Less is More

October 06, 2020

Less is More

Contributor: Sandra Fang

Yin Yang Japan Ambassador

Yoga Teacher based in Kansai (Yoga Alliance E-RYT200)

Main Teacher of Yogis English Workshop

sandrafangyoga.com

 

9:30pm on a September evening, I’m drafting this writing on my computer after my son fell asleep in the tent. And my husband is setting up his camera to capture a sky full of stars. We have spent the last two days camping out in Wakayama prefecture during the long weekend. I can hear the sounds of the ocean waves not so distant away and the sounds of insects in the woods. The crisp breezes blowing, with the smell of campfires set up by other campers nearby.

 

3 quarters of 2020 has passed by really fast. This year has taught me one important thing – less is more.

 

With the unexpected COVID-19, my work has cut, income has dramatically decreased. A worse financial situation comes with the need to reduce and to choose mindfully. Every time I want to buy something, I need to think twice. Is this necessary? Will I use it for a long time? Does it spark joy in my life?

 

If we could not afford traveling far and staying at ryokans, we can still bring our tent and sleep outdoors.

Recently when it’s not rainy, we like to pack our breakfast and have a picnic by the Kamogawa river in the early morning before we send our kid to school and then head to work.

Despite the financial situation, I haven’t noticed a decreased level of happiness in my life. The best things in life are usually for free.

Imagine if you could only buy a few pieces of clothes in a year, what would you choose? What kind of qualities are you looking for? For me, it’s definitely comfort and something that fits my own personality.

 

 

Now at 10:30pm the night is darker and the wind is getting cold. I remember a story of Itzhak Perlman, a great violinist who suffered from polio. In the middle of a concert, one of the strings on his violin snapped and broke. Instead of getting the string replaced or the violin changed, after a pause, Perlman set his violin under the chin and signaled to the conductor to begin. It is impossible to pay a violin concerto with only three strings but that was what he did.

 

The performance was so astonishing that the audience rose and cheered. He smiled and spoke, “You know, sometimes it is the artist’s task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left.”

 

Tops:Dolman Pullover White

Inner:Cropped Tank  Black haze

Bottoms: Botanical Trenka Black haze