Masterclass Mindfulness met Alocasia

Hoe langer je kijkt, hoe meer je ziet aan deze prachtplant

De bekendste mindfulness-oefening is die waarin je een plastic koffiebekertje tot in de kleinste ribbels bekijkt. Maar de ribbels van Alocasia zijn aanzienlijk gevarieerder om je in te verdiepen!

Mindfulness is een van de weinige alternatieve technieken waarvan het effect wetenschappelijk bewezen is. Door iets met aandacht in het hier en nu te doen, verminderen vervelende zaken als stress, pijn en negatieve gevoelens. Het is een effectief middel in het terugbrengen van burn-out verschijnselen en vergroot je flexibiliteit, aanpassingsvermogen, welzijn en stabiliteit. En het helpt ook nog eens de bloeddruk verlagen en het geheugen te verbeteren. Reden genoeg dus, om het in je leven te integreren.

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Eén-op-één met Alocasia

1. Ga even rustig zitten met je plant en adem diep in en uit. 
2. Kijk op je gemak naar de mooie, gladde stelen: wat voor kleur hebben ze, zit er een patroon in? 
3. Er zit vast wel een jonge scheut aan je plant: probeer te visualiseren hoe die nu nog opgerold zit, maar zich later zal ontvouwen tot een prachtig blad. 
4. Richt je dan op het blad en de nerven. En hoe de grote nerven weer onderverdeeld worden in kleinere vakjes.  De grote exemplaren hebben zelfs bladen als uitwaaierende plissés.  
5. Onderdeel van deze ontstressende één-op-één sessie is de bladeren besproeien, zowel aan de boven- als aan de onderkant. Afnemen met een vochtige doek mag ook. Opkikker voor je plant, rustgevend ritueel voor jou: het beste moment is nu. 

Horticultural magic

 

The Nature of Japanese Garden Art

source: http://bonsaibeautiful.com/nature_of_garden_art/japanese/index.html

The Nature of Japanese Garden Art NIWA - "pure place" is the word for the Japanese Garden. It has its echo in Eden which in the western cosmology was a garden of purity before sin entered into the world. Since sin never entered the NIWA, it is still the pure and beautiful place it always has been. The principles of Zen philosophy help us to bring to a personal experience of the Japanese Garden understandings, leading to a deeper comprehension of its meanings. In other words, the more we can bring to the experience, the greater will be the return to the observer.

Zen Principles which relate to the Niwa A Japanese Garden is a representation of the universe and its elements: Fire in the form of a stone or iron lantern, Earth in the form of stone, and water, air, plant, and animal life in their true forms.  Gardens essentially divide between the dry landscape and the pond garden types. Even in a dry garden there is always some water, notably in dripping basins or suggested by waterfall chains from the down spouts. The garden path, or roji, is not merely a functional entry into the garden. It is a philosophical path separating the viewer step-by-step from the work-a-day world which he leaves behind. Its stones are placed with careful irregularity and lead indirectly rather than directly to often hidden or obscure places. Bends in the path, or larger stones, are stopping points for vistas or views, representing meditative pauses in the personal experience of contacting the universe via the garden experience. Stones generally form the basic supporting framework of a Japanese garden,and they should look as though they had always lived in the spot in which one sees them. Jagged stones are used to suggest mountain areas and water-worn pebbles are used in stream courses and along shorelines.  These landscape effects are often more symbolic than realistic. For example, there is generally an island in either a stream or pond which suggests the island of everlasting life, or Nirvana - a place without time or space of ultimate retirement in peace and tranquillity. Its symbols may be a stone representing a turtle, or a tree form representing a crane - symbols of longevity and the good life - and such additional happiness symbols as the shochikubai or three friends of the new year consisting of pine, bamboo and plum. Some of these symbols are entirely abstract in their form. A Japanese Garden is not planted with the idea of presenting a display of flowers. The Japanese often enjoy their gardens most in the austere conditions of winter when the trees are bare and the foliage is at a minimum. They often trim camellias, azaleas, and other flowering shrubs so as to produce a minimum of flowers. Flowers are never used in beds or borders. In fact, a severe discipline governs the use of flowers which are used at only one point in the house, the tokonoma, a special architectural alcove built for the purpose. Fresh flowers or plant materials are never used decoratively on the dining table or at odd points about the house; never worn as corsages; never used at weddings or funerals. Essentially as a matter of philosophy, flowers and plants are considered to have a very special life of their own as an expression of nature and are never used as decorations. The principles which govern these aspects of the garden come from the philosophy of Zen and they can mean not only one thing alone, but may have correlative meanings at the same time. No one principle therefore necessarily contains the whole meaning on its own.

