At our zoom Shodō calligraphy in March, we brushed the beautiful zen phrase Ekō -henshō 回向返照, meaning ‘turning the light inward and illuminating the self’, or ‘turning facing, answering with light’. Blair talked about the meanings of the phrase and use in Master Dogen’s meditation… Read More »Brushing Zen Calligraphy: Turning the Light Inward
At our De-stress drawing group online on zoom, we had a fab theme of new beginnings, hopes and transitions. We peacefully doodled, and explored the change from winter to spring – enjoying drawing the light and shapes of the time of year as more colour… Read More »Relaxing drawing the bright start of Spring 🌱
At our March zoom language and cultural Kanji Club group we had a green theme of growth and world this month, with the expansive word sekai 世界 meaning world, society or generation 🌎 Blair guided participants on how to write the kanji characters with a… Read More »Exploring Sekai 世界 World!
This month we brushed the expressive Omoi Yokoshima Nashi 思無邪, a Confucian and zenny phrase Blair’s first Shodo teacher Master Waskabayashi worked on. He was a great Granpa to Blair and gifted him several materials, books and lots of Shodo inspiration about Zen, nature and… Read More »Brushing freedom at Zen Shodo Calligraphy
This month at our relaxing De-stress group we enjoyed a theme of looking from afar, at the landscape from above with an eagle’s eye. It was an easygoing and really supportive group, with everyone enjoying doodling fascinating textures, contours and patterns ⛰️🏜️ Some people just… Read More »Joyfully doodling spacious aerial landscapes
The theme for our February Kanji Club group on zoom was the more emotional and expressive kanji such as ai 愛 – affection – and kanashii 悲しい – sadness 🤗❤️ As well as learning to read and write some kanji and hiragana and katakana, we… Read More »Expression – learning Kanji from kawaii to kanashii
We met online on Zoom for our cosy and friendly group for some calming and relaxing copying of the inspiring Heart Sutra 般若心経. It was a great practice for embracing the New Year and wishing wellbeing. The famous Heart Sutra – Maka Hannya Haramitta Shingyo -is… Read More »New Year Sutra Tracing – Meditative Heart Shakyo
At Shodō calligraphy for our first group this Tiger year (Tora in Japanese), we peacefully brushed the very airy and natural feeling Genpū 玄風 . This is a lovely zen word that can mean mysterious winds, meaning the profound teachings of the ancient zen teachers… Read More »Shodo Brushing the Winds of the Ancient Teachings
After New Year our De-stress drawing group returned for some more relaxing doodling and drawing. We had a nature up close theme which was fun and also captivating, enjoying the colours and doodling patterns and fractals and close ups of natural living things 🦋🍀 Together… Read More »Nature up close – De-stressing with mindful drawing
At the start of the year our theme for our language and cultural Kanji Club was 天気 Tenki – Weather, literally Heaven’s Energy. Having been wintry in Glasgow and for many of the zoom participants elsewhere, it was perfect timing for our kanji exploration of… Read More »天気 Tenki – Snowy Weather at Kanji Club