Kintsugi - Brokenness to True Healing -
Have you ever heard of the Japanese word “Kintsugi”? “Kin” means gold and “Tsugi” means putting things together. It’s a very old traditional Japanese technique which entails putting broken pottery pieces back together with lacquer and painting over it with gold (sometimes silver). The work is very precise and gentle. It takes a lot of time. It’s possible to put the pieces together even when some pieces are missing. When the work is done, amazingly, the pots and plates look like they were designed that way. They are simply beautiful because of their brokenness.
When I’m in the healing circle with my clients or students, my work with them feels like “Kintsugi”. If someone asks me, “I have broken hamstrings, shoulders, ankles, or etc. Can you fix me?”, I smile and say (in my heart), “I won’t fix you, instead, how can we create an even more beautiful version of you with the scars, pains and aches you have?”
I believe that true healing is cherishing all things. It’s not about fixing, forcing, denying, ignoring or giving up the brokenness. It’s for us to accept, embrace and hold together all the broken pieces gently. Then, the magic happens. Beauty will be re-born because of the brokenness just like “Kintsugi”. Sometimes we feel broken. Sometimes we feel like we are living in a broken world. I feel that too sometimes. So, friends, please hold yourself and each other together gently by practicing mindfulness for true healing.
Sending all my love to you 🙏
Shigeko
