Kokoro-gamae 心構え, Nen 念, and the Heart Meridian.

During April, we focus on two Japanese philosophies that include the kanji for the heart: 心. The first one is Kokoro-gamae 心構え, which originates in Japanese martial arts and Dō-in yoga. Kokoro 心 literally means 'heart', but can also mean 'soul'. Gamae 構え is 'attitude', and as a verb, it means 'to prepare'. Combined, they mean "state of mind," and is often translated as "to be ready." In Japan, Kokoro-gamae is also used in the business world. According to Akemi Tanaka, bringing this readiness of mind to the workplace creates calm, kindness, energy, and the right kind of enthusiasm.

A good example of Kokoro-gamae in Japanese business life is dropping silence during a meeting. This would make Dutch people quite nervous; did we say something wrong? Have we been too direct again?

Japanese people drop silence out of politeness, to give the other person a chance to say something. During these breaks, everyone is expected to "read the air" (something we will work on within next month’s class); pay attention to the atmosphere, and hear what is not being said. You could say this is unnecessary in Dutch culture because expressing your opinion is encouraged. Still, westerners can learn quite a bit from the Japanese meeting style.

In Japan, silence is ‘the oil that keeps everything smooth’. That's why during a Zen Buddhist meditation - besides a singing bowl, tapping wooden sticks, or a bell - you will never hear music; our thoughts cause enough distraction already.

In April, the yang energy in Nature is increasing day by day; having the right mindset is important for achieving your goals while keeping yourself rooted and practicing pure attention. Within Zen Buddhism (and during our Dō-in practice) we know this as Nen 念. The upper part of this character means 'ima' 今, 'now'. The lower part of the character 心 you will know by now ;). These two characters merged into 'Nen' 念, meaning wish, feeling, idea, thought, desire, or attention.

Practicing Nen 念 creates a better balance in the Heart energy, allowing us to observe better without judging, or getting too attached to ideas or material things.

The Heart Meridian nourishes the heart, helps make blood, and processes emotions. In Japan, the heart is where the consciousness resides. In Dō-in we also use the heart kanji 心 for consciousness, only it is pronounced as 'Shin' (after the Chinese pronunciation Shen).

The positive emotions associated with healthy Heart energy are love, joy, contentment, and forgiveness. The negative emotions associated with an imbalance in the Heart Meridian are hatred, guilt, and nervousness.

The heart is such a vital organ that three meridians - all of them belonging to the Fire element - regulate and protect the Heart energy. These are the Small Intestine, Heart Protector, and Triple Heater Meridian. In TCM, information that our senses transmit is also seen as nutrition. All three filter this information before it reaches the Heart.