The Zen Principles which relate to the Niwa are presented in the following pages: Fukinsei asymmetry or dissymmetry Kanso simplicity Koko austerity, maturity, bare essentials, venerable Shizen naturalness, absence of pretense Yugen subtly profound, suggestion rather than revelation Datsuzoku unworldliness, transcendence of conventional Seijaku quiet, calm, silent The fundamental and related concepts of Shibui, Wabi and Sabi are discussed on these pages:

Shibui

Wabi                       Sabi

About Professor Lennox Tierney UCLA - Bachelors Degree Columbia, NY - Masters Sogetsu Ryu, Tokyo, Japan - Doctorate Technical Work: Art Center School, Pasadena Former President of Schaeffer School of Design, San Francisco Professor Emeritus of the History of Asian Arts, University of Utah Former Curator of Asian Arts for San Diego Museum of Arts Current Curator of the Art of Japan for Utah State Museum of Fine Arts Art Director - Japanese Friendship Garden, San Diego Consultant / Donor, Mingei Museum, San Diego

Wabi-Sabi and Presentation Visuals

source: http://www.presentationzen.com/presentationzen/2005/07/wabisabi_and_pr.html

July 28, 2005

Wabi-Sabi and Presentation Visuals (part I)

I first learned of wabi-sabi while studying traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony ("sado") fifteen years ago in the Shimokita Hanto of Aomori, a rural part of northern Japan. A perfect place to experience traditional Japanese values and concepts. While studying Japanese Tea Ceremony, I began to appreciate the aesthetic simplicity of the ritual, an art that is an expression of fundamental Zen principles such as purity, tranquility, and a respect for nature and a desire to live in harmony with it.

The ideals of wabi-sabi come from Japan and the origins are based on keen observations of nature. By really seeing natural beauty for what it was, the Japanese were able to derive key ideals and concepts that are hard to explain in words and need to be experienced and felt to be best understood.
Wabi literally means "poverty" or lacking material wealth and all its possessions. Yet at the same time feeling free from depending on worldly things including social status. There is an inwardly feeling of something higher, then. Sabi means "loneliness" or "solitude," the feeling you might have while walking alone on a deserted beach...deep in contemplation. These two concepts come together to give us an appreciation for the grace and beauty of a scene or a work of art, yet fully aware of its ephemerality and impermanence.

Some Westerns may be familiar with the term wabi-sabi through  wabi-sabi-inspired design, a kind of earthy interior design which is balanced, organic, free from clutter and chaos, and somehow quite beautiful in its simple presentation, never appearing ostentatious or decorated.

The ideals of wabi-sabi are most applicable to such disciplines as architecture, interior design, and the fine arts. But we can apply the principles to the art of digital storytelling (presentations with AV support/integration) as well. It's a design philosophy, but also an approach and a way of thinking that transcends the design of things (including presentation visuals).

One ideal of wabi-sabi which is quite powerful and practical for us is the application of empty space. A graphic, for example, may be mostly "empty" except for 2-3 elements, but the placement of the elements within that space form a powerful message. The same approach can be applied to a room. Many Japanese homes have a washitsu, a traditional room with tatami mats which is simple and mostly empty. The empty space allows for the appreciation of a single item such as a single flower or a single wall hanging. The emptiness is a powerful design element itself. In this case, the more we add, the more diluted and less effective the design of our graphic, or living space, etc. becomes.

A style of Japanese painting called the "one-corner" style goes back some 800 years and is derived from wabi and sabi. For example, in the "one-corner" style, you may have a painting depicting a large ocean scene and empty sky. In the corner there is an small, old fishing canoe, hardly visible. It's the smallness and placement of the canoe that gives fastness to the ocean and evokes at once a feeling of calm and an empathy for the aloneness the fisherman faces. Such visuals have few elements, yet can be profoundly evocative.
 
Wabi-sabi embraces the "less is more" idea talked about today, yet often ignored. Visuals created with a sense of wabi-sabi, if you will, are ones which are never accidental, arbitrary, cluttered, or busy. They may be beautiful, perhaps, but never superfluous or decorative. They will be simple. They will be harmonious even if imbalanced. Steve Jobs' visuals are often profoundly simple.

Can we enhance our visual communication in a high-tech business world by examining old Eastern principles from centuries past? Sometimes the best gems are found in the most unexpected places...

Wabi-Sabi and Presentation Visuals (part II)

Work, if we're lucky, is a creative endeavor. Our presentations — high-tech or not — require our creativity in planning, designing, and delivering. Can ancient wabi-sabi principles apply to such a common task as a business or academic presentation?

Richard Powell, in his book Wabi-Sabi Simple, discusses how the ideas of wabi-sabi can be used today to make our lives better in various way, including our work lives. Take a look at what Powell says on creativity and think of ways this could apply to presentation design:

"The influence of wabi sabi on creativity begins with a simple premise: Do only what is necessary to convey what is essential. In bonsai and in haiku, you prune and trim what is nonessential in an attempt to shorten the distance between the observer and the observed. You carefully eliminate elements that distract from the essential whole, elements that obstruct and obscure....Clutter, bulk, and erudition confuse perception and stifle comprehension, whereas simplicity allows clear and direct attention."

Not all wabi-sabi-inspired principles will have an obvious application to presentation design. But take a look at this chart from pages 10-11 of Powell's book. Here the author is contrasting wabi-sabi ideals with that which is "slick and stylish, plastic, and faux." What Powell calls "Tech Slick." Technology usage is important the author says, but a balance is necessary.

