Ichigo Ichie
Present Sense № 12
Welcome to Present Sense – a weekend curation for Paid Subscribers – with 7 sensory recommendations: something to SEE, HEAR, SMELL, TASTE, TOUCH, BALANCE and ENVISION. Each week also includes an audio guided meditation.
Language shapes our view of the world. It’s a powerful vehicle for connection, but it can also limit our lived experience.
Anyone who is multilingual has been challenged by words or expressions that simply don’t translate. One of my favorite French words is “flâner,” which roughly translates to “meandering aimlessly.” In reality, it means a lot more: it conveys a feeling of ease, daydreaming and intuitive wandering. There’s no equivalent in the English language, which probably speaks volumes about what we value in our culture (productivity over aimless strolls).
Some languages have the ability to expand, such as German which can combine two words to form new meaning. Fellow Substack writer
recently wrote about “Weltschmerz,” which melds together “Welt” (world) and “Schmerz”(pain) to express “worldpain.” Even though we don’t have an English word for it, we’re all acquainted with the feeling.Learning new words, whether in our native or foreign language, can both affirm and expand our reality. If there’s one word I’m taking into 2024, it’s Ichigo Ichie – a Japanese term that literally translates to "One lifetime, one encounter."
My friend
, who writes , recently introduced me to the expression. It originated in the writings of 16th century tea ceremony master, Sen no Rikyu, who instructed apprentices to give respect to their host "as though it were a meeting that could occur only once in a lifetime.”Beyond tea ceremonies, it encompasses the Buddhist emphasis on cultivating awareness of the present. Ichigo Ichie reminds us that each moment is unique and can never be replicated. Even when an event seems repetitive (such as our daily routines), the experience is always different.
How much of our life is spent missing out on the present moment? We constantly strive to “arrive” at an imaginary future, overlooking what’s right in front of us. Today’s audio guided meditation explores ways to embody Ichigo Ichie in our everyday life.
This week’s 7 senses recommendations includes: a very moving documentary, a dose of sunshine in a song, a seasonal pink vegetable, amongst other sensory delights.
In Joy,
Sabrina
PS: Next week is the full moon, so there will be no ‘Present Sense’. Instead, I’ll be publishing my free monthly post, where I dive into a different topic every full moon.
AN OFFERING FOR PAID SUBSCRIBERS:
I’ll be teaching a workshop series ‘The Harmony of Opposites’ with
of Creative Fuel on February 11th and February 18th. This is an offering for paid subscribers of either Seven Senses or Creative Fuel.Session 1: Light & Shadow
Sunday, February 11, 2024, 10am-11:30am PT
Session 2: Movement & Stillness
Sunday, February 18, 2024, 10am-11:30am PT
These workshops will be hosted live on Zoom. If you can’t attend in person, they will be recorded, and everyone who registers will have access to the recordings after.
More details and registration link: HERE.
