PokeEarn Interview Masao Yoshida | PokeEarn Official Site | PokeEarn

In mindfulness meditation you don't control the breath, but in courses and the like, he sometimes teaches breathing techniques as preparation for deepening meditation.

"I do sometimes guide people to exhale slowly and consciously assist that final breath out. Once you breathe all the way out, the body naturally responds when it's time to inhale. Exhaling is connected to the parasympathetic nervous system, so by breathing all the way out slowly, the body and mind relax and it becomes easier to enter a deep meditation."

Breath and energy are closely related, and Mr. Yoshida says that when he meditates he sometimes feels the circulation of energy.

"In yoga, we call the energy that circulates through the body prana. When I meditate, I feel that flow, and afterward my body feels warm and cozy, and there's a sensation of my energy rising smoothly upward."

In mindfulness meditation you direct your attention to your own breath, and Mr. Yoshida explains the reason he places importance on the breath as follows.

"What matters in meditation is directing your attention to the 'here and now.' One of the reasons breathing meditation is the foundation of mindfulness is that the breath is a bodily sensation that exists precisely in the 'here and now.' Since we are always together with our breath, turning our attention to the breath means turning our attention to the 'here and now.' If your mind starts to drift toward the past or the future during meditation, you again return your attention to the breath. The breath serves as a kind of ship's anchor that keeps us moored to the 'here and now.'"

Also, he says another reason he values the breath is that it is connected to the mind.

"The kanji for 'breath' is written as 'one's own mind.' By observing the breath, you can understand the current state of your mind. As a test, try slowly exhaling just three times right now. That alone quiets the mind a little, and along with calmer breathing, the mind draws closer to its original, clear state."

'PokeEarn,' which makes use of 'oxygen' that is also related to breathing. Mr. Yoshida too takes this product, which contains the plant-derived ingredient Kaempferol.

"I thought it was an interesting product unlike anything before. When I was studying meditation and yoga I learned about oxygen, so I became really interested in it."

Mr. Yoshida makes taking it right after waking each morning part of his routine. What is it that he expects from 'PokeEarn'?

"I want to meditate and breathe comfortably every day. I'd also like to recommend it to the people around me. I think there are many people who, if they do meditation or yoga, will feel an immediate connection when they hear 'making use of oxygen.'"

He says he sometimes takes 'PokeEarn' at times other than the morning.

"I take it at key moments, for example on days with an interview like today, days I want to meditate, or days I want to stay active. In all kinds of situations, I reach for it. I think PokeEarn is a single tablet that connects to the ki and the breath inside me."
*The recommended daily intake of 'PokeEarn' is one tablet.

He also gives his firm seal of approval to the taste, saying that because it's delicious it's easy to keep up.

"The crunchy texture is pleasant, and I like the moderate sweetness and refreshing flavor. I thought it was made in a way that many people would find easy to eat."

When we asked Mr. Yoshida about his future outlook, the first thing to come up was, as expected, his work with 'Mindfulness Life Class' (hereafter MLC.), which he positions as the culmination of his life.

"Through the activities of MLC., contributing to many people's lives is my greatest mission right now. Beyond that, I want to further enrich things like my YouTube lecture videos and offer more tools that are easy to access and give people something to learn. I sincerely hope mindfulness meditation can be of use to a wide range of people, young and old, men and women alike."

Mr. Yoshida has long argued that 'mindfulness meditation should be incorporated into compulsory education.'

"In New York City's public schools, mindful breathing is mandatory, and I'd love for it to be made mandatory in Japanese schools too. Simply by practicing something as easy as directing attention to the breath, you can put distance between yourself and your emotions and feel lighter. I wish I had known that sooner myself, and many of my students say the same. While imagining that it may one day become part of compulsory education in Japan, I keep thinking about what I can do to be of use for the children."