This is what it is to be animist. We see and feel the spirit within the natural world and know we are not separate from it at all, but connected to it in every way.

All of these things become ingrained, they seep into the land, the streets and so it is no real surprise that these places have their own genius loci. All of the events that are happening now will also become ingrained in those places where they occur. We can affect the spirit of place, our actions. What we do and what we don’t.

Soon the leaves will unfurl and the cherry fruits will begin to form and grow, ripening in the heat of the summer months. But that time is not yet here and the blossoms are still at their best. Perhaps Hanami is one of the best mindfulness practices, the most easily applied.