(Image by Jessie Watts)
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To pick up where I left off…Japan Series Continued…
In addition to visiting The Origins of Reiki on Mt. Kurama and getting to experience the “Way of Tea,” I’d have to say that spending time with a monk was easily one of the most memorable moments of the trip. What makes this interaction so special is how happenstance it all came to be and how we were able to connect with such a divine individual who graciously trusted us and generously invited us into his sacred space, despite the language barrier or cultural differences.
It all began the day before the guests arrived at the retreat, myself and my business partner were on a hike and we were making our way back to the train station from the trailhead. We had to walk though a quaint neighborhood to get back. It was so peacefully quiet, bonsai gardens in almost every yard, pink dogwood trees in bloom, babies riding in car seats on the back of their mother’s bicycle, clean streets, fresh air, an overcast day, all of it dreamy. A real Eutopia. Passing through we stopped at a temple that caught our attention. We walked into the main gate and quickly realized it was closed and that it seemed more for locals rather than a tourist spot. As we started to walk away we passed by an elderly man who was working on the landscaping. Without words, he gestured us to follow him. (Note: What was transpiring in that moment felt very safe and genuine even if we had no idea who this person was & where he was guiding us. Our intuition just kept saying “YES!!!”) We let him lead the way as he opened the door and introduced us to the most beautiful Zen garden. Turns out, he is the groundskeeper AND the monk that takes care of the whole temple. This is only the beginning…
This lil old man was the most precious human I have ever encountered. I was on the verge of “happy tears” the entire time, but they just wouldn’t flow. I just couldn’t believe how blessed we were for him to choose us to come into such a sacred space that is usually kept private from the public and especially tourists, — or so they mentioned. Later on we ended up having tea with him and his wife. He then gave us a private tour of the garden and the tea house. It felt like a dream. Before we parted ways, we asked him if we could bring our retreat guests back to meet him. With the biggest smile, he agreed that it would be okay. — It was set, we would visit him again on our last day of the retreat.
When we all arrived back several days later, the monk and his wife had generously prepared tea for all eleven of us. He showed us other parts of the garden and the temple that were extra special and important. He also took small groups into the tea room to share more wisdom and connect deeper with each person. Google Translator was our bridge for communicating but our hearts & spirits were sharing a kindred language. Meeting him felt like I had known him my whole life. This kind of kismet connection not only restores my faith in humanity but also feels like one I will remember for the rest of my life. With his joy(full) essence and contagious laugh, he showed us his paper where he proudly had both the Japanese Kanji and the English translation written down. It read, “I hope I will see you again someday.” — And so be it, and so it is. To the monk who stole my heart, Thank you. Your kindness, hospitality and zest for life still lingers in mine.
The day we all communed with the monk was the same day we went Forest Bathing. It also happened to be on Earth Day. This part of the trip/retreat felt like a baptism in nature, cleansing, purifying, & attuning to the divine energies of the Earth, her flora & fauna and beyond. It was so powerful. Touching the Japanese cypress trees, admiring the wild ferns dance in the breeze, standing under a sacred waterfall, and visiting an ancient moss covered shrine surrounded by bamboo was the most abundant, healing and nourishing experiences of my life. It was a feeling of being transported to a different world.
It reminded me of what I learned about the indigenous folk religion of Japan known as Shintoism (or Shinto). Those who believe in and practice this religion are deeply connected to nature and the spirits that resided in nature. These nature spirits are called “kami.” In Shinto, there is no absolute deity that is the creator or ruler of all. The creative function of the world is realized through the harmonious cooperation of the kami (nature spirits) in the performance of their respective missions. Upon entering a Shinto shrine, you would pass through a Torii gate. Seen as a wooden or concrete structure painted black & red or orange and shown in the image above. All of this also reminded me of my own indigenous folk religion of Native American Spirituality and how my people (Choctaw & Cherokee) also believe in “nature spirits.” We too do not have an absolute deity or ruler figure, as it is understood that all animate & inanimate entities are equal and interconnected. All of this synergistic & synchronistic information was not lost on me. I gained SO much clarity and felt SO much affirmation that day in the forest. Since returning home, I have been more intentional about consistently deepening my connection to nature & the nature spirits here. This is now what I call or consider MY Reiki practice. This daily ritual communing with nature spirits also helped with jet lag and to adjust in coming back to the “dense energies” post-Kyoto-retreat. (IYKYK)
I began this publication for this very reason, — to share my authentic experiences, findings, inspirations, motivations, channeled messages & musings through my writing & spiritual rituals, all with the direct influence from the natural, cosmic, human and animal worlds. If this speaks to you, stay with me. Let’s explore these realms together. If you wish to support my work further, feel free to share this publication with a friend.
✚ PRACTICE WITH ME: Receive This Month’s Guided Meditation for “Deepening Your Connection to Nature” when you become a PAID SUBSCRIBER.
Before I let you go, I wanted to wrap up this Japan series with my greatest takeaway of all… The Art of Manifestation. This entire trip/retreat would not have happened without the balance of both strategy & surrender, creating & resting. To me, those ways of being make up the art of manifestation. If you can learn to adapt & embody the essence of both the masculine & feminine energies within you, you can master the power to manifest what you desire most. Manifesting also doesn’t happen without the process of co-creation. I like to believe the act of co-creation is what allows manifestations to become a reality — that is co-creating with Spirit & your guides, with your inner child, with the future version of yourself & with other divine connectors or valuable way-showers who are journeying alongside of you and want to support your dreams as they come into fruition. (These are your people!) Holding the vision & showing up to do “the work” is the sole responsibility for those who wish to manifest in this world. Everything else is a collaborative effort and a giant trust fall. Some days the work looks like tedious tasks, other days it is clearing past childhood trauma/energy around security & abundance. Most days it is just nurturing the “idea” of it becoming something real. I think the hardest part or secret to the art of manifestation, from my own personal experience… is simply trusting & believing it is already yours. Aka *The Law of Attraction* - Where your attention goes, your energy flows. To dive into this more, I will be guiding *paid subscribers* through a Manifestation Practice on June 3rd at 7pm CST for the first “Messages & Musings Meet Up.” (Offered 1st Monday of each month.)
WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU DESIRE TO MANIFEST OR ARE CURRENTLY WORKING TO MANIFEST? Let’s explore this together. I’d love to support your dreams & efforts and offer any resources I have available. This monthly meeting would also be an opportunity for community connection within a container of safe, likeminded beings who hold the collective vision for a kinder & more sustainable world.
See you all next month…
Be Kind, Be Well,
BB