Interested in mindful Japanese writing?
Thank you for requesting the free video —it has been sent to your inbox. You can also download it here.
You can embody the heart of Japanese culture without knowing the language.
Does that sound fake? I'm not talking about the shortcuts to understand a culture -- not at all. You can genuinely experience and embody it yourself, even without knowing Japanese.
Let me explain what I mean.
In our tradition, learning begins with imitation.
Imitation may sound like faking, but in our culture, it isn't considered a bad thing. We traditionally see imitation as the root of learning process, and it's encouraged even when you don't understand a single word being spoken.
The word "学ぶ" (manabu, to learn) comes from "真似ぶ" (manebu, to imitate).
↓
↓
By imitating, you begin to embody the essence.
In Japanese tradition, a beginner is not expected to understand anything, but simply to imitate the form. A teacher wouldn't explain -- you are meant to observe and follow.
Understanding is expected to come not through your head, but through your body. By using your body, you come to know the essence, and eventually make it your own.
(Don't worry, I'll still teach you how to write!)
Why not simply imitate how to write?
It's the traditional Japanese way of learning.
Even without understanding a single word, you can start writing Japanese mindfully and begin to embody the tradition itself.
Take a deep breath
before you write. Sit with good posture and focus only on your writing. When you focus on nothing but each line, it becomes a mindful moment -- a quiet way to reconnect with yourself.
Pause.
Pause in your daily life. Take five minutes to sit in a quiet space, and focus on nothing but your pen.
Concentrate.
Concentrate on the stroke.
In this focus, you become present - reconnecting with yourself.
Follow the rules.
Through following them, you begin to see yourself reflected in your writing - and become aware of who you are in this very moment.
"I really love how calming it is to "simply" make strokes ;-) and I appreciate your calm way to explain the writing. Thanks a lot."
Angi Bissinger
Inside the Mindful Japanese Writing Club, you'll find:
A new word every week
You'll meet a new word or phrase every week. It's going to be seasonal and/or Zen-related vocabulary that makes you mindful. Both kanji and hiragana (and/or katakana) will be used so that you can learn them all in a natural style. Requests for the words are welcome!
Detailed explanation on how to write it
Detailed explanation is separately delivered in a weekly video. It covers how to write each character, the usage of the words and the cultural insights. You can watch it for practice as many times as you like until you become satisfied with your writing.
Group feedback
This membership is a community of people who are passionate about learning Japanese. If you wish to upload and share your work with others, you can. Once a month, I will provide collective feedback so that we can learn together.
After a month in the Club, you will have
-
learned the basic 9 strokes in Japanese writing
-
discovered 4 seasonal phrases
-
received 4 mindful lessons
-
taken part in a group feedback session
-
found companions to learn Japanese with from all over the world!
The words of my students
Julia Hilgert
I’m a beginner in learning the Japanese language and always felt behind when it came to writing Kanji. I didn’t understand how to draw the strokes correctly, and even when I tried, the results were never as good as the original version. Somehow there seemed to be a technique behind Japanese writing that I couldn’t fully grasp.
With Iroha-san, I first learned the different types of strokes and how to draw them correctly. After the first basic lessons, we were introduced to our first words. Iroha-san mindfully chose beautiful words related to the season, which made the learning experience so enjoyable. In the end, we wrote entire sentences — and after all the thorough preparation, this felt surprisingly easy, whereas in the beginning I had struggled to write even a single word.
Every lesson felt like a meditation. Iroha-san began each topic with a few mindful breaths and gentle guidance on how to sit correctly. Breathing and proper posture are important aspects of Japanese writing and made each lesson feel truly special.
I can highly recommend her course and am already looking forward to attending future lessons with Iroha-san.
"I especially appreciate how the lessons all begin by checking posture and positioning, and then breathing to get focused on the activity at hand. Truly mindful handwriting :)
Thank you for these lessons!"
Edmund
I’ve never written Japanese before. Can I still join?
I’m not confident about my handwriting. Will that be a problem?
How much time will I need each week?
What materials do I need?
What can I expect to gain from this membership?
Enrollment for Autumn/Winter season closes in:
Like all things in Japan’s seasons, it opens and closes in rhythm. If it speaks to you, I’ll be here to welcome you.
00
DAYS
00
HOURS
00
MINS
00
SECS
