Yaza
Japan, 2023
Photo journal and performance
Yaza
Japan, 2023
Photo journal and performance
During my time in Japan I joined a Zen Buddhist mountain monastery and their intense training schedule to learn what it's like to live like a monk.
Every morning we would start singing sutra’s at 4 AM, followed by long meditations throughout the entire day, ending with 'yaza', the final meditation done outside. And even though I was always so tired at this time of day, it was my favorite part. Lit by moonlight I would wrap myself in a sleeping bag, sometimes hearing a fellow monk snore in the background or tanuki's trashing the graveyard, and I would realize.... wow, how incredibly grateful am I to be alive, being granted these life experiences!
'Yaza' is a great way to add a moment of meditation to any busy day. It helps me to open up, to let in creativity and enjoy this brief moment in time that we are here and alive.
Every morning we would start singing sutra’s at 4 AM, followed by long meditations throughout the entire day, ending with 'yaza', the final meditation done outside. And even though I was always so tired at this time of day, it was my favorite part. Lit by moonlight I would wrap myself in a sleeping bag, sometimes hearing a fellow monk snore in the background or tanuki's trashing the graveyard, and I would realize.... wow, how incredibly grateful am I to be alive, being granted these life experiences!
'Yaza' is a great way to add a moment of meditation to any busy day. It helps me to open up, to let in creativity and enjoy this brief moment in time that we are here and alive.
During my time in Japan I joined a Zen Buddhist mountain monastery and their intense training schedule to learn what it's like to live like a monk.
Every morning we would start singing sutra’s at 4 AM, followed by long meditations throughout the entire day, ending with 'yaza', the final meditation done outside. And even though I was always so tired at this time of day, it was my favorite part. Lit by moonlight I would wrap myself in a sleeping bag, sometimes hearing a fellow monk snore in the background or tanuki's trashing the graveyard, and I would realize.... wow, how incredibly grateful am I to be alive, being granted these life experiences!
'Yaza' is a great way to add a moment of meditation to any busy day. It helps me to open up, to let in creativity and enjoy this brief moment in time that we are here and alive.
Every morning we would start singing sutra’s at 4 AM, followed by long meditations throughout the entire day, ending with 'yaza', the final meditation done outside. And even though I was always so tired at this time of day, it was my favorite part. Lit by moonlight I would wrap myself in a sleeping bag, sometimes hearing a fellow monk snore in the background or tanuki's trashing the graveyard, and I would realize.... wow, how incredibly grateful am I to be alive, being granted these life experiences!
'Yaza' is a great way to add a moment of meditation to any busy day. It helps me to open up, to let in creativity and enjoy this brief moment in time that we are here and alive.
