Therapies & Practices
Our comprehensive wellness programs aim to treat the whole person. We combine the best health and complementary therapies alongside exquisite Japanese cultural practices.
At the heart of The Sanctuary Japan program is mindfulness – a practice of present moment awareness, self-connection, and intentional living. Mindfulness permeates all aspects of daily living in Japan. During your stay with us, it is the unifying thread that weaves through your therapy, movement, cultural experiences, meals, and rest.
Mindfulness supports nervous system regulation, emotional balance, and deeper healing, bringing clarity, calm, and meaning to every part of the journey.
Acupuncture
The style of acupuncture that has evolved in Japan is known for its gentle, refined, and precise techniques compared to traditional Chinese acupuncture.
Japanese acupuncture employs very fine needles – thinner than those used in Chinese acupuncture – which are often inserted shallowly with little or no sensation, and sometimes the skin is not penetrated at all. The focus is on precision and subtlety, and often targets superficial layers of the body, making it excellent for sensitive individuals, children, or people who fear needles.
Benefits of Japanes Acupuncture:
Pain relief (chronic and acute)
Stress, anxiety, and emotional support
Digestive issues
Fatigue or low energy
Women's health (PMS, fertility, menopause)
Immune support
Aikido
Aikido (合気道) means “The Way of Harmonizing Energy” and is a modern Japanese martial art that focuses on blending with an opponent’s energy to neutralize attacks without causing serious harm. It emphasizes harmony, redirection, and control, rather than brute force or aggression.
The core principals of Aikido are non-resistance, so rather than meeting force with force, Aikido techniques redirect the attacker’s momentum; Control without harm – the goal is to neutralize the threat while protecting both you and your attacker; Blending and Movement:
Circular movements and body positioning (tai sabaki) allow practitioners to evade and control attacks. Aikido practice is grounded in the spiritual and ethical philosophy of founder Morihei Ueshiba (1883–1969), and reflects his belief in peace, compassion, and the unity of all things.
Aikido training involves joint locks (kansetsu waza), throws (nage waza), falls and rolls (ukemi) – training to fall safely. There is also weapon practice which involves wooden sword (bokken), staff (jo), and knife (tanto) to develop timing and distance. Most training is cooperative, not competitive.
Benefits of Aikido:
Physical fitness: flexibility, coordination, balance
Mental focus and calm
Conflict resolution skills
Self-defense without violence
Development of discipline and emotional control
Bathing & Onsen
Japanese bathing and onsen (hot spring) rituals are deeply cultural, spiritual, and mindful experiences that reflect Japan’s values of purity, nature, and respect. These rituals center on cleansing the body and spirit, and emphasize quiet reflection, harmony with nature, and social etiquette.
There are two main types of Japanese Bathing – Ofuro (お風呂) – a private household bath or a sento (public bathhouse) and Onsen (温泉) – natural hot spring baths, which are heated by geothermal activity and rich in minerals (sulfur, iron, carbon dioxide), believed to aid healing and relaxation.
The philosophy behind Japanese bathing is purification, mindfulness and presence. In Shinto tradition, physical cleanliness is a gateway to spiritual purity, and in Buddhism, hot water symbolizes the cleansing of desires and suffering. Bathing is a daily ritual of renewal. Soaking in silence, observing the body, breath, or the environment – onsen often overlook natural landscapes – inviting reflection, impermanence, and beauty (wabi-sabi)
Diet & Nutrition
Diet and nutrition are important healing aspects of your program here at The Sanctuary Japan.
During your stay with us, you will enjoy the attentive services of your own personal chef. Your personal chef will shop daily for fresh ingredients, and will prepare delicious fresh, light, unprocessed meals for you, using organic and in-season produce and ingredients – shun cuisine.
Menus will be prepared according to the recommendations of our practitioners in order to address deficiencies in your diet, and to nourish and strengthen your body. Your personal chef will take into account your own personal dietary preferences as well as these recommendations.
Your chef may also take the time to provide you with information on nutrition and if you are interested in cooking, will teach you how to prepare certain Japanese meals.
Natural supplements including vitamins and minerals may also be integrated into your treatment plan where required. You may also consult with a dietician as part of your treatment if required or upon request.
Ensō
Ensō (円相) – meaning “circle of enlightenment” – is a form of Zen art that features a simple, hand-drawn circle, usually created in one spontaneous brushstroke. Though it may look minimal, it’s a deeply symbolic and meditative practice, expressing the essence of emptiness, enlightenment, imperfection, and the present moment.
