Ikigai Book Summary:The Japanese secret to a long and happy Life

This post is a book summary of IKIGAI:the Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Hector Gracia and Francesc Miralles.

What is Ikigai?

Ikigai is a Japanese word for describing the pleasure and meaning of life. This word literally consists of IKi(to leave) and gai(reason)

This book topics mostly related to "art of living"

The author conducted a total of one hundred interviews in Ogimi, Okinawa and tried to understand the longevity secrets of centenarians and supercentenarians and then defined the rules of Ikigai

What is the key of Ikigai? Simplicity and the attention to detail.

The author of this book wishes you a long, happy and meaningful life.

The 10 Rules of Ikigai

1. Stay active and don't retire

2. Take it slow

3. Don't fill your stomach.

4. Surround yourself with good friends.

5. Get in shape for your next birthday.

6.Smile

7.Reconnect with nature

8. Give thanks and help others.

9. Live in the moment

10. Follow your Ikigai.

Highlights

Stress & Existential crisis:

Stress is the main reason for aging. Many people seem older than they are. Research shows that stress is the cause of premature aging.

An essential crisis on the other hand is typical modern societies in which people do what they are told to or what others do. They often try to fill the gap between what is expected of them and what they want for themselves with the economy power of physical pleasure. Those who give up the things which they love doing lose their purpose in life. It is so important to keep doing things of value, making progress, bringing beauty to others, helping out, and shaping the world around you.

Morita Therapy

Many western therapy focus on controlling or modifying a patient's emotions. They think what they think influences how they feel, which in turn influences how they act. Morita therapy focuses on teaching patients to accept their emotions without trying to control them since feelings will change as a result of their actions and that was a matter of time.

Logotherapy and Morita therapy are both grounded in a personal, unique experience that you can access without therapists or spiritual retreats. This mission is to find your ikigai, your essential fuel. Once you find it it is only a matter of having the courage and making effort to stay on the right path. 

Flow

The happiest people are not the ones who achieve the most in their life. They are the ones who spend more time in the state of flow than others.

In order to achieve the optimal experience, we have to focus on increasing the time we spend on the activities that bring us to the state of flow than get caught up in the activities that give immediate pleasure.

Focusing one thing at a time may be the most important factor in achieving the flow.

In order to focus on the task we need:

1. To be in a distant free environment.

2. To have control over what we do every moment.

Ogimi, Okinawa

Many Japanise people never retire, They keep doing the things that they love for a long time as long as their health allows.

The Japanese are skilled to bring technology and nature together, not man versus nature, rather a union of two.

Okinawans live by the principle of  ichariba chode, a local expression that means 'treat everyone like a brother, even if you have not met them before.

Celebrations are an essential part of Ogimi.

Slow living

Being slow is directly proportional to the quality of life. If we take an example of Dog and Turtle. Dogs live a maximum of 10 to 15 years while a turtle lives for 100 to 150 years. So as the old saying goes "Walk slowly and you will go far"

Looking back the days in Ogimi were intense but relaxed -lifestyles of locals, who always seemed to be busy with important tasks but they did everything with a sense of calm.

They were always pursuing ikigai, but they were never in a rush.

Even though they are always busy they engage themselves in a task which allows them to relax.Not even a single grandpa sitting idle on a bench doing nothing.

Secrets of Centenaries & super centenaries

Over the course of a week the author and their team conducted total 100 interviews, asking the eldest member of the community about their life philosophy, their ikigai, and secrets to longevity:

here is the gist.

Dont worry

Cultivate good havits

nature your friendship everyday

Live an unhurried life

Be optimistic

Eat and sleep.you will live a long time. Learn to relax.(Misao Okawa 117 years old)

I have never eaten meat in my life(Maria Capovila 116years old)

Everything is fine(jennet Calment 122)

Your mind and body. You keep both of them busy. You will be here a long time.(Walter Breuning 114 years)

Food won't help you live longer. The secret is to smile and having a good time.

The  secret to a long life is always saying "Slow down and relax"

The key to staying sharp in old age is in your fingers. From fingers to your brain and back again.

Longevity Diet

One hundred percent of people who were interviewed keep a vegetable garden, and most of them also have fields of teas, mangoes, and so on.

Locals eat a wide verity of food, especially vegitableVerity seems to be a key. A study of Okinawa's centurions shows that they ate 206 different foods including spice on a regular basis. They ate an average of eighteen different foods each day and that is the nutritional foods, not the fast foods.

They eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. At least seven types of fruits and vegetables are consumed by Okinawans on a daily basis. The easy way to check if there is enough variety on your table is to make sure you are eating the rainbow.(carrots,red pepper,spinach,cauliflower,eggplant).vegitables, sweet potato, legumes, and soy products such as tofu are staples of Okinawan's diet.

More than 30 percent of their daily calories come from vegetables.

Grains are the foundation of their diet. Japanese people eat white rice every day, sometimes noodles. Rice is the primary food for Okinawa. They eat fish three times a week on an average.

They consume few calories: an average of 1785 per day, compared to 2068 in the rest of Japan.

Tofu, Miso, Tuna, carrots, Kombu, Onion, Soya sprout, sweet potato, peppers are mostly consumed by them

Okinawans drink more Sanpin-cha-a mix of green tea and Jasmin flowers. They drink an average of 3 cups of Sanpin-cha-a every day.

Ikigai is about finding joy, fulfillment, and balance in the daily routine of life.

This book has changed my outlook for the better. Whether you call it ikigai or enlightenment the truth is to be true to your passion and live a life of consequence.

At the intersection of all these are feelings of happiness and peace that can sustain us throughout our entire lives.

Please read this book and share what you find your Ikigai?

I would love to hear what is most beneficial for you in the comments.