Ichigo ichie: the Japanese philosophy of living each moment as unique

Many times, animated movies leave great messages, teachings, reflections and phrases worthy of being applied in daily life. Such is the case of the reflection on the present made by the teacher Oogway, the old and wise turtle, in Kung Fu Panda:

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called present.

This phrase comes up because talk about japanese philosophy ichigo ichie is to talk about the value of the present moment. ichigo ichie It can be translated as «once, a meeting» and also as «at this moment, an opportunity».

The meaning of this is that Each moment that you experience throughout your life is a unique treasure, which will never be repeated in the same way.. So if you let it slip away without enjoying it, the moment will be lost forever.

Becoming aware of this helps you reduce the speed with which you go through life, which makes you miss moments that could be wonderful but are lost in the routine of everyday life.

ichigo ichie It allows you to remember that each of the moments you live is infinitely valuable and deserves your full attention.. Thus, this philosophy allows you to lead a happier and more fulfilling life.

The following 10 principles summarize Japanese philosophy ichigo ichie and they will help you put it into practice in the different areas of your life:

1. Do not postpone special moments, there may not be a tomorrow to do them. Keep in mind that every opportunity comes only once and if you let it go, it is lost forever. Learn to see and face life as a matter of «now or never.»

2. Live as if this were only going to happen once in your life.. Enjoy each experience as if it were the first or the last time you experienced it. Be aware of the unique and ephemeral nature of each moment, to value them and give them the attention they require.

3. Dwell in the present. Journeys to the past and future are often painful and almost always useless. You can’t change what happened. You cannot know what will happen. But here, right now, all the possibilities in the world are alive and you have to take advantage of them.

4. Do something you’ve never done before.. As Einstein said, you can’t expect different results if you always do the same thing over and over again. So dare to get out of the routine, to break schemes, and try something new.

5. Practice meditation. You can sit as such to meditate, or just pause and breathe while watching the clouds, the falling rain, the branches of the trees moving in the wind, your dog or cat playing or sleeping, or whatever else that allows you to calm down by observing the miracle of life and keeping your attention in the now.

6. Apply full attention to your five senses. Try to train yourself in the art of listening, looking, touching, tasting and smelling to give each moment the richness of human perception. This will also allow you to be more in tune with others and increase your level of empathy.

7. Become aware of the coincidences that happen on your way. This will help you improve in reading the signs sent by the universe. Keeping a journal where you record those moments of daily magic will increase your ability to follow the invisible threads that connect everything and everyone.

8. Make every meeting a party. Do not wait for a special occasion to be happy and share a good time with your loved ones; remember that being alive is already a special occasion, so it is not necessary for a certain date to arrive to experience extraordinary things. With the right mindset, every day can be a celebration.

9. If you don’t like what’s around you or inside of you, do something different.. Make use of your transformative power to reinvent yourself as many times as necessary. If your reality is not what you want, you have the opportunity to create another; just do what it takes to make it happen.

10. Be a hunter of special moments. As with any activity, the more you practice, the better and richer the results will be. Remember that special does not have to be something expensive or complicated, but simply something that makes you smile and feel good.