The act of painting an ensō is a Zen practice that reflects the state of the artist’s mind. Some are open circles, some closed. Some are bold, others faint or uneven. Each one is unique and cannot be revised. It is an act of mindfulness, painted in one breath, with full awareness. The moment the brush touches the paper is a moment of total presence. The circle reveals the inner state of the artist – without pretense or overthinking.
Exercise Physiology
Exercise Physiology is a specialist field in which physical exercise interventions are used to treat clients with a broad range of health issues. This could be for existing conditions or injuries, or those at risk of developing medical problems.
Our exercise physiologists commence a treatment plan with an assessment of functional capacity to ensure their prescriptions and advice are safe and effective. The interventions are based around sustainable support and lifestyle modification, focussed on achieving behavioural change.
Ikebana
Ikebana (生け花) is the traditional Japanese art of flower arrangement. It is a spiritual and aesthetic discipline that emphasizes harmony, simplicity, and mindfulness. Often translated as “living flowers” or “giving life to flowers”, ikebana is considered a form of moving meditation, similar in spirit to tea ceremony, calligraphy, or ensō.
The key principles of Ikebana are minimalism, balance & harmony, asymmetry, rhythm & movement, and emptiness (ma). Ikebana is a meditative, inward mindfulness practice. Practitioners work slowly, often in silence, connecting with the natural qualities of each stem and branch. It involves listening deeply to nature and responding with care where the process is as important as the result.
Ikigai
An important feature of The Sanctuary model is our focus on helping you reconnect to your creativity and passions; to engage in your surroundings and discover greater meaning in your life. In Japan, this is referred to as Ikigai (生き甲斐), a Japanese concept meaning "a reason for being" – the thing that gives your life meaning, purpose, and joy.
In Japan, ikigai doesn't have to be grand or career-focused. It could simply be caring for your garden, sharing tea with a friend, practicing a craft quietly, or watching the sunrise each morning. It’s about daily contentment and living in alignment with what matters to you.
We encourage your participation in activities that promote creativity and focus, and hopefully connect you with your ikigai, for example dance, art, martial arts and music. Japan is home to many unique cultural practices that cultivate both creativity and mindfulness.
We employ highly experienced and talented music and art therapists as well as music, art, calligraphy, dance and martial arts instructors who are available to you as required.
Our aim is to help you recognise your own undiscovered capacities and to harness your inner strengths and passions, shifting your reliance away from maladaptive behaviours and negative cognitive patterns; to guide you to your ikigai.
Kintsugi
Kintsugi (金継ぎ) – literally meaning “gold joinery” – is the art of fixing broken ceramics with gold. It is a traditional Japanese repair technique where cracks in broken pottery are mended using lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. Rather than hiding the damage, kintsugi highlights it, transforming the broken object into something more beautiful and meaningful than before.
Kintsugi is more than a craft – it embodies Japanese aesthetics and philosophy, especially wabi-sabi – finding beauty in imperfection, impermanence, and the passage of time; mottainai – the idea that nothing should be wasted; resilience and transformation – the idea that breakage is part of an object’s history, not something to disguise. In this view, a bowl repaired with kintsugi is more valuable because of its story.
Kintsugi as a mindfulness practice is a metaphor for healing, acceptance, and inner strength.
Massage
Sanctuary masseurs are highly experienced and very careful about the therapeutic focus of their work. Deep tissue massage is only conducted if appropriate and will always begin in a gentle fashion until you are able to withstand greater intensity.
The aim of deep tissue massage is not merely relaxation, although that is often a pleasant outcome. Deep tissue massage addresses muscle pain, tension, tendon or muscle injury and is useful for increasing blood flow and oxygen flow around your body.
Deep tissue massage is a therapeutically focused massage working on the deeper layers of muscle tissues in the body. Deep tissue massage is a feature of many styles of massage and is usually characterised by slower, deeper strokes undertaken with firmer pressure, sometimes localised on particular areas which are sore or stiff.
Meditation
We invite you to practice a number of traditional Japanese meditation techniques:
Zazen
Zazen (座禅) is a form of seated meditation that is the core practice of Zen Buddhism. The word zazen literally means “seated meditation”. It is not about thinking or emptying the mind, but rather observing thoughts without attachment and returning to presence.
Zazen is a discipline of stillness and awareness. It is practiced by sitting upright, typically cross-legged, with hands in a specific mudra (position) with eyes usually half-open to avoid sleepiness or distraction. The focus is not on mantra, visualization, or guided relaxation – just being fully present.
