The Japanese Art of Kintsugi
October 8, 2025 by Lisa Guyman
Filed under ., Newsletter
Hey beautiful soul,
There’s this thing we sometimes forget — that to be human is to be gloriously, messily, divinely human.
We don’t get to skip over the hard stuff. As Rumi says in The Guest House:
“This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival…
Welcome and entertain them all.
…
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.”
Joy, anger, grief, ease — whatever knocks on the door — the invitation is to meet it, not push it away. Sometimes that’s hard, because we’d rather numb it, explain it away, or cover it up with busyness.
But when we acknowledge what’s here without judging it, something begins to shift.
That’s the wisdom embedded in the 5 Reiki Principles, and in the quiet stillness of meditation and Reiki.
Have you heard of the Japanese art of Kintsugi?
Rather than throwing away broken pottery, Japanese artists mend the cracks with a lacquer mixed with gold. The cracks aren’t hidden. They’re honored.
The once-broken bowl is now more unique and beautiful, its history celebrated and shimmering in the light.
An ornate Japanese bowl, whose cracks have been mended with golden lacquer
What if we treated our emotional “cracks” in the same way?
Our mistakes, heartbreaks, and struggles — instead of covering them in judgment or self-criticism — we could fill them with compassion, patience, and love.
We’d still see where life cracked us open… but those very places might become the most luminous parts of who we are.
And because all is energy, the kindness we extend inward ripples outward — to the people we encounter, the spaces we inhabit, and even this beautiful blue speck we call home.
The energy you walk through life with affects everything… and you’re affected in return. We’re all connected in this shimmering web.
Here’s a gentle