Natural Flower Art at the Portland Japanese Zen Gardens
One way to create more space in your life is by simplifying – thoughts, words, actions, and surroundings, to name a few. In his book, The Laws of Simplicity (paid link), John Maeda says that “the simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction.” In other words, get rid of the clutter. This can be applied to things, people, activities, etc. and is one of the first things people think of when it comes to simplicity.
This doesn’t mean that you have to go without what you truly love. It is about getting rid of what you truly don’t need.
Not having as many things means there is less to take care of, leaving more space for whatever brings you joy. For tips on thoughtful reduction (or decluttering), I highly recommend Leo Babauta’s post, “Decluttering as Zen Meditation.” Leo is the very popular blogger of Zen Habits, with many more great posts on this subject.
Japanese Zen Gardens in Portland, Oregon
I started thinking more about the concept of simplicity after visiting the Japanese Zen Gardens in Portland, Oregon. If you ever get a chance to visit these gardens, do. Portland is known for its rose gardens, but the Japanese gardens are just up the hill and are just as spectacular. While Japanese gardens have many plants, and are very lush, the way they are organized imparts a feeling of simplicity, which is very calming. Each plant has a purpose in relation to the whole.
“The Japanese garden finds its main roots in an aesthetic that gives the garden an intrinsic value of its own, as a means of representing the natural world in an idealized state for contemplation, as a way of expressing the relationship that humans have to the natural world and its elements … The composition as a whole has a higher intrinsic value than its elements.”
That’s exactly what I felt, the composition as a whole, and it was a perfect place for contemplation. Imagine organizing your surroundings in a similar way, with each element having its place and purpose as part of the whole.
Choose one or more of the actions below to practice simplicity.
* Declutter.
Following Leo Babauta’s instructions for mindful decluttering, pick one place to begin. It could be a drawer, a kitchen counter, or your desk. Maybe it could be the place where you like to reflect and take a pause. Clear the space completely. Clean it mindfully. Then, slowly add back only what is necessary. For the things that are not necessary, should they be somewhere else? Can you give them to someone else? Or do they need to be disposed of?
* Learn more about Japanese gardens (see links below).
Make plans to visit one if you can. How can you begin to create a zen-like atmosphere in your own garden, or even in a place in your home? Do one thing towards that end today.
Link to Portland Japanese Garden
* Photograph spaces that are spare, simple, and calming.
What is it that makes them so? Is the whole more important than the parts?
* Read The Not So Big Life: Making Room for What Really Matters by Sarah Susanka.
She is an architect and author of The Not So Big House series. In this book, she uses architectural principles for simplifying and applies them to building a life; a guide to help you figure out what’s important and get rid of the rest. One of the most amazing books I’ve ever read.
How do you simplify your life?