditation under the instruction of a Buddhist priest at Shuri Kannondo Temple in Naha. Built in 1618 in
honor of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, Shuri Kannon-do Temple is open to anyone who wants to come and practice zazen meditation. Zazen is the primary form of meditation practiced in Zen Buddhism. The methodology for this style of meditating is to sit in silence while allowing words, thoughts, images and ideas to pass through your mind without getting involved in them. In the hour-long session,
participants focus on aligning the body, breath and mind. The process of zazen varies from school to school, but generally, it is broken up into three main parts: concentrating on breath, focusing on consciousness as an object and observing what passes through the environment and mind. Ultimately, zazen is practiced to provide insight into the nature of existence, and to practice living in the moment.
From top to bottom: PramoteBigstock/bigstock.com, Thomas Alan Smilie
photooftheweek
Yoga is another way to focus on breath and mindfulness. Check out the MCCS group fitness page to find a yoga class near you. mccsokinawa.com/groupfitness.
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more details
spotlight Typhoon Motors Free Stall Rentals
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Clockwise: Sashkin/bigstock.com, Langstrup Photography/bigstock.com
For details, visit mccsokinawa. com/typhoonmotors or call your local Typhoon Motors location.
orking on your car can get very uncomfortable, especially if you don’t have the proper tools to get the job done. Taking your car to a proper shop and using one of their stalls is obviously a better choice, but that costs money and at least a tiny bit of the reason why you’re fixing your own car is attributed to being frugal. Fear not, penny pinchers: in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Typhoon Motors on Camps Foster, Courtney and Hansen are offering FREE stall rentals on January 21 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fix your car quickly and efficiently, and your wallet will be none the wiser. At Typhoon Motors, you’ll have access to lifts and some of the best tools and equipment available, as well as advice on their proper use. And if you need spare parts, the Auto Recovery Center is a great place to find used auto parts at
some of the best prices. They also offer vehicle disposal services if you decide your car is a lost cause. This promotion is exclusive to Active
Duty Marines and Sailors. Call your nearest Typhoon Motors today for more information.
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11 | OKINAWA LIVING WEEKLY | January 12, 2017
tours+
adventure begins here Urashima Dinner Theater January 13, 5:30–9:30 p.m. Adults (with half Lobster) $68, (without lobster) $52, Children (6–12) $38, (3–5) $34 (under 3) FREE (no meal) Savor the flavors of Okinawan or American cuisine while being entertained by traditional Okinawan music and dancers. Expo Park & Aquarium January 14, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Adults $39, Children (16–17) $33, (12–15) $27 (6–11) $22, (under 6) FREE Head to Ocean Expo Park where you can visit the four-story Churaumi Aquarium, watch a FREE dolphin show, visit an Okinawan village or relax on Emerald Beach.
Farm and Fish Market Tour January 14, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Adults $20, Children (3–11) $13 (under 3) FREE Shop the freshest foods available on Okinawa at the JA Farmers’ Market and the Vege Vege store. Visit the Mini Mini Zoo where you can get eggs so fresh they might still be warm! The last stop will be the Payao Fish Market where you can buy a variety of fresh seafood and enjoy a delicious lunch. Forest Adventure Park January 15, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Adults $49, Children (7–17) $34 Test your courage on the Zip Slide, the Amazon Rope Bridge, the Tibetan Bridge or any of the other exciting courses.
*Bring yen for additional food, drinks and/or purchases. For more information, contact MCCS Tours+: Camp Foster 646-3502 | Camp Hansen 623-6344 | Camp Kinser 637-2744
off-baseevents get out and explore
Ogimi Village Industrial Festival January 14–15, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Former Ogimi Junior High School Athletic Field FREE
Proud sponsor of MCCS Youth Sports
Athletics/Adult Sports
Thomas Alan Smilie, DJM4/bigstock.com
645-3521/3522
Aquatics 645-3180 Courtney Ironworks 622-9261/7297 Futenma Semper Fit 636-2672 Gunners Fitness Center 645-3985/2235 Hansen House of Pain 623-5558/4831 Health Promotion 645-3484/3910 Kinser Fitness Center 637-1869/1114 Schwab Power Dome 625-2654/2442 Taiyo Golf Club 622-2004 Tsunami SCUBA 645-9500 Youth Sports 645-3533/3534
Trick Art Exhibition January 12–29, 11 a.m.–8 p.m. Okinawa Outlet Mall Ashibina Tomishiro City Adults ¥700, Children (13–18) ¥600 (4–12) ¥500, (under 4) FREE
Health & Beauty Aroma Fair in Okinawa January 15, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Okinawa Convention Center Conference Building A Ginowan City FREE
upcoming semperfitevents Open Volleyball Tournament January 20–22 Camp Foster Gunners Fitness Center Softball Fields Register at any MCCS Fitness Center by January 16 at 1 p.m. for $80. Tournament schedule and bylaws will be emailed to each participant. The top three teams will receive awards. Details: 636-2672.
Open Wrestling Tournament January 22 Camp Courtney Ironworks Fitness Center Register at any MCCS Fitness Center by January 16 at 1 p.m. for $10 or same day registration for $15. The top three finishers in each weight class will receive awards. Details: 622-7291.
classof theweek Yoga A series of balance, strength and flexibility poses and movements that will connect your body, mind and spirit. Build physical and mental muscle! Camps Courtney, Foster, Hansen and Kinser For more information and a full schedule, visit mccsokinawa.com/groupfitness