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Shodo: La práctica del mindfulness a través del antiguo arte de la caligrafía japonesa
Una hermosa guía para armonizar la conexión del cuerpo y la mente a través de una elegante caligrafía japonesa para los fanáticos del Ikigai y Wabi Sabi. SHO?: escribir, escritura, caligrafía. DO ?: el camino, el camino o el Tao, el camino de la vida. El shodo («el camino de la escritura») es el arte de la caligrafía tradicional japonesa, una de las expresiones artísticas más antiguas de este país. Combinada con el mindfulness, la caligrafía shodo se convierte en una poderosa práctica que nos permite vivenciar aspectos tan sutiles del zen como la experiencia directa del presente o la trascendencia del ser. En el gesto de deslizar el pincel por el papel, el cuerpo y la mente se encuentran en armonía, libres de pensamientos y perturbaciones, una conexión que potencia el flujo de la energía a la vez que beneficia nuestras capacidades físicas y cognitivas. La artista y calígrafa Rie Takeda nos introduce con belleza en el camino del shodo, desde aspectos introductorios como la preparación del espacio o los materiales necesarios hasta el dibujo paso a paso, primero de los trazos básicos y luego de palabras completas. Una obra elegante, decorada con los preciosos diseños de la autora, ideal para iniciarse en la filosofía y la práctica de la caligrafía meditativa.
256 pages, Paperback
Published October 10, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 28, 2022
I have previously done an online course on Shodo, so I was interested to see what this book would be like. Overall, I think it is a good guide, especially for beginners. As well as discussing Zen and mindfulness, the author reviews the equipment required for Shodo and the basic strokes, before introducing a series of kanji to practice with in more detail. The book is nicely laid out and illustrated throughout with useful diagrams and images of completed kanji calligraphy. It would definitely make a good introductory text for anyone interested in Shodo and it gets 4 stars from me.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 5, 2025
I purchased this book along with a few others to learn the basics of East Asian brush calligraphy. Of the many resources I encountered, this one gradually became my personal favorite. However I wouldn’t recommend this book as a sole resource.
As a beginner, I often find my brush work to be clumsy and not at all like what I am trying to mimic. This means that, mid-stroke, I find myself disappointed and frustrated with the result before the piece is even finished. I also get so hyperfocused on trying to get the technique right that I cannot relax.
I’ve found Takeda’s book to be the right antidote for this situation. She does, I believe, the best job of presenting the Zen heart of shodo: posture, awareness, diaphragmatic breathing, meditation, body-mind integration, and ki. As a scientist, I’ve found discussions of ki to be too vague for my taste. But I found the presentation of ki here to help toward achieving the clear mind that allows one to enjoy the process, regardless of result.
Takeda’s style is gentle and friendly. At first I also felt it too repetitive and unclear. I initially resonated with other authors. But over time my opinion flipped, and I found myself cherishing the warmth and joy of her tone.
An additional strength of this book is the ten expressions (each including anywhere from one to four characters) that you learn to brush. I’ve encountered books that teach more, but the ten here are broken down and explained thoroughly. I note that they are also presented roughly in order of difficulty, which to me indicates a well-thought out, didactical progression.
The only weakness I maintain is some imprecision in the description of technique. All basic brush strokes and their uses in characters are described completely. However, I found a few descriptions confusing. For example, compare “Pull your energy upward from the back of the brush while you let the tip slowly come down toward” (harai-right) and “Pull the energy upward and let the tip of the brush follow” (hane). In these two contexts, “up” means either lifting out-of-plane or pushing away from the body. This and other examples left me confused. I found cross-referencing other books or YouTube videos necessary.
To sum, I find Takeda’s book lets the heart of shodo shine brightly. For a self-learner like me, I consider it an indispensable resource.
As a beginner, I often find my brush work to be clumsy and not at all like what I am trying to mimic. This means that, mid-stroke, I find myself disappointed and frustrated with the result before the piece is even finished. I also get so hyperfocused on trying to get the technique right that I cannot relax.
I’ve found Takeda’s book to be the right antidote for this situation. She does, I believe, the best job of presenting the Zen heart of shodo: posture, awareness, diaphragmatic breathing, meditation, body-mind integration, and ki. As a scientist, I’ve found discussions of ki to be too vague for my taste. But I found the presentation of ki here to help toward achieving the clear mind that allows one to enjoy the process, regardless of result.
Takeda’s style is gentle and friendly. At first I also felt it too repetitive and unclear. I initially resonated with other authors. But over time my opinion flipped, and I found myself cherishing the warmth and joy of her tone.
An additional strength of this book is the ten expressions (each including anywhere from one to four characters) that you learn to brush. I’ve encountered books that teach more, but the ten here are broken down and explained thoroughly. I note that they are also presented roughly in order of difficulty, which to me indicates a well-thought out, didactical progression.
