Only one word is permitted to be spoken during the entire course. "When the Master Yamabushi gives you an instruction, you have to respond by saying 'uketamou' (I accept)," explained Tokyo-based PR consultant Yumiko Nishitani, after completing the one-day Mount Haguro hike. "Through this routine," she added, "you learn to accept everything as it is. This way, participants are forced to live in the moment. So, Yamabushi training is for not only for enlightenment and self-discovery but also for mindfulness." Challenging as this sounds, it helps you transcend your habitual ways of thinking and acting, and focus on the present moment rather than fretting about the future.
