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

day 21 - inspiration

Nonviolence isn't just a strategy or a moral stance. It's a practice, and like any practice, it needs fuel.

Inspiration:

• reorients my heart when I'm tired, cynical, or discouraged
• reminds me what I'm aiming toward, not just what I'm resisting
• keeps me choosing not to harden
• keeps my imagination supple and active, even under pressure
• prevents nonviolence from becoming dry, dutiful, or purely performative
• lets me believe in responses that don't yet exist, but could
• holds complexity in harmony

Without inspiration, nonviolence can shrink into:

• rule-following without soul
• restraint without vision
• or worse, a kind of grim endurance that eventually snaps

With inspiration, nonviolence is creative, spacious, and alive. Structured but not rigid.

This small origami form began with an ordinary square. Fueled by inspiration, cut to a pentagon and folded with care it became extraordinary! 

Today I'm practicing inspiration by asking: 

What else is possible here? 

What more beautiful response could exist?

Sakura by Taniguchishoyudo on YouTube

day 20 - self-forgiveness

"Forgive yourself for not knowing what you didn't know before you learned it." 

- Maya Angelou

Self-forgiveness is often hard to find.

This bookmark is folded from a dictionary page. It is crowded with self- words, many of them harsh, heavy and morally loaded.

The absence of self-forgiveness feels telling. It shows how exhaustively we've named our inner punishments; how much less our inner kindness. 

Nonviolence isn't only about not harming others. It's also about noticing how fluent I am in self-judgement, and how unfamiliar gentleness can feel.

Today I'm practicing something experimental: naming a mistake calmly, letting the discomfort be there, and adding self-forgiveness to the list - making space for a different story.

day 19 - acceptance

"Open your heart to who you are right now,/Not who you would like to be." 

- John Welwood

Acceptance doesn't mean being a doormat, liking everything that happens, or tolerating the intolerable. 

It's simply acknowledging what is. 

This little book is handmade, hand-stitched and heartfelt. 

It fits in my pocket and has just enough pages to jot down snippets of poems, lyrics, observations and reflections for a week or so - tidbits that may not mean much to anyone else but are important to me. 

When I look back, I see that they reflect my truth in those moments. Each little book becomes a sort of mirror - a way of learning to accept what I see reflected back to me.

Today I'm practicing acceptance through a wabi-sabi lens, nurturing the understanding that nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect. 

day 18 - freedom

"You have more freedom than you realize." 

- Rob Brezsny

Freedom doesn't always mean having endless options. Sometimes it comes from awareness and working well within a few clear boundaries. 

Today, I'm practicing freedom by taking this advice, also from Rob Brezsny: "See if you can become aware of an interesting freedom that has not previously been on your radar screen." 

Dolphin by you_and_me_25 on YouTube

day 17 - integrity

"I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will."  

- Charlotte Bronte

Integrity asks for alignment between what I intend and what I actually do. 

On paper, each fold shows immediately whether I was paying attention or not. 

Today I'm practicing integrity by matching my care to my intention.

Bird card by Jeremy Shafer

day 16 - gratitude

"Gratitude turns what we have into enough." 

- Melody Beattie

Gratitude isn't something I summon to put myself in a better mood - it arrives spontaneously when I see what's supporting me - the chair, the roof over my head, my family, the luxury of time and good health. 

I thank my lucky stars for so much in life. 

Even on a "bad" day, tea with a friend or a cuddle with the cat, or a strip of paper twisted around my fingers and tucked into shape can evoke that feeling and transform my perception. 

Today I'm practicing gratitude by noticing and naming what's holding me up.

Lucky Stars, Traditional, Strip Folding

day 15 - reverence

" Awe produces a state of reverence, a feeling of respect and gratitude for the things that are given."

       - Dacher Keltner

Reverence doesn't necessarily require ceremony in the traditional sense.

It's about seeing the sacred, yes - and also about recognizing the sacred in the ordinary.

This eight-piece modular form feels to me like part flower, part compass, part mandala. I am awed by the beauty of geometry, folded and fit together in such a pretty - but modest - medium. 

Today I'm practicing reverence by noticing symmetry, layers, and the depth of detail I only truly appreciate when I pause.

Wreath Source: Oriya on YouTube

day 14 - humility

"Humility is openness to new learning combined with a balanced and accurate assessment of our contributions, including our strengths, imperfections, and opportunities for growth." 

- Brene Brown

Humility reminds me that my work belongs within a larger conversation. 

This elegant pleated form has been folded by many hands before mine, and it will surely be folded many times again. 

Today I'm practicing humility by seeing myself as a link in the chain - neither first nor last; present, learning, and connecting.

day 13 - creativity

"The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt." 

- Sylvia Plath

Creativity isn't always about inventing something brand new. Sometimes it's the thrill of noticing patterns - like constellations in the night sky - and exploring the spaces between them. 

I love repeating favorite folds. Each one lets my ideas orbit, spin, and collide, letting sparks of inspiration light up in unexpected ways. 

