Thailand U.P. (55 years old, female)

[Trouble with human relationships and developed insomnia]

　My workplace is an American NGO, and since around 2002 I have been having trouble with my foreign boss. That’s because my boss has a lot of emotional ups and downs and decided that he doesn’t want to try to understand me or that he lacks communication skills. I complained about various things about my work, but I wasn’t heard at all. In the end, we always ended up with a quarrel, and my daily tensions increased. This caused me stress and I became an insomniac from around 2006.

[Began learning the Kohrinka flower course]

　In August 2006, a friend with whom I had been consulting with about my worries about the company on a daily basis, recommended, “Why don’t you learn Kohrinka flower arrangement to enjoy flowers at the MOA Thai Life Science and Arts Academy?”. I started the class on October 13. Then, two months later, on December 17, I completed the course.
　After taking the Kohrinka Flower Course, I felt calm and relaxed. By studying the course, I came across the philosophy of Mokichi Okada and learned the importance of living a life of enjoying Nature. From articles such as “Plants Have Consciousness” and “Movement to Create Paradise through Flowers,” I learned that flowers can relieve various stresses of human beings. In it Okada taught us, “What we are proposing here is the cultivation and distribution of flowers and plants, which would be ideal to make beauty more readily available to all people. This would be decorating average residences and other rooms with flowers. Although most middle and upper class residences are decorated with flowers at the present time, that is insufficient. Our intention is that there are flowers in every conceivable place so everyone will see flowers.
　I do not have to tell you how a single flower in the corner of an office or on the desk of a study gives a feeling of a kind of fresh richness. Ideally speaking, I would also like to decorate each jail and prison cell with a single flower. The favorable influence on offenders’ states of mind would be expected. Thus, when it becomes the society in which there are always flowers where there are people, it will help to considerably lessen the hellish conditions of the present time.”
　I am single and live alone, but as I learned in the Kohrinka Flower Course, I began to arrange flowers at my own home. In addition, I also made arrangements in the shared toilets at my workplace and in the building. I also made an arrangement for my boss’ desk.

[Improvement of work environment]

　I had never arranged flowers in the office before, so my co-workers were very surprised and praised me when they saw my flowers. I feel that the atmosphere of the workplace has changed brightly since I started to make flower arrangements.
　Around December 2006, my boss, who was the cause of my stress, saw the flower arrangement on his desk and shed tears. I was wondering if he liked it or not. He said “Thank you” to me. He also said, “I want to change my way of the past.”
　As stated in Okada’s writings, I thought, “The power of flowers changed the attitude of my boss.” I realized the impact of flowers on people and the power of flowers. My boss then provided me with a budget to purchase flowers for me to arrange flowers in the office.
　Eventually, people from other companies in the same building came to see my flower arrangements. People, who I had never spoken to before, came and started chatting with me. One of them was particularly interested in flowers and began to talk to me intimately. One of them fixed my office computer software due to this new acquaintance.
　After those events, my tension and stress were relieved. I was able to sleep better.

[Aiming to become a MOA Arts and Culture Instructor]

　In 2007, I was tired from work, so I attended a two nights and three days-type of Health Promotion Seminar held at the Lobli Zuisenkyô to improve my health.
　At the Health Promotion Seminar, I experienced the Okada Health and Wellness Program, which included Purifying Therapy, Arts and Culture Program and Dietary Program. I felt so refreshed that I looked forward to returning to work. I was awakened to the greatness of the Okada Health and Wellness Program. I felt like doing something for those who are suffering from illness. I decided to take a Purifying Therapy therapist certification course. Since I was certified on June 15, 2007, I have been volunteering as a therapist once or twice a month at the MOA Clinic in Bangkok.
　While attending the Kohrinka Flower Course, I heard that there is a special training course to be certified as an Arts and Culture Instructor to be able to teach Kohrinka flower classes. I was motivated to teach, so I took the course.
　After that, I started to participate as an assistant to an Arts and Culture Instructor in a Health Promotion Seminar held in my community for participants to experience the Okada Health and Wellness Program. I helped participants to arrange flowers. The positive impressions and opinions of the participants were encouraging and they strengthened me.

[About the MOA Healthy Life Network]

　Mr. and Mrs. T and Mrs. I are my friends in the community. They are part of the MOA Healthy Life Network. Mr. and Mrs. T informed me about the Okada Health and Wellness Program. I began to participate in the Health Promotion Seminar with them as a result.
　Before, whenever I visited Mrs. I’s house with Mr. and Mrs. T, we always had small talks. However, recently, we would talk about Kohrinka flowers and the beauty of flowers. We also exchanged Purifying Therapy.
　Mr. S of the Healthy Life Network helps with making flower arrangements and simple vases whenever there is an event for children such as the “MOA Museum of Art Bangkok Children’s Art Exhibition.” In 2008, Mr. S said, “I hope you can teach children how to make vases,” and taught me how to make vases using empty bottles and cans.

[Wishing for people’s happiness]

　Before, I wasn’t very interested in flowers and plants. However, after attending the Kohrinka Flower Course introduced by a friend and learning about the splendor of flowers, I began to look not only at the flowers but also at the rich beauty of Nature.
　I have become more interested in other arts than ever before. In the old days, I had no interest in theatrical performance, but today I became interested in theater. Not only that, I heard from fellow instructors that “your clothes have changed to bright and beautiful clothes these days.” I was overjoyed to hear that.
　I had previously decided to rest on Saturdays and Sundays. However, as I deeply studied Okada’s philosophy, I was attracted to support MOA activities to enrich society. Thus, I spend much time volunteering for MOA. Now, I am helping with the ikebana flower arranging activities and volunteering as a therapist at the MOA Bangkok Clinic.