Most people want to be happy and live a long life, however, only not many are able to do so. But there’s a place in Japan, named Okinawa, which is renowned as one of the world’s “Blue Zones”– a term used for regions where people often live longer and healthier than the global average. In Okinawa, it is common for people to live healthy lives well into their 90s and 100s. So, what is the secret ingredient of the people of Okinawa that makes them the world’s longest living humans?
Read on to know more:
What makes Okinawans the world’s longest living people?
Apart from having a healthy diet and exercise on a daily basis, the Okinawans have a unique tradition which contributed to their extraordinary longevity. Called “Moai” (pronounced as Mo-eye), this is an age-old practice in Okinawa which helps people build deep social connections and provide emotional or financial support to each other when needed, thus contributing to their long life.
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What is Moai?
The term “Moai” is derived from a Japanese word which roughly translates to “meeting for a common purpose.” Traditionally, Moai groups were formed for people to get-together and contribute money, time, or resources thus providing support to each other when needed or for public works. Over the years, this concept evolved to become a social support network.
“Moai, one of their (Okinawans’) longevity traditions, are social support groups that start in childhood and extend into the 100s… Traditionally, groups of about five young children were paired together and it’s then that they made a commitment to each other for life. As their second family, they would meet regularly with their moai for both work and play and to pool resources. Some moais have lasted over 90 years!,” Aislinn Kotifani writes for Bluezones.com.
Okinawans meet their Moais a couple of days every week. They share their experiences, discuss the challenges they face, and celebrate each others’ big and small successes. This creates a strong emotional bond between them, thus assuring them that no matter what they have their Moai to help them in times of need.
How Moai promotes longevity
Here we list some positive benefits Moai provides to people:
1. It provides emotional and financial support
While the concept of Moai traditionally was to provide financial support to each other in the community, over time it expanded to the idea of giving emotional support as well. It is well known that social isolation leads to many health issues like depression, anxiety, and even heart issues. On the contrary, Moai provides a safety net to people ensuring that they would never feel alone in difficult times.
2. It gives them a sense of purpose in life
Ikigai is a part of the Okinawan and Japanese culture– which teaches one to have a sense of purpose in life. And being part of a Moai provides people with meaningful relationships, which gives them reasons to wake up each morning.
3. It encourages healthy habits in people
The concept of Moai often brings positive peer influence on people. For instance, members often encourage each other to lead a healthy lifestyle– like having nutritious meals, regular exercise, or quitting habits. This helps people to not only cultivate good habits but also follow them for a long time, which contributes to their long life.
4. It helps reduce one’s stress
It is well known that chronic stress often leads to many lifestyle diseases like hypertension, diabetes, and cancer. But through Moai, Okinawans meet regularly at gatherings and have open communication. This gives them a safe space to express themselves, thus making them feel seen and heard. It also helps one share their problems, find solutions to them, and destress– all of which contributes to their long and happy life.
The importance of Moai in today’s world
We live in a world where chronic stress, mental health issues, and loneliness are becoming increasingly common– thus making the concept of Moai all the more important and relevant today. Moai reminds us of the importance of building and maintaining strong social connections, which can subtly lead to one’s long, happy, and healthy life.