Yūdō meisō
Yūdō meisō (誘導瞑想) literally means “guided meditation.” Unlike traditional Zen practices like zazen, which emphasize silent inward stillness, yūdō meisō involves following verbal instructions or audio guidance to help anchor your attention and navigate the meditative experience. The guidance may offering prompts to focus on your breath, body sensations, or sound, to visualize imagery or calming scenes, to release tension or explore emotions.
According to Japanese mindfulness experts, guided meditation is particularly helpful for beginners, who may find it hard to anchor awareness on their own, or individuals whose minds tend to overthink or worry, making it difficult to settle, or those who benefit from step-by-step instructions about where to focus attention.
Jōshin Kokyū‑Hō
Jōshin Kokyū-Hō (浄心呼吸法) is a traditional Japanese guided breath meditation meaning “purifying the heart-mind through breath.” It’s a foundational practice in Japanese Reiki, but also reflects principles found in Zen, Shingon Buddhism, and martial arts like Aikidō.
Jōshin Kokyū-Hō is a sitting meditation that uses the breath to calm and clarify the mind, center awareness in the hara (energy center in the lower belly), purify emotional and mental states and expand inner energy (ki) gently and harmoniously.
Benefits of practicing meditation:
Cultivates clarity, stillness, and self-awareness
Helps with stress, anxiety, and reactivity
Deepens insight into the nature of mind and reality
Encourages non-duality and compassion in everyday life
Improves concentration and mental clarity
Promotes relaxation, including improved heart rate and sleep quality
Music
Traditional Japanese music is a rich and diverse art form deeply rooted in Japan’s rituals, seasonal events, nature, and cultural aesthetics, developed over centuries through Shinto, Buddhist, courtly, theatrical, and folk traditions. It emphasizes atmosphere, subtlety, and silence as much as sound – reflecting the Japanese aesthetic of ma (間), the space between notes.
Some of the instruments involved in traditional Japanese music include:
Shō – mouth organ, Hichiriki – double reed flute, Ryūteki – bamboo flute, Koto – 13-stringed zither, Biwa – short necked lute, Taiko – drums, Shamisen: 3-stringed lute, Shakuhachi – bamboo end-blown flute.
As a mindfulness practice, music reflects the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi (beauty in imperfection, impermanence, and subtlety). It can become a form of non-verbal spiritual inquiry or be a mirror of your mental state.
Origami
Origami (折り紙) is the traditional Japanese art of paper folding, where flat sheets of paper are transformed into intricate, often lifelike shapes and figures – all without cutting, gluing, or marking the paper.
While paper folding exists in other cultures, origami in Japan has evolved into a distinct cultural art form, valued for its elegance, precision, and spiritual symbolism. It is about clean lines and geometric accuracy, symbolism and spirituality – many of the folded figures embody wishes for peace, longevity, or good fortune. It is also a practice of discipline and mindfulness, where the folding becomes meditative, teaching focus and patience
Personal Training
Physical training is an important component of our therapeutic programs at The Sanctuary Vancouver Island, as many interrelationships exist between bodily systems and mental and emotional states.
We provide one-on-one personal training with fully qualified personal trainers, all with many years of experience. Our personal trainers are not ‘bootcamp’ instructors who will push you beyond your limitations. Personal training at The Sanctuary is always undertaken with caution and only after a detailed assessment of your physical abilities. We strive to avoid injury and we will always seek to increase your fitness levels slowly and with care.
Personal training at The Sanctuary will include a combination of both cardio-vascular exercise as well as resistance training with weights. We will always ensure that any existing injuries are noted and not further aggravated and we will include a variety of exercises especially tailored to your level of fitness which we will seek to gradually and persistently improve.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy includes a wide range of treatment techniques to treat psychological problems and some psychiatric disorders. Psychotherapy remains one of the most effective treatments for addictions, depression and anxiety.
While there are many types of psychotherapy practiced, all psychotherapists utilise the relationship between client and therapist as the vehicle for transformation. A therapeutically beneficial interaction is one where mutual trust exists and where the goal of treatment is to ultimately help a client change destructive or unhealthy behaviours, thoughts and emotions so that their quality of life is improved.
Psychotherapy plays an important role in the healing process at The Sanctuary. For this reason, we only employ highly experienced, mature, and fully qualified therapists. Not only are our therapists innovative, creative and dynamic, they are also committed to working from a supportive, compassionate and respectful stance, where each client is encouraged to change and grow in his or her own unique way.
