20/09/2024
1. Kaizen
Making small improvements
Kaizen refers to focusing on small improvements, every day. Aiming to become 1% better each day rather than striving for perfection from the outset. Kaizen encourages making small, achievable goals and slow gains.
Try this: Incorporate the philosophy of Kaizen in your life by making your bed before you leave your bedroom in the morning. A small practice that is encouraged for mental wellbeing, it doesn’t need to be hotel-perfect but can make a surprising difference to your sense of wellness and accomplishment. You’ll thank yourself for your small improvement when you revisit your bedroom come evening.
2. Shinrin-Yoku
The art of Forest Bathing
Made up of two words, shinrin (forest) and yoku (bath), it’s the practice of spending time outdoors with nature. According to the makers of Japanese-inspired bathing line, Earl Of East, “taking in the forest atmosphere is proven to lower heart rate, reduce stress, and improve your immune system.” In fact, spending mindful time in nature has a multitude of benefits for the mind, body and soul.
Tip: Practicing the art of Forest Bathing needn’t be an all-day event in a forest landscape. Get creative! Courtyards, community gardens – even rooftops – can be the perfect place to embrace this technique. Forest bathing can be practiced anywhere you can be immersed in nature. Need a visual cue? Picture the tranquil Akasawa forest of Nagano; densely populated with centuries-old Japanese cypress trees and gentle running streams.
Explore our guide to Shinrin-Yoku.
3. Ikigai
Your reason for being
Ikigai means having a purpose; your reason for being. Made up of two words; Iki means life and G*i describes your value or worth. It’s the reason you wake up each morning and what drives you.
The 4 rules of IKIGAI
1. Do what you love
2. Do what you’re good at
3. Do what the world needs
4. Do what you can be paid for
4. Wabi Sabi
Beauty in imperfection
The concept of wabi-sabi is that rather than perfection, one should find beauty in imperfection. You might have seen wabi-sabi in beautiful Japanese ceramics with fine cracks that are filled with gold to highlight the beauty in their imperfect nature. Forget the idea of flaws and faults, and embrace the imperfect details of your self, body, past and present.
5. Shoshin
A beginner mindset
Shoshin is a concept from Zen Buddhism that involves approaching things with a beginner’s mindset.
“If your mind is empty…it is open to everything. In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s mind there are few.” – Shunryn Suzuki (author of Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind).
Try starting a task or new goal with this concept in mind; a fresh outlook and unbiased perspective. You may be surprised how your mind welcomes new ideas!
6. Hara Hachi Bu
Satisfied, not full
This technique is the practical concept of stopping eating when you’re 80% full, rather than 100%. It’s based on the idea that if you eat too much, you’re more likely to feel lazy or sluggish. We adapt it to meaning being mindful with food choices and quantities and seeking out foods that support energy during the day and restful, calm in the evenings.
7. Ganbaru
Doing your best
This means that one should be patient and do the best possible. It may be interpreted as persistence or tenacity and is all about keeping going through tough times with perseverance to accomplish your goal.
