Ikebana

Ikebana is the Japanese way of arranging flowers.

The tradition of Ikebana origins from monks hundreds of years ago arranging flower offerings to Buddha. The inspiration for Ikebana is found in the nature and in the end the Ikebana creates a link to the nature. Ikebana is said to have a deep philosophical meaning, thus the work with the flowers are best done in silence. Ikebana is in fact sometimes used as therapy against depression.

There exist many different kinds of Ikebana, but the oldest one is the Ikebono, which is the kind I (Barbara) takes classes in. The basic principle is the three main branches, named Shin, Soe and Tai. They represent heaven, man and earth.

Yesterday I had my first class. The teacher is very skilled and also very welcoming despite the fact that she rearranged every flower I placed in the container. Ikebana is very difficult. Balance, harmony, serenity and respect are some of the values I so far have picked up being important to the process of arranging the flowers. It is much more complicated than I thought. There are many rules to learn, which can be quite difficult as I receive instructions in Japanese most of the time.

Ganbatte kudasai!