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Ikebana as a Dynamic Meditation

The process of making it is as important as the outcome

By: EKATERINA SEEHAUS | 25-11-2020 | 2 min read
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Celebrate All Parts of the Plant

In the ancient Japanese floral art called ikebana, we celebrate all parts of the plant: leaves, fruits, roots, bark, and of course flowers. In my Scorched Earth arrangements, I deliberately minimized the use of flowers to let other members of the team shine!   Ikebana as a Dynamic Meditation by Ekaterina Seehaus  

Pure Delight

Isn’t the quince fruit gorgeous and worth celebrating? It is so powerful and sculptural. The fragrance of this fruit was as lovely as the one of freesia: so delicate and fresh. Having it both at the same time in my studio was pure delight.   Ikebana as a Dynamic Meditation by Ekaterina Seehaus  

Sing the Song of Autumn

Branches with leaves are worth being shown on their own. Those lines and colors going from golden to orange sing the song of autumn. And then there is a single green leaf that looks like the last “Goodbye” of the summer. Using naturally fading leaves, or those that were “worked on” by insects is another way of experiencing the impermanence of life and the beauty of imperfection. There is poetry in nature that we could see if we slow down.   Ikebana as a Dynamic Meditation by Ekaterina Seehaus  

I Can See a Dance

In the lines of forsythia branches, I can see a dance, something like the traditional Indian Kathak or Flamenco. I feel that there is no need to have too many flowers in this arrangement. They are here just to give the necessary strength to the movement of the branches, but they do not take away the attention. Even those leaves, that have fallen off the tree got a chance to shine one last time in the “Flowing and overflowing” theme arrangement.    

A Dynamic Meditation

You can look at ikebana as a dynamic meditation. The process of making it is as important as the outcome. I am sure many floral artists experience the same state of flow when working on their arrangements as we do in ikebana. If you are interested to find out more about ikebana and to experience it for yourself, I would be happy to invite you to one of the upcoming demonstrations in Zoom. Check my profile page to get in touch with me, or visit ikebanaweb for students / ikebanapro for professionals.
Ekaterina Seehaus profile picture
Ekaterina Seehaus

Hi, I am Ekaterina Seehaus, ikebana teacher and artist. My way to the floral art was not strait forward. It began when at the age of 11 I had to represent my school in a flower competition. But then there was an art school, engineering degree, MBA, corporate job and then finally Sogetsu school of the Japanese floral art called ikebana. Ikebana changed my life. It allowed me to connect to my true self through deep contact with nature, with flowers. Now I am teaching ikebana around the world. I also run a Floral Art Studio IkebanaPRO where we decorate events, create art objects and floral art installations for clients. It is my passion, my life, my humble way of contributing to harmony in the world. Lets share the love for flowers, nature and art here on Thursd!

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