If your life has become unmanageable and unhappy, psychotherapy can help to shine a light on the parts of yourself that you habitually avoid or from which you are dissociated – including your strengths.
At the Sanctuary we try to help you understand your underlying issues through psychotherapy. We aim to educate and inform, so that you may learn to understand yourself more deeply, and conduct yourself better as a result. We will help you understand and develop skills in formulating safe boundaries. We will help you clarify and gain awareness around your relationships, how you relate to the world and how you behave. Most importantly, we will help you find hope for a more fulfilling future.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy is a clinical evidence-based therapy concerned with gaining maximum mobility and quality of life through the maintenance of a healthy and fit body.
Physiotherapists will assess any pain in the body or physical restrictions and prescribe personalised exercise programs to manage any physical conditions and to further prevent pain and injury.
Physiotherapy can include:
joint mobilisation and manipulation;
therapeutic exercise and stretches
electrophysical agents (such as hot packs, ice and ultrasound);
soft tissue massage including gentle manipulation of fascia and viscera; and
breathing exercises and techniques.
At The Sanctuary Vancouver Island, physiotherapy plays an important role in ensuring that physical exercise is undertaken with care and that any pre-existing injuries are protected and rehabilitated.
Reiki
Reiki (霊気) – meaning “Universal Life Energy” – is a Japanese healing art that uses hands-on or distance energy transmission to promote balance, relaxation, and healing. It is rooted in Japanese spiritual and meditative traditions, but is widely practiced today as a form of complementary energy medicine around the world.
Reiki involves the practitioner placing their hands lightly on or just above the recipient’s body. The intention is to channel ki (life force energy) to support the body’s natural healing process. Sessions are generally quiet, meditative, and deeply relaxing.
Benefits of Reiki:
Stress reduction and deep relaxation
Emotional release and clarity
Pain relief or healing support
Mental or spiritual balance
Complementary support for anxiety, fatigue, trauma, or grief
Sadō
The Japanese tea ceremony, also called Sadō (茶道), Chadō, or Chanoyu (茶の湯), is a highly ritualized, spiritual, and aesthetic practice of preparing, serving, and receiving matcha (powdered green tea). It's not just about drinking tea – it's about cultivating presence, harmony, and appreciation for the moment, deeply rooted in Zen Buddhism and Japanese culture.
Sadō is a choreographed event where host and guests come together to share a bowl of tea in a quiet, intentional space. It reflects core Japanese values of simplicity, humility, seasonality, and mindfulness.
Seitai
Seitai (整体) is a Japanese healing art that focuses on restoring the body’s natural alignment and balance through gentle manual techniques. The word "Seitai" translates roughly to “correct body” or “body alignment.”
Seitai is a holistic bodywork system that emphasizes natural movement, posture, and internal energy flow (ki). It uses techniques like light touch, gentle manipulation, breathing, and movement guidance to help the body self-correct. Seitai seeks to activate the body’s innate ability to heal itself, rather than fix specific problems through force.
It works on the principal that the body has a natural ability to maintain health. Seitai aims to remove blockages that interfere with this self-regulation.
Seitai focuses especially on the spine, pelvis, and joints as centers of movement and energy. Seitai is non-invasive and avoids forceful adjustments. It works with the body’s rhythms and responses. Seitai respects the individuality of each person’s body structure and movement patterns.
Benefits of Seitai:
Relieves back pain, neck tension, or joint issues
Helps with chronic fatigue or stress
Improves digestive and hormonal imbalances
Improves posture and body awareness
Achieves emotional balance through physical realignment
Shiatsu
Shiatsu (指圧) literally means “finger pressure” in Japanese, and is a form of Japanese bodywork that uses finger pressure and other manual techniques to promote physical and emotional healing.
Shiatsu is rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and like acupuncture, is based on the concept of energy flow, or ki (qi/chi), through pathways in the body called meridians. It is a hands on therapy and practitioners use their fingers, thumbs, palms, and sometimes elbows or knees to apply rhythmic pressure to specific points along the meridians. Shiatsu addresses the entire body to balance energy and promote overall well-being, rather than just treating isolated symptoms. It is usually performed on a mat or futon on the floor with the client fully clothed; no oils or massage tables are typically needed, although a table may be used if required.
