Shinto is a native philosophy and spiritual system in Japan. The origin of the word means ‘the way of God’. Shinto emphasises relationships with nature, land and environment as a gateway to our higher selves. The belief regards a divine spirit (kami) to live in trees, mountains, deep waters and even seasons .The nature becomes a divinity itself and the major principle revolves around the concept of living in harmony with the environment. Shinto consists of reverence and gratitude to the land, it’s nature, and the life that these natural elements give to human beings.
Although Shinto does not have iconic leaders or dogmas (except mythological figures), there are rules and rituals observed by its followers. The main purpose of such spiritual practices is to purify our body, mind and spirit and elevate our soul vibrations. This is seen as the way to connect with kami.
As we face global environmental problems, Shinto principles of not only appreciating nature, but recognising that nature is the source of life, gain critical importance. Self-awareness, purification of thoughts and intentions, ethics rooted in respect to nature revives old wisdom which seems to be so relevant today.
Join our talk about Shinto beliefs and rituals which we can adopt in our modern lives and the ways to strengthen our connection to nature.
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SPEAKER – AZUMI UCHITANI
Azumi Uchitani is an Intercultural business consultant, keynote speaker, writer, artist and founder of Japanese SALON art & culture, based in the Netherlands. She is a two-times TEDx speaker, appearing Dutch TV and media and delivering talks to an international audience in Europe and in the US.
Azumi is on a mission to build an essential bridge between Japan and Europe, helping global leaders discover Japanese ancient wisdom beyond culture, teaching how to apply its wisdom in everyday life, act with inner peace and create
conscious leadership and fulfilling life. Azumi decodes the complexity of Japanese culture, tradition, philosophy, spirituality and unspoken rules into a simple essence of wisdom. She was born into a traditional spiritual Japanese family and raised with the teachings of Shingon Buddhism and Shinto. The spiritual and cultural practices, such as tea ceremony, flower arrangement, calligraphy have always been a part of her life, besides that, her grandmother was a kimono maker.
Her insights, a series of talks are available on her YouTube channel “5 minutes on Japanese Wisdom†on YouTube.
http://www.azumiuchitani.com
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