During my Forest Bathing lecture I learned some beautiful Japanese words. Here I share a few that passed by.
Wabi-sabi, the beauty of imperfections. Stands for austerity and simplicity, for the essence of things but also for a way of life, a spiritual path
Komorebi, sunlight shining through leaves. The Japanese characters are: 木漏れ日 . 木 = tree, 漏 = what slips through somewhere, れ日 = sunlight. The sunlight that slips through somewhere. The Komorebi determines the dance between the shadows and the light.
Hanami, looking at flowers. Time to admire, toast, sing, enjoy, or calmly reflect.
Ikigai, the reason for existence. It’s the intersection of four important elements: what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can get paid for.
Yugen, mysterious depth. A deep, mysterious sense of the beauty of the universe.
Shinrin-Yoku, forest bathing. The sounds of the forest, the smell of the trees, the sunlight playing through the leaves, the fresh clean air: it makes us feel comfortable
Ukiyo, floating world. It describes the moment when you think about nothing at all and are (therefore) completely relaxed.
Kintsukuroi, heal your wounds with gold. The art of repairing pottery with gold or silver connecting the pieces and understanding that the piece is more beautiful because it is broken.
Nankurunaisa, everything always works out in time. You are stronger and braver than you think, and you are loved more than you will ever know. Your whole world is as spacious as you can imagine.
Kuuki o yomu‘, reading the air. In other words, knowing without words what is expected of you or having expectations of others without words.
