Lexus UK Provides Five Japanese Mindfulness Techniques to Help Find Inner Calm
Japanese culture and traditions are at the heart of the Lexus brand, from the spirit of ‘omotenashi’ (hospitality) that welcomes you to the car, to the ‘Takumi’ craftsmanship that is present in the design of every model. Lexus UK has five suggestions on how ancient Japanese mindfulness techniques can help us find calmness and control.
Quiet sitting
The Neo-Confucian philosophers of 17th-century Japan were remarkably ahead of their time. The mind is the master of the body, they said – and ‘quiet sitting’, or meditation, helps to restore calm. However, rather than meditating to ‘empty’ the mind, its practitioners aimed for ‘stillness’: they would be poised to re-engage with the world, with renewed energy and enthusiasm.
Top tip: If you are able, think of this time as an opportunity to reset and give your over-active brain a break. Are you panic-scrolling on social media? Letting your work/life balance slip while working from home? Give your active brain a break with quiet sitting.
Impermanence
Nothing lasts forever: everything is temporary. The ability to embrace impermanence – of the body, the world, and every aspect of life – is fundamental to Buddhist philosophy. Accept it, and you’ll find peace and wisdom. Things change, people change and trying to fight it is futile.
Top tip: If you’re feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or just plain bored, remember that the situation isn’t permanent. And while we’re all craving a return to ‘normality’, things will never be quite the same as they were.
Ikigai
Ikigai is all about finding joy in meaningful actions, rather than stressing about what you haven’t got or picking fault in your current lot. Instead of chasing material goals, success is measured as balancing financial necessities with doing what you love, what you are good at, and what the world needs. Essentially, it’s your ‘reason for being’.
Top tip: We’ve all had to shift our priorities, putting community, health and friendship first. That’s a huge first step towards ikigai.
The ‘Way of Tea’
It’s the rhythm of the bamboo matcha whisk. The smooth woven pleats of the tatami mat. That first sip of hot, bitter tea from a fragile ceremonial cup. A matcha (Japanese tea) ceremony, also known as cha-no-yu, or the Way of the Tea, is rich in both cultural gravity and beauty. Even the tiniest gestures and items are significant, making the entire ritual a mindful and calming experience.
Top tip: Embrace the comfort of routine. Why not take out that ‘only for dinner parties’ crockery and have a cup of matcha tea.
Kaizen
Perfection can only be attained after hard work and discipline – that’s the idea behind kaizen. Improvement is a continuous process: a life-long journey of honing techniques, fine-tuning efficiency, and striving for ultimate perfection. This philosophy underpins the Japanese approach to takumi (master craftsmanship), and is a key concept within Lexus’s own approach to innovation.
Top tip: If you’ve got the luxury of downtime, use it to make some plans for future home projects or personal goals. A little forward-thinking will make you feel in control of the future and feel calm.
ENDS
