IKIGAI:- The Japanese secret to Long and Healthy Life

 Name of the Book: - IKIGAI- The Japanese secret to a Long and Happy Life 

Author: - Hector Garcia and Francesc Mirales

No of Chapters:- IX

Number of Pages: - 194

Single sentence description of Book: -  Ways and Methods to live an Healthier, Happier and Longer Life

What this book is about: - Book is a detailed study on various healthy and cultural practices followed by centenarians living across the globe.  Author tried to decode the mystery why these people lived such a long life without suffering from chronic illnesses such as cancer, heart diseases etc. Author has studied the five regions identified by Dan Buettner in his book  The Blue  zones where people lived longest.  These five regions are Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Lomo Linda, California; The Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica and Ikaria, Greece; In the above five zones, Okinawa holds the first place.

After carrying out interviews of some centenarians, Author concluded some basis points about their routine and culture.

1.      Don’t Worry

2.      Cultivate Good Habits

3.      Nurture your friendship Everyday

4.      Live an  Unhurried Life

5.      Be Optimistic

Apart from above, Author explained that how these people paid special importance to maximum movement over maximum daily exercise to achieve longevity. To support his claim, Author has illustrated some popular body movements like Radio Taso from Japan, Yoga from India and Tai-Chi from China.  Further to summarise, Author has given summary of ten rules of Ikigai which are enumerated below.

Ten  rules of Ikigai: -

1.      Stay active throughout life  and keep on doing things you live. Don’t retire from life

2.      Take everything in a slow manner to enjoy it in full.

3.      Always eat slight less than our hunger

4.      Always be in company of good friends to share your thoughts, ideas and many more

5.      Daily exercise is a must to keep body and mind in  good shape

6.   Smile is always refreshing and solves many problems

7.  Reconnect with nature whenever time permits

8. Try to give thanks to nature, friends, families and everything that brightens your life

9. Always try to live in the moment and make it worth remembering

10. Follow your passion, unique talent or your IKIGAI

 

Overall Review: - Book is a good compilation of lot many small things that we already know, to make our life healthier, happier and longer. All the methods and concepts are explained in simple manner with references from Japanese culture. Overall, an excellent book to read and discover your IKIGAI

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