Kindness is not a fixed trait that we either have or lack, but more like a muscle that can be developed and strengthened. We exercise kindness in any moment where we recognise our shared humanity- with all of the hopes, dreams, joys, dissapointments, vulnerability and suffering that this implies. Such simple but profound awareness levelsContinue reading “Comforting Thought: Kindness is a muscle we exercise”
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Comforting Thought: Holding a Frog
“Holding a frog – if you are quiet and slower than slow, you do not have to ‘catch’ a frog at all – you can just slide your hand beneath one and lift it up without inciting any hint of fear or effort to escape.” Lyanda Lynn Haupt
Ancient Word of the Day: Shizen
Nature is not separate from humankind in Japanese culture. It is a part of us. And the need to keep the two in harmony can be seen in every aspect of life, from the design of gardens that incorporate the natural landscape, to the design of houses that blur inside and outside by means ofContinue reading “Ancient Word of the Day: Shizen”
Environmentalism boils down to faith in the end
Faith in the possibility of change, the prospect of a better future. For green shoots in the rubble, fresh water in the desert. And our faith is often tested. Everywhere I have looked, everywhere I have been – places bent and broken, despoiled and desolate, polluted and poisoned, I have found new life springing fromContinue reading “Environmentalism boils down to faith in the end”
Comforting Thought: Each life is a mission of discovering the question of why you were born
According to Carl Jung, each life is an individuation process, one of discovering the particular question you were put on earth to answer. This question may have been left unanswered by an ancestor, although you must proceed with it in the manner of your own generation. But the question is not easy, or it wouldContinue reading “Comforting Thought: Each life is a mission of discovering the question of why you were born”
Comforting Thought: We should allow ourselves to receive love and care from others
Paradoxically, letting go sometimes means allowing ourselves to receive love and care from others. Our can-do culture has made many of us believe that we should always be self-sufficient. Somewhere along the way we also get the message that asking for help is a sign of weakness. We often forget that we’re interdependent creatures whoseContinue reading “Comforting Thought: We should allow ourselves to receive love and care from others”
Book Review: Auspicious Animals, The Art of Good Omens by Jun’ichi Uchiyama
If you have ever looked at a Japanese silk screen print or sculpture and wondered what the cranes, monkeys or bears mean…this book is for you! I found this beautiful book in an art gallery and decided that, despite the hefty price-tag, I simply had to own it! This elegant coffee table book charts the artistic symbolism of animals in northern Asia with a particular focus on Japan and China. Each page is translated and in both Japanese and English.
Comforting Thought: Regard yourself as a cloud
“Regard yourself as a cloud in the flesh; because, you see, clouds never make mistakes. Then through this capacity you will develop a kind of confidence … you will be able to trust your own intuition.” Alan Watts
Comforting Thought: Rough Diamonds
Abandoned sites and places that are not aesthetically pleasing can teach us a more sophisticated way of looking at the natural environment, not in terms of the picturesque, or even the care of which it has been tended, but with an eye upon ecological virility.
Comforting Thought: A traumatic childhood may actually make you more conscious, complex and understanding of others
Dr Elaine Aron in her research looking at Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) found that they are generally more affected by traumatic childhoods and that they are more depressed and anxious as adults. However, there is a big hopeful caveat with this finding – the HSP has all of the emotional tools and understanding of selfContinue reading “Comforting Thought: A traumatic childhood may actually make you more conscious, complex and understanding of others”
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