The Ikigai Book – Asian Wisdom for Long and Happy Life

The Ikigai Book – Asian Wisdom for Long and Happy Life

Ever since the beginning of civilization, this simple question has bothered humanity – how to live longer happily. Philosophers have written volumes about the impermanence of human life, with divergent takes on how to lead life. While the Epicureans don’t give it much thought and profess to eat, drink and be merry, as life is short, Asian wisdom has always offered deeper and profound answers to this seemingly bizarre puzzle. In the book, Ikigai – the Japanese Secret to a long and happy life, Fransesc Miralles and Hector Garcia, take us through well-researched concepts based on practical examples for leading a more meaningful and joyful life. Death is inevitable, but exploring how to lead a purposeful life with health and longevity is what the ikigai book introduces us to. 

The book begins by explaining the mysterious term ikigai, citing how this is behind the exceptional longevity of Japanese people. The example of the island of Okinawa is given, where there are 24.55 people over the age of 100 for every 1,00,000 inhabitants, which is greater than the global average. The book goes ahead to point out the island of blue zones, places on earth, where the local inhabitants have been known to live the longest. It lists out the interesting facts about these people, in the first chapter titled “the island of almost eternal youth”. Here the reader is introduced to the venn diagram which explains roughly what is ikigai. The concept stands as an intersection between what we are good at, what we love, what the world needs and what we can be paid for. The recurrent idea throughout the book is that ikigai is something which we have to find for ourselves to be in a state of fulfilment. And only staying active will make you want to live a hundred years.

Based on the lifestyles of the people of these blue zones on earth the authors recommend a few lifestyle choices that experimentally have helped the people of these regions to live longer. It further elucidates how stress in small quantities can be a good thing in the chapter dealing with anti-ageing secrets. Here the authors highlight how the reader can make minor changes such as walking more, snacking less on junk food, playing with children or pets, and developing a conscious daily routine to counteract long hours of sitting required in office jobs. The book explains that a sedentary lifestyle is the root cause of most later age ailments and remedies to counteract it are necessary for health. 

For those above 30, the authors warn that the levels of melatonin, which helps us live longer, goes down progressively. Thus getting proper sleep, reduction of alcohol, tobacco and caffeine, and getting exposure to early morning sunlight can restore youthfulness. As we move on reading, the book takes us through the importance of finding our purpose in life. This is done by distinguishing between psychoanalysis and logotherapy. It says that existential frustration occurs when we lead our lives without any purpose. This frustration is explained not as a mental illness, rather as a spiritual anguish. Thus when we find our purpose, we have the drive to get up from the bed in the morning. It is this sense of purpose that gave people like Victor Frankl peace when he looked back on his own life as he grew old.

Through interesting case studies, the ikigai book highlights the parallels between logotherapy and the Japanese concept of ikigai. It also provides interesting tips and therapy concepts for those who might be finding it difficult to derive a sense of purpose in their lives. Going deeper, the book introduces us with the concept of flow, which is about being so immersed in your work that it becomes a part of you, as your ego dissolves. Finding flow in work acts as a stepping stone to find your ikigai. Next the authors give a few strategies for achieving it along with some real life examples.  

To add more credibility to its claims, the book gives the words of wisdom from a few centenarians who explain their secret of living a long and happy life. The book takes us through a few Japanese traditions and proverbs that they believe restore longevity. Be it leading a communal life, small celebrations of life events like birthdays, nature worship and general optimism of the Japanese rustic life that involves respect of elders and a celebration of longevity have been mentioned as the phenomenon that underlies ikigai.

On the dietary front the book describes the diversity in the eating habits of the Japanese people. It throws light on how consuming less calories can contribute to longevity and health. The miracles of green tea have also been praised in detail. It then delves into basic exercises that boost the metabolism for longevity such as radio taiso, yoga, sun salutations, tai chi, qigong, and shiatsu – by throwing some light on their principles, methods and benefits. The art of cultivating resilience for facing life’s challenges is talked about greatly in the book from Buddhist and Stoic perspectives. It mentions other associated Japanese concepts such as wabi-sabi and ichi-go iche which deal with how to make the most of the present, despite how imperfect it may be. Towards the end the concept of antifragility is explained which can take an individual beyond resilience and be strong to face and even prevent the unexpected surprises that life can sometimes throw at us.

The book concludes with an epilogue where the key learnings of the book are listed, so as to aid the reader in his/her journey of finding ikigai. Though the book is an easy read, its concepts can be a bit strange and hard hitting to the young. It’s recommended to readers who are in their late twenties – a time when you have both the minimum experience to understand and curiosity to explore new concepts. As with most self-help books, ikigai doesn’t offer a final conclusive answer to life’s problems but it does reveal the foundational wisdom of the orient which has today gone into disuse with the advent of a fast-paced, frenetic and oftentimes confusing modern era. In that sense, the ikigai book can aid an adult towards making remedies in his/her journey towards maturity with a clear sense of vision. Going through its contents, one can have the feeling that it reveals a truckload of wisdom encapsulated in around a hundred pages, and moulding one’s life from its key learnings will certainly be an uphill task for any average reader. Its role can at best be a stepping stone on the road of personal fulfilment.