Today I'm practicing creativity by following curiosity, intuition, and emotion, trusting that even the smallest spark can become a guiding star.

day 12 - groundedness

"Practice becomes firmly grounded when well attended to over time, without break, and with earnestness." 

- Patanjali, Yoga Sutra 1.14

Groundedness is stability and presence made steadfast through consistent attention. 

This Sonobe Cube requires six identical modules that fit together precisely - without glue - to form a sturdy, three-dimensional platonic solid. 

Any small imbalance in folding or misdirection in the creases can compromise the whole structure.

Today, through this modular design I've folded many, many times before, I am practicing groundedness: cultivating geometric harmony and connection through a habit of precision, and attentive presence. 

day 11 - contemplation

"There is no way to peace, peace is the way." 

- Mahatma Gandhi

Contemplation is not an escape from the world; it is a way of cleaning the lens of the heart. It transforms nonviolence from a tactic into a way of life. It fosters the emotional and spiritual resilience needed to resist injustice without resorting to violence. 

Contemplative practices like meditation help activists cope with stress and prevent burnout, turn anger into "creative fire" that can be used for constructive, nonviolent change, and keep methods consistent with goals - ensuring peaceful goals are not pursued through violent means.

Folding gives my hands something to do while my mind settles. Folding cranes, a symbol of peace, is a creative meditation that lets my intention find form through breath, paper, and focused attention. 

Today I'm practicing contemplation by folding peace cranes. 

day 10 - faith

"Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark." 

- Rabindranath Tagore

For me, faith isn't blind certainty. It's moving forward with trust - rooted in experience, yet without guarantees. 

Today I'm practicing faith by trusting the process of folding a new origami model by an artist whose designs I've succeeded with before. Each crease, each careful fold, reminds me that even when the outcome is uncertain, the act of showing up matters.

Origami Crane by origamiba-ba on YouTube

day 9 - dreaming

"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one." 

- John Lennon

Dreaming isn't always reaching for something far away. Sometimes it's simply listening for what wants to emerge.

This little kitty, in his galaxy window, feels to me like the threshold between waking and dreaming - a liminal space where imagination, hope and possibility live.

Today I'm practicing dreaming by reminding myself that there is more out there than what I can see right now.

Frame designed and taught by Chisshy Origami on YouTube.

day 8 - healing

"Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity." - Hippocrates

Healing isn't something I can force. It seems to happen when there is enough space, safety and support for things to settle. 

This layered pin speaks to me of a history. It reminds me that healing doesn't hide the scars or the story, more often it is a matter of incremental integration. 

Today I'm practicing healing by seeing it as the bridge between harm and hope, rupture and repair. I recognize that it takes time and is still tender in me, but is growing stronger. 

day 7 - education

"Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself." 

- John Dewey

Education isn't only something we receive - it's something we participate in. 

Every fold teaches me what works and what doesn't. 

This dictionary owl is a friendly figure who sits on my desk. He reminds me that the purpose of lifelong learning is not self-judgement, which makes me stop asking questions. 

Rather, when knowledge is my companion, something gentler happens. Education becomes an invitation to develop understanding through experience.

Today I'm practicing education by staying curious, letting both mistakes and joy inform my origami choices.

Owl designed and taught by Leyla Torres of Origami Spirit

day 6 - simplicity

"Our life is frittered away by detail... simplify, simplify." 

- Henry David Thoreau

Simplicity asks me to remove what isn't needed. To proceed one sheet, one module, one fold at a time. 

Today I'm practicing simplicity by letting this be enough.

Rectangular Frame designed by Kamikey, Hearts by Origami Club

day 5 - believing

"Despite everything, I believe people are really good at heart." 

Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl

Believing doesn't always mean certainty. 

Sometimes it's a choice to continue even when you don't know for sure and the outcome isn't clear.

Today I'm practicing believing in myself and the power of community by sticking with this Season for Nonviolence project.

Easy Heart on Origami Club

day 4 - caring

"It is the time you have wasted on your rose that makes your rose so important." 

Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince

Caring shows up in how I handle things, not only how I feel about them. This crisp origami paper from Japan holds and shows every crease I make, carefully or carelessly. 

Today I'm practicing caring by cherishing and being gentle with what's in my hands.

Rose and Double Leaf by Nanahoshi

day 3 - appreciation

"Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well." 

- Voltaire

Appreciation begins with recognizing the goodness, beauty or efforts of others and then offering respect by acknowledging it. 

I don't design origami (yet). I appreciate the designs of others and using the paper I have available, I create my unique versions of them.  

Today I'm practicing appreciation by crediting those designers and sincerely saying thank you. Without your hard work and heartfelt efforts to share, I wouldn't have so many lovely choices of models to fold and express myself with. 

I appreciate you!

Special thanks also to the creators of and on Pinterest, YouTube, and other social media platforms. Without those technologies my repertoire would be so much smaller.

Finger Heart by tatsukuriorigami on YouTube