so wabi sabi... what?

Most descriptions of wabi sabi start off by saying something to the effect that wabi sabi is a very difficult term to describe. I have tried before like this… “the feeling you have holding a piece of handmade pottery in your hand and taking that first sip of warm tea in the morning that stirs your senses and warms your soul.” And even this morning I had a wabi sabi moment listening to raindrops hitting our tin roof while snug and secure under a soft worn cotton quilt. Wabi sabi is an experience rather than a description or expression. For me wabi sabi is a feeling of balance and beauty. It is simple, natural and unforced. It is authentic. It is not perfect or permanent.

My wabi sabi moments are moments of mindfulness and connectedness. I am not aware of them everyday yet, but I believe we manifest what we focus our attention on. Desiring more beauty and balance in my life, I am seeking them and finding them in nature or in objects that remind me of nature. Moments spent wearing, using, admiring, or creating handmade, homegrown, and homemade furniture, clothing, food, art definitely bring more balance and harmony to my life. I want to share these moments in this blog… moments of mindfulness, moments of peace, moments of connectedness, moments of wholeness, wabi sabi moments.

As my Qigong instruction often says in the quiet stillness of our early morning class, “Intention leads the Qi.” I hope that through this blog I can share some of these moments with you and that you too will discover the beauty and balance of wabi sabi. May it be so.