“Wabi sabi offers refuge from the planet’s obsession with perfection and accepts imperfections as more significant and, in a way, more beautiful.” – Osami Nishimura, author of Wabi Sabi: The Art of Imperfection
When studying Positive Psychology, I was introduced to wabi sabi, described by Beth Kempton, author of Wabi Sabi: Japanese Wisdom for a Perfectly Imperfect Life as “…fundamental to the aesthetic sense and gentle nature of the Japanese people, it is a worldview that guides the way they experience life, although it is rarely discussed. Its influence is everywhere, yet it is nowhere to be seen. People instinctively know what the concept of wabi sabi represents, but few can articulate it” (2)
Wabi sabi stems from three Buddhist life principles: impermanence, suffering, and emptiness, priding itself on acceptance of what is and the transience and imperfection of life. Wabi is about recognizing the beauty in now, and Sabi celebrates the passage of
time, the way things grow and age, and how they manifest beautifully into objects. It is
like an onion; peeling away each layer to reveal the true beauty in simplicity. According to Kempton:
“Wabi sabi is an intuitive response to beauty that reflects the true nature of life;
wabi sabi is an acceptance and appreciation of the impermanent, imperfect, and
incomplete nature of everything; wabi sabi is a recognition of the gifts of simple, slow and natural living” (5).
Wabi sabi, like Positive Psychology, emphasizes the importance of getting out of the
maelstrom in your mind, and into your heart space to find a sense of peace and accept yourself for who you are.
This discovery led me to learn about the Japanese art of Kintsugi, described by Hugh Asher, mental wellness advocate, forest bathing/social crofting practitioner and innovator of An Darach Forest Therapy (means 'the oak' in Scots Gaelic) as "golden joinery" in Japanese, explaining that the technique is also known as "kintsukuroi" or golden repair. It is a Japanese art form in which broken pottery is repaired with gold or other precious metal, rather than being discarded. Asher applies wabi sabi and kintsugi to his mental wellness practice located on a Highland hillside above a temperate rain forest, a remnant of the ancient Atlantic Oak Woods of Scotland. He explains that the idea behind kintsugi is that the repair itself is part of the pottery's history and should be celebrated, rather than hidden or concealed. The repaired pottery is often considered even more beautiful and valuable for having been broken and repaired.
In addition to being a decorative art form, kintsugi is also seen as a metaphor for the concept of wabi sabi, often associated with the beauty of natural objects, such as flowers that are wilting or trees that are gnarled and twisted. Embracing wabi sabi can help us cultivate a sense of acceptance and compassion towards ourselves and others, which can in turn help to reduce stress and improve our overall well-being. It can also help us to focus on the present moment and appreciate the simple pleasures in life, rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. It is not about ignoring or denying problems or difficulties, but rather about finding a way to deal with them in a healthy and mindful way. It is about finding beauty and meaning in the imperfections and impermanence of life, and learning to appreciate the present moment for what it is.
I have a unique vantage point as someone who both lives with bipolar disorder and advocates for the mentally ill who may feel that they do not have a voice. I have experienced both sides from many angles and have found contentment floating comfortably somewhere in the middle of both worlds. Early on as a patient in the throes of a diagnosis coupled with debilitating medication, I found comfort in stories that reflected my experience with mental illness, and camaraderie in knowing that I was not alone.
From a clinical perspective, Dr. Patricia Lynn Dobkin, Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at McGill University in Montréal, Que, and faculty member of the McGill Programs in Whole Person Care authored a commentary in Vol 68: APRIL 2022 | Canadian Family Physician entitled "Kintsugi mind: How clinicians can be restored rather than broken by the pandemic." She explored kintsugi as a healing mindset and a post-traumatic rebuilding process:
While the harms and losses due to the pandemic are disheartening, it is possible to reintegrate what is broken and emerge from the experience whole. Such is the philosophy behind the ancient Japanese art called kintsugi. When a piece of pottery is broken, the craftsperson repairs it with gold or silver. Thus, it is more beautiful than in its original intact state. Can we engage in kintsugi mind and thereby emerge from the pandemic stronger?
In her article, Dobkin uses the metaphor of kintsugi mind to ask the physicians at her institution, “What are the golden cracks of the pandemic?" The following are some of their answers:
• Being forced to prioritize and focus on essential meetings, tasks, and activities.
• Everything we have been able to accomplish leading to better care and improvements.
• Getting to know colleagues from other divisions and working together as a team toward a common goal.
• Not sitting on the sidelines of this world crisis!
• Research has been accelerated with unprecedented international cooperation.
She concluded that in her observation, the human spirit can indeed rekindle and find new beauty by rebuilding the broken pieces.
Independent Practice:
Each of us has experienced fragile moments — times when life didn’t go as planned, when our hearts were broken, or when we felt our self-worth crumble under the weight of what we thought was failure. But just as a piece of Kintsugi pottery is not less valuable because of its breaks, we are not made less by our struggles. If we view these cracks or flaws as vital parts of our own narrative, they become our golden repairs, reminding us of our own resilience.
Practice kintsugi mind. Reflect on the following:
Describe a time when you felt truly broken. What emotions and thoughts were going through your mind at that time?
How did you cope during this difficult time? What were some coping mechanisms that were helpful and which ones were not as effective?
Write about the immediate aftermath of this experience. How did you start picking up the pieces?
In what ways did this experience affect your perception of yourself and your self-worth?
In hindsight, can you identify any lessons learned or strengths gained from this experience?
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