 |
Photo by Joe Coca
|
Wabi-Sabi in the Real World
Excerpt from The Wabi-Sabi House
|
|
You can start bringing wabi-sabi into your home and into your life right now by taking these simple, basic steps. You’ll be amazed at the difference they can make.
|
|
|
-
One day a week, wash the dinner dishes by hand. Taking on this task alone allows you quiet, uninterrupted time to think—or not think. Asking your spouse or child to help gives you time to catch up on each other’s days (or weeks).
-
Pay attention to your daily bread. Is the food you’re eating in season, and is it available locally? Through the meals you choose and prepare, you can connect with the earth’s cycles and with the place where you live—and live a healthier life. Buy food from your local farmer’s markets and ask the produce manager at your grocery store where different items came from.
-
Next time you sweep the floor, consider it a meditation. Opt for the broom over the Dirt Devil whenever possible.
-
When you’re invited to someone’s house or even just to a meeting, bring a small gift—nothing extravagant, just a small gesture (a jar of homemade jam or apples from your tree, perhaps) that lets them know they’re appreciated.
-
Offer everyone who comes to visit a cup of tea. Serve it in pretty cups with a little something sweet. If no one comes by, enjoy a cup of tea by yourself in the late afternoon.
-
Keep one vase in your home filled with seasonal flowers.
|
|
|
|
|
