Publisher's Synopsis
Japanese Gardens reflect the Japanese ideals of Nature and have found universal appeal in western societies. A "journey" in the Japanese Garden invites the visitor to engage and experience Nature through understanding the Japanese sense of sustaining well-being through Traditional cultural understandings in order to enrich the quality of their lives. In doing so, they learn to experience and appreciate Nature's elements (i.e., air, fire, earth, water) through the senses. The United States is fortunate to have many Japanese Gardens. These gardens have been a beautiful addition to the American landscape and a readily available resource that encourages cultural understanding and appreciation in a natural setting. This Guide will help you gain a deeper understanding of the Japanese Garden, enhance your garden visit, increase awareness and most importantly, support your well-being as you learn about and experience traditional cultural insights and practices. The Japanese Garden is informative and restorative whether the visit is a leisurely stroll or an opportunity to pause and reflect on specific aspects of the garden and self. This Guide contains 2 walks for each season. Each walk focuses on information appropriate to that season and is divided between discussions of Traditional Teachings, the Japanese Garden, Japanese Culture and Well-being. Within each walk there are: -Goals for each walk.-Traditional Teaching principles and a discussion of their relationship to the Japanese Garden and well-being.-Questions to think about. and-Areas for self-reflection, which can serve as a "journal" of your walks.
