day 28 - listening

"I come here to listen, to nestle in the curve of a root, to hear the stories of the plants, that they might guide my own." 

- Robin Wall Kimmerer

Listening allows me to learn from the wisdom of others.

Last year, when our modern battery-operated seeder broke at the greenhouse, the work still needed to continue. The seeds needed homes where their roots could stretch. My boss needed the planting done on time.

I had heard stories from previous generations, when seeds were tapped directly from the glassine bags they used to come in.

So I folded a small traditional Japanese origami cup and kept going - tap, tap, tapping out more than 10,000 onion and leek seeds by hand.

It was a simple tool, but it allowed the work to move forward without frustration or force.

As I listened to the rhythm of my finger against the paper, I felt connected to all those before me who began gardens and meals in the same way - by listening carefully to seasons, elders, materials, and the needs of their community.

This little folded cup became a vessel for attention.

Today I’m practicing that same listening: hearing the stories of others, learning through their perspectives, and noticing how I might carry that knowledge forward to meet the needs of my community today.

day 27 - generosity

"Generosity is the most natural outward expression of an inner attitude of compassion and loving-kindness."

 - H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama

Generosity isn't limited to giving things.

Sometimes it's sharing time, or ideas, or joy.

The Maneki-neko welcomes good fortune - and reminds us that happiness multiplies when invited.

Today I'm practicing generosity by passing along a smile and a little good luck.

Big Lucky Cat by Kamikey on YouTube

day 26 - respect

"I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university." 

- Albert Einstein

Respect isn't about status. It shows up in how I handle and protect things, people, and ideas.

In origami, respect begins long before the first fold.

It is present in how the paper is chosen, how it is handled, and whether its qualities are allowed to guide the making. Some papers ask for bold transformation or intricate details. Others ask for simplicity.

This hexagon letter fold is made from a sheet of grassy, textured handmade A4 paper that waited quietly in my collection for decades. Nothing terribly precious - but certainly beautiful enough to deserve the right moment.

Now it serves by holding something meaningful: words of encouragement, and enough good loose tea for a shared pot.

The hexagonal form, known in Japan as Kikkō (tortoiseshell), symbolizes protection, stability, and longevity. Its strength comes not from force, but from balanced structure.

Good folding practice reminds me that respect, too, is a form of attention - to the unique needs of a person, a situation, or the material at hand.

Today I practice respect by handling words carefully and honoring boundaries — in paper, in people, and in myself, choosing care over force wherever I can.

day 25 - friendliness

"One who prevents you from meeting your destruction is your friend, mitra. Maitri is the spirit that compels your friend to be there for you; friendliness." 

- Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, 

Commentary on Patanjali's Yoga Sutra 1.33 

Friendliness doesn’t require a big extroverted personality.

Sometimes it begins with simple approachability - with how safely we are able to meet what and who is around us.

“Trauma-informed spaces” may sound sophisticated, but they often begin exactly here:
not fixing or advising, simply offering presence and goodwill.

This origami model delights me because it mirrors that idea. From one square of paper emerge three figures: a heart, and two friendly cats side by side.

Three forms, one uncut square - a moment of single sheet origami magic.

Relationship.
Reciprocity.
Connection held at the centre.

Nothing added. Nothing cut away.
Just one sheet, transformed.

A reminder that friendliness unfolds not so much between us as through us.

This practice brings me a great deal of joy. Thank you, friend, for being here to share it with me.

Today I’m practicing friendliness by reaching out with something whimsical.
If you feel inclined, I’d love to hear - what’s bringing you joy today?

Pocket Heart with Two Cats, Kamikey on YouTube

day 24 - harmony

"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony." 

- Mahatma Gandhi

Harmony happens here, in the way pattern, patience, and purpose meet.

Inhale. Exhale. Chrysanthemums slowly open, cranes glide across the sky, colors and folds settle into peaceful alignment. 

Each reminds me: balance is not aspirational - it is beneath my feet, in my hands, in tiny micro-calibrations, in the rhythm of now.

Today, I am practicing harmony through my breath—letting attention, intention, and action move together, as one living flow.

day 23 - prayer

"There is a way of beholding nature that is itself a form of prayer." 

- Diane Ackerman

Prayer, for me, isn't usually about asking for things. 

(Though sometimes it is.) 

More often, it feels like reverent attention - a pause in which I listen rather than speak. And somehow, that listening transforms things. 

Folding gives my hands something to do while my thoughts settle. Each crease accompanies a slow breath. Each turn of the paper gathers intention. 

This lotus-like bud feels like an offering - something I can cradle in my hands that stands in for longing, or gratitude, or emotions too nebulous for words. 

The open space on the tag above it becomes a place for whatever wishes to be spoken aloud... or only held in the heart - a small altar where fears and dreams can rest side by side.

Today I am practicing prayer through making - one small gesture within an ongoing exploration of how attention itself becomes devotion.

day 22 - mission

"My mission is to create a world where we can live in harmony with nature." 

- Jane Goodall

At the heart of non-violence is a mission. A practice of returning to what matters, again and again. 

In yogic philosophy, one's mission may be referred to as svadharma, the specific, unique duty of an individual based on their nature. It is one's personal "right way of living".

Today I'm clarifying my mission by asking myself, what core belief is at the heart of my practice of nonviolence?

Heart Pendant by Fumiaki Shingu