Benefits of Shiatsu:
Reduces stress and anxiety
Eases muscle tension and stiffness
Improves circulation and lymphatic flow
Enhances energy and vitality
Supports digestion and sleep
Shinrin-yoku
Shinrin-yoku (森林浴) means “forest bathing” in Japanese. It is the mindful practice of immersing yourself in a natural forest environment – not by hiking or exercising, but by slowing down and being fully present with the forest through your senses; soaking in the forest through sight, smell, sound, touch, and presence.
Developed in Japan in the 1980s as a response to urban stress and burnout, shinrin-yoku has become a recognized health practice supported by scientific research.
Proven Benefits of shinrin-yoku:
Reduces stress hormone levels (cortisol)
Lowers blood pressure and heart rate
Improves mood, reduces anxiety and depression
Boosts immune function (e.g. natural killer cell activity)
Increases focus and clarity
Enhances feelings of connection to nature and self
Shodō
Shodō (書道) is the traditional Japanese art of calligraphy, meaning “the way of writing.” It is both a visual art and a meditative discipline that emphasizes beauty, balance, and mindfulness through the brushstroke.
It’s not just handwriting – Shodō is an expressive art form, deeply rooted in Zen aesthetics, where the act of writing becomes a form of meditation and self-cultivation. Like Zazen, Shodō requires focus, posture, and stillness of mind.
The practitioner must let go of perfectionism and act in the moment—each brushstroke is final and cannot be erased or corrected.
Used in Zen temples and tea ceremony schools to cultivate calm, awareness, and beauty.
Sumi-e
Sumi-e (墨絵) is the traditional Japanese art of ink painting, using only black ink, water, and brush on paper to create expressive and often minimalist works that capture the essence of a subject—rather than its exact form.
It originated from Chinese ink painting and was brought to Japan by Zen Buddhist monks during the 14th–15th centuries. Over time, it developed into a uniquely Japanese Zen art form, deeply connected to simplicity, nature, and mindfulness.
It is practiced as a form of moving meditation and requires focus, breath control, and presence. Each brushstroke is an expression of the artist’s inner state—like in ensō painting.
Qigong
Qigong (pronounced chi-kung) is an aspect of Traditional Chinese Medicine involving set patterns of bodily movement and postures coordinated with specific breathing techniques. Qigong is usually practiced to increase bodily self-awareness and to harness the body’s innate abilities to heal.
Qigong is a calming and restorative practice and can be described as ‘meditation in motion’. Regular practice of Qigong can be beneficial in the management of stress, anxiety or depression.
At The Sanctuary Japan, our Qigong teachers will introduce you to personalised Qigong routines which may help you gain awareness of your body and breath and promote relaxation.
Yakimono
Yakimono (焼き物) refers to Japanese ceramics or pottery, literally meaning “fired things.” It encompasses a wide variety of ceramic ware – bowls, cups, plates, tea utensils, vases – made with different regional techniques, clay types, and firing methods. In Japan, yakimono is both a functional art and a spiritual craft, with centuries of tradition rooted in simplicity, imperfection, and natural beauty. Yakimono is used and appreciated daily – in meals, tea rituals, offerings, and art display.
Yakimono is seen as a dialogue between human, earth, and fire and reflects Japanese values of mindfulness in making and use, acceptance of imperfection (wabi-sabi), and beauty in the ordinary.
At its core, Japanese ceramics is the practice of shaping clay by hand or wheel and firing it –often multiple times—with carefully chosen glazes and techniques to produce vessels used for tea ceremony (teapots, bowls, cups), dining ( eg: plates, bowls, sake cups), flower arranging (eg: vases), art display (eg: sculptural forms). More than decorative or utilitarian, these vessels are considered expressions of character, season, and spirit.
Yoga
In Japan, yoga is widely practiced and has evolved into a blend of traditional Indian styles and modern adaptations influenced by Japanese culture, aesthetics, and health practices. While it shares roots with global yoga traditions, Japanese yoga often integrates minimalism, mindfulness, and therapeutic elements unique to Japanese sensibilities.
Yoga is a broad group of ancient practices originating in India which aims to integrate and unite the body, mind and spirit. Yoga includes both meditative practices and asanas (physical postures).Both are especially beneficial in addressing the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of healing.
Our yoga practitioners are highly qualified and experienced with many years of teaching experience. Yoga sequences are created individually for each client as each constitution requires a different program. Our one-on-one teaching ensures that the practices are attuned to your own specific strengths and limitations. Over the course of your program, we will help you establish and develop a personal daily practice for the future.
The postures and breathing techniques we teach you will help to improve digestion, circulation and respiration, resulting in better awareness of your body and a sense of calm within.