Let's embrace our differences

Oubaitori, a Japanese concept inspired by flowers

This week, my husband is planting about 40 fruit trees that will ultimately give us plums, oranges, almonds, apricots, limes, hazelnuts … I’m looking forward to the delicious fruits and nuts of course, but also to the view when all the trees are blossoming.

Thinking about this reminded me of a great Japanese concept called Oubaitori. It is spelled “桜梅桃李” in Japanese. Each character individually represents a different flower: cherry, apricot, peach, and plum.

These trees grow together and bloom in Spring. Their flowers are different colours, shapes, size yet they’re all unique and beautiful. Oubaitori applies this idea to people. We’re all unique and beautiful. Let’s not compare ourselves to others.

I find it especially relevant on the yoga mat. Our bodies are so different, our bones are so different, our experiences are so different. Your ‘triangle’ will be different from mine and from someone else’s. There is no perfect shape to reproduce! What matters is what we experience, what we feel.

This is why I find it so confusing when someone says “I’m not good at yoga”. How can you not be good at yoga when yoga is about experiencing and feeling?

When I’m standing in front of a group, it’s such a pleasure to see how they each embody the poses. They’re all unique and beautiful like cherry, apricot, peach, and plum blossoms and personally, I would find it a bit boring if they well all similar.

Let’s embrace our differences.

See you on the mat beautiful blossoms!