Our new series of Postcards begins in Kyoto, Japan, with a mission to find some of the best places for a true zen experience.
Key facts about Japan:
It is an island nation in East Asia
The population is more than 127m
Land area is just under 378,000 km2
The country’s currency is the Yen
Main religions are Shinto & Buddhism
And what better way to start than a visit to a Buddhist temple, where meditation is almost guaranteed to lift a weight off your shoulders.
Euronews’ Seamus Kearney reported: “It’s difficult to switch off from the madness of the world and the stresses of daily life, especially if you’re travelling, but a meditation class could be just the solution for those looking to relax.”
Rev. Takafumi Kawakami from the Shunkoin Temple & Guest House explained to Postcards how the class begins.
“Our face is facing straight,” he said. “Only your eyes are looking down on the floor.
“And you’re looking at a point about 90 centimetres or three feet away from you, and you have a soft focus around there.”
And once you are doing it right, you may just feel the connection between the body and mind.