Have a zen monday

copyright by Mafalda Tenente

Zen Mondays are a weekly feature inspired by my Japanese language (日本語) and Sumi-e zen ink painting (墨絵) learning journey.

Each post features a recent sumi-e sketch (スケッチ) or postcard (はがき) accompanied by one Japanese word, paired with one photograph from my travel records.

Nothing else.

Though the path maybe wrapped in clouds or cluttered with obstacles now, impermanence will once more favor the traveler. Advance when you can, pause when you must… (1/14/2019)
Yellow frog You can sit and consider every possible move, but only the leaping frog will ever reach the other bank. (1/7/2019)
Of all the things you pick up along a journey, the most treasured are the ones you do not see. (12/31/2018)
shrine With some wishing and much resilience sometimes dreams blossom to reality. This holiday season, keep your wishes and dreams alive. My zen Monday wish to you. (12/24/2018)
Hear the dramatic tone of the last dried leaves rushing to the ground. (12/10/2018)
Some trails impress a feeling of first time wonder, regardless of how long you walk. (12/3/2018)
Capture the sound of birds playing after a mid-Autumn shower. (10/1/2018)
lighthouse The brightest light doesn’t always shine in daytime. Have a zen mid-autumn moon festival wherever you are. (9/24/2018)
wagtail Every space has infinite potential through the eyes of your imagination. (9/17/2018)
Visit a place full of colors and smells to inspire your day. A sensory zen Monday. (9/10/2018)
Miyajima Add one stroke of humor to the mundane. A zen Monday recipe for laughter. (9/3/2018)
Kanazawa Look out for the unexpected to lift your mood. (7/16/2018)
redstart If you draw your own line between observing and spying, will it land exactly where everyone else’s? (7/9/2018)
maple Let your imagination float to an unforeseen place, like a leaf carried by the wind. (7/2/2018)
Japanese garden sketch A moment of reflection can be stretched if you so decide. (6/25/2018)
Feel proud when creating something new, but prouder still of your commitment to creating it daily. (6/18/2018)
Casually, a standing heron appears. (6/11/2018)
Thank you for accompanying me on a full year of zen Mondays. Time to celebrate your all-time-favorites and share another special zen moment. (6/4/2018)
pahoehoe The only thing standing between any change of state is time. (5/21/2018)
new zealand Ground your place in the world anew. Look out to the ocean on a borrowed lens. (5/14/2018)
painting When mastery seems unlikely, think of it as a long walk. Pause for breath and take a new step. (5/7/2018)
sakura Wherever a free bird sings, there is my favorite place. A spring sketch series. (4/30/2018)
Tulip Wherever a free bird sings, there is my favorite place. A spring sketch series. (4/23/2018)
flower Wherever a free bird sings, there is my favorite place. A spring sketch series. (4/16/2018)
mushroom Wherever a free bird sings, there is my favorite place. A spring sketch series. (4/9/2018)
Wherever a free bird sings, there is my favorite place. A spring sketch series. (4/2/2018)
paris I’d rather be present in everything I see and do, every day. (3/19/2018)
Contemplate how many untold stories an old tree can contain. (3/12/2018)
brush pen drawing If most clouds feel familiar, some look as if they could carry you out of this world. (3/5/2018)
hagaki In the shade of splendorous blooms, it will take more than a crowd to faze you. (2/26/2018)
Few things are as sweet as raising images off the pages of a new sketchbook. (2/19/2018)
The lingering cold slowly gives way to the first blossoms. A zen monday tour of the Zurich Botanical garden. (2/12/2018)
shikishi The scent of a pine tree forest lingers through a bird’s first spring call. (2/5/2018)
postcard Variations further your learning, though not all are equally appetizing. (1/29/2018)
Silence awaits at the top of a snow-capped mountain. (1/22/2018)
plum Aspiring to a tree’s journey… resilient growth, cyclically filled with beauty. (1/15/2018)
The first moon of 2018 starts its ascent tonight. May it illuminate the beginning of a fantastic year for you. (12/18/2017)
bird In birds we tend to mirror our own cheekiness. (12/11/2017)
snow To be as serene as the glow of a landscape freshly covered in snow. (12/4/2017)
Feeling how the environment around you resonates within is where personal transformation begins. (11/27/2017)
kaki Whether it is a new composition or tool, experiment with the boundaries of your creativity. (11/20/2017)
Strive to make the temporary feeling of a beginner permanent. (11/13/2017)
chestnuts A sunshine peek on a fall walk can make all the difference to your inspiration for the day. (11/6/2017)
From the contrast of rounded berry shapes to a leaf’s prickly edges, we are always attracted to opposites. (10/30/2017)
You never know what remains hidden by each element of nature. (10/16/2017)
Wherever the sun shines let your eyes be drawn to the details it uncovers.  (10/9/2017)
japan Be surprised by a brief glimpse into a new season. (10/2/2017)
Garden Enter a layered tropical garden for a small feeling of paradise. (9/25/2017)
mushrooms On the forest floor, all waiting is relative. Blossoms can be hours or years away. (9/11/2017)
hydrangea Your daily observation routine is what allows you to connect the elements of a larger structure. (9/4/2017)
Finding satisfaction in the small changes of each practice. (7/31/2017)
Embracing diversity is admiring every unusual variation. (7/24/2017)
If each brushstroke is a moment of presence, then every composition is a collage. (7/17/2017)
Every dancer offers us a bridge to a new, exciting world. (7/10/2017)
In making a real effort to find your purpose rests a higher chance your delta will find you.  (7/3/2017)
Sharing a teacup with a friend in every season is one way to celebrate transience. (6/26/2017)
Beauty can be encountered everyday if you focus your sight on finding it. (6/19/2017)
Behind zen painting beauty lies the combination of nature’s order and chaotic display. (6/12/2017)
Building a precious heritage can be achieved by simply witholding a human touch. A wildlife zen monday. (5/22/2017)
Sometimes the best reflections happen amidst a lively, colorful crowd. (5/15/2017)
Danger sometimes depends on the angle you choose to see. (5/8/2017)
A zen journey can start anywhere. (5/1/2017)
Tree covered, misty hills are Earth’s cue to breathe. A zen monday pause. (4/24/2017)
iceland Taking a step back from the subject you often find a more surprising view. (4/17/2017)
A secure bird stands idly on the shore. (4/10/2017)
Nothing says Spring zen monday quite like dense, fleeting cherry blossoms. (4/3/2017)
In Japan, it is easy capturing green or Fuji-san. Zen starts where you find both. (3/27/2017)
What would it be like to balance atop a bamboo grove? A zen monday thought. (3/20/2017)
I wish every Monday to start with zen (3/13/2017)

2 thoughts on “Have a zen monday”

  1. Pingback: Thank you for accompanying me on a full year of zen Mondays. Time to celebrate your all-time-favorites and share another special zen moment. – Mafalda Tenente

  2. Pingback: I’m reading: Imperial Taste The Beauty of Painting – Mafalda Tenente

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