ACTIVITY
From this table below, how many of the ideas can you apply to the design and use of visuals or to the planning and delivery of your presentations?

	Wabi Sabi	"Tech Slick"
	Nature focused Authentic Allows things to age Subtleties Intuitive Personal One-of-a-kind In the moment The whole Open and unresolved Appreciation Seasonal Flexibility Tolerates ambiguity Paradoxical Unrefined Elegant Fractal Organic Living Handcrafted Soft edges Patina Stone Listens Sees Receptive Slow Humble Plain Reflective Mindful Heartfelt Warm	Technology focused Copied Strives for eternal youth Bold and obvious Rational Impersonal Conformity and sameness Future oriented Separated into parts Works toward closure Depreciation Quarterly Stability Intolerance of ambiguity Black and white Refined Ornate Square and measured Geometric Artifact Mass-produced Hard edges Plastic Steel Talks Shows Arrogant Fast Proud Fancy Unconscious Mindless Heartless Cold

Zen Garden Design Principles

Source: http://www.presentationzen.com/presentationzen/2009/09/exposing-ourselves-to-traditional-japanese-aesthetic-ideas-notions-that-may-seem-quite-foreign-to-most-of-us-is-a-goo.html

7 Japanese aesthetic principles to change your thinking

Exposing ourselves to traditional Japanese aesthetic ideas — notions that may seem quite foreign to most of us — is a good exercise in lateral thinking, a term coined by Edward de Bono in 1967. "Lateral Thinking is for changing concepts and perception," says de Bono. Beginning to think about design by exploring the tenets of the Zen aesthetic may not be an example of Lateral Thinking in the strict sense, but doing so is a good exercise in stretching ourselves and really beginning to think differently about visuals and design in our everyday professional lives. The principles of Zen aesthetics found in the art of the traditional Japanese garden, for example, have many lessons for us, though they are unknown to most people. The principles are interconnected and overlap; it's not possible to simply put the ideas in separate boxes. Thankfully, Patrick Lennox Tierney (a recipient of the Order of the Rising Sun in 2007) has a few short essays elaborating on the concepts. Below are just seven design-related principles (there are more) that govern the aesthetics of the Japanese garden and other art forms in Japan. Perhaps they will stimulate your creativity or get you thinking in a new way about your own design-related challenges.

Seven principles for changing your perception
Kanso (簡素) Simplicity or elimination of clutter. Things are expressed in a plain, simple, natural manner. Reminds us to think not in terms of decoration but in terms of clarity, a kind of clarity that may be achieved through omission or exclusion of the non-essential.

Fukinsei (不均整) Asymmetry or irregularity. The idea of controlling balance in a composition via irregularity and asymmetry is a central tenet of the Zen aesthetic. The enso ("Zen circle") in brush painting, for example, is often drawn as an incomplete circle, symbolizing the imperfection that is part of existence. In graphic design too asymmetrical balance is a dynamic, beautiful thing. Try looking for (or creating) beauty in balanced asymmetry. Nature itself is full of beauty and harmonious relationships that are asymmetrical yet balanced. This is a dynamic beauty that attracts and engages.

Shibui/Shibumi (渋味) Beautiful by being understated, or by being precisely what it was meant to be and not elaborated upon. Direct and simple way, without being flashy. Elegant simplicity, articulate brevity. The term is sometimes used today to describe something cool but beautifully minimalist, including technology and some consumer products. (Shibui literally means bitter tasting).

Shizen (自然) Naturalness. Absence of pretense or artificiality, full creative intent unforced. Ironically, the spontaneous nature of the Japanese garden that the viewer perceives is not accidental. This is a reminder that design is not an accident, even when we are trying to create a natural-feeling environment. It is not a raw nature as such but one with more purpose and intention.

Yugen (幽玄) Profundity or suggestion rather than revelation. A Japanese garden, for example, can be said to be a collection of subtleties and symbolic elements. Photographers and designers can surely think of many ways to visually imply more by not showing the whole, that is, showing more by showing less.

Datsuzoku (脱俗) Freedom from habit or formula. Escape from daily routine or the ordinary. Unworldly. Transcending the conventional. This principles describes the feeling of surprise and a bit of amazement when one realizes they can have freedom from the conventional. Professor Tierney says that the Japanese garden itself, "...made with the raw materials of nature and its success in revealing the essence of natural things to us is an ultimate surprise. Many surprises await at almost every turn in a Japanese Garden."

Seijaku (静寂)Tranquility or an energized calm (quite), stillness, solitude. This is related to the feeling you may have when in a Japanese garden. The opposite feeling to one expressed by seijaku would be noise and disturbance. How might we bring a feeling of "active calm" and stillness to ephemeral designs outside the Zen arts?
LINKS
• Wabi-Sabi and Presentation Visuals
• Read more about The Nature of Japanese Garden Art by Patrick Lennox
• Japanese Aesthetics (Stanford Encyclopedia).
• Enso: Zen Circles of Enlightenment (book)