Flowers and Heart Records: What I Learned from Flower Arranging
Flowers and Heart Records - What I learned from flower arrangement
The morning light filters through the shoji screen and illuminates the vase placed in the corner of the room.
There are Japanese bush laurels blooming there, freshly picked from the garden.
At that moment, I felt as if the flowers were speaking to me.
Arranging flowers
I started flower arranging at the end of spring.
"Arranging flowers is a way to calm your mind," my teacher said.
At first, I thought it was just a matter of putting flowers in a vase.
But the direction of the flowers, the curve of the branches, the overlapping of the leaves...
When I realized that each and every one of them had meaning,
For the first time, I began to "listen" rather than "see."
Recording
After each practice, I write down the name of the flower and my thoughts about it in a notebook.
"Kikyo seemed to be looking down a little today. It was as if she was remembering something."
"The red camellia is like a straightforward, slightly shy child."
In this way, I superimpose my own feelings onto the appearance of flowers.
I also take photos.
But a photo alone doesn't do it justice.
So I add words too.
The air, the scent, the emotional turmoil of that moment...
By recording these things, flowers become more than just plants;
Become a part of my heart.
With the seasons, our hearts change too
Hope in the spring.
Summer is passion.
In autumn, quietness.
In winter, the strength to endure.
Through flowers, I communicate with the seasons.
And every time I reread the records of the past,
"This is how I felt at that time,"
Reconnect with yourself.
To my future self
This record book is also a letter to my future self.
When you get lost, when you stop,
A single flower and the words that accompany it
They might give you a gentle nudge.
AfterwordIkebana is not just about arranging flowers,
A path that looks into your heart and walks with the seasons.
By recording, the journey
It becomes deeper and richer in color.