The only weakness I maintain is some imprecision in the description of technique. All basic brush strokes and their uses in characters are described completely. However, I found a few descriptions confusing. For example, compare “Pull your energy upward from the back of the brush while you let the tip slowly come down toward” (harai-right) and “Pull the energy upward and let the tip of the brush follow” (hane). In these two contexts, “up” means either lifting out-of-plane or pushing away from the body. This and other examples left me confused. I found cross-referencing other books or YouTube videos necessary.
To sum, I find Takeda’s book lets the heart of shodo shine brightly. For a self-learner like me, I consider it an indispensable resource.
January 1, 2023
This is a beautiful introduction to the world of Shodo. The author expertly outlines such an ancient and important art in a way that is easy to understand for beginners and non-Japanese speaking people. Covering topics such as essential equipment, initial techniques and practice kanji, as well as the more weighty aspects of zen and mindfulness, this rounded approach to Shodo ensures anyone can practice and begin to see the benefits of this kind of approach.
Having the author's examples throughout the book was really wonderful, and helped to gain that understanding of the difference between Shodo and merely writing out the characters, It also assists with learning Japanese for anyone not familiar with the kanji covered. I felt like reading on my kindle didn't allow the work to shine as it should, so I'd recommend getting a hard copy of this book,
A lovely piece that I would recommend to anyone with an interest in Japanese language & culture, mindfulness, or calligraphy itself.
Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for this ARC - all opinions here are my own, honest, and freely given.
Having the author's examples throughout the book was really wonderful, and helped to gain that understanding of the difference between Shodo and merely writing out the characters, It also assists with learning Japanese for anyone not familiar with the kanji covered. I felt like reading on my kindle didn't allow the work to shine as it should, so I'd recommend getting a hard copy of this book,
A lovely piece that I would recommend to anyone with an interest in Japanese language & culture, mindfulness, or calligraphy itself.
Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for this ARC - all opinions here are my own, honest, and freely given.
October 13, 2022
I enjoyed this and found it really useful as I have recently taken interested in calligraphy. I have yet to try the techniques but am looking forward to putting them into practice.
Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.
Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.
May 17, 2023
I very much enjoyed this beautiful book. The illustrations and directions are well done, concise and clear. The combination of Calligraphy and Mindfulness interested me and Shodo was not a disappointment. I would thank the publishers and Netgalley for an ARC of this lovely book.
December 18, 2022
A good book for beginners, the book is very well written
The zen and mindfulness was an interesting part to read and helped me to think about things I usually forget about. As a child I was very interested in Calligraphy so this was a nostalgic read for me and it's something I think I'd like to take back up again, it's often a dying art as we move further into the modern world, it's something we should keep alive, Shodo is very expertly researched and translates into a wonderful book that is slightly different to most given the subject topic and it's because it has the highlighted area's of zen and meditation something I feel the modern world needs.
A very calming book and a very interested and mindful read.
Many thanks to Netgalley for the free ARC in return for my somewhat late but not forgotten review!
The zen and mindfulness was an interesting part to read and helped me to think about things I usually forget about. As a child I was very interested in Calligraphy so this was a nostalgic read for me and it's something I think I'd like to take back up again, it's often a dying art as we move further into the modern world, it's something we should keep alive, Shodo is very expertly researched and translates into a wonderful book that is slightly different to most given the subject topic and it's because it has the highlighted area's of zen and meditation something I feel the modern world needs.
A very calming book and a very interested and mindful read.
Many thanks to Netgalley for the free ARC in return for my somewhat late but not forgotten review!
October 7, 2022
I would like to thank NetGalley and Watkins Media Limited for an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.
I thoroughly enjoyed Shodo by Rie Takeda. This book is very clearly written. I enjoyed the detailed breakdown of the different Shodo Calligraphy techniques. The stoke instructions were easy to follow, especially on the ebook set up next to my workspace. The beginning of the book has a detailed history of the practice and is quite interesting. All of these things in themselves would make this book a real gem for anyone's art room. What sets this book apart is taking the idea of a regular Shodo practice into a more meditative, mindfulness practice. The relaxation and energy achieved from trying her techniques were much welcomed by this stressed-out reader!
I thoroughly enjoyed Shodo by Rie Takeda. This book is very clearly written. I enjoyed the detailed breakdown of the different Shodo Calligraphy techniques. The stoke instructions were easy to follow, especially on the ebook set up next to my workspace. The beginning of the book has a detailed history of the practice and is quite interesting. All of these things in themselves would make this book a real gem for anyone's art room. What sets this book apart is taking the idea of a regular Shodo practice into a more meditative, mindfulness practice. The relaxation and energy achieved from trying her techniques were much welcomed by this stressed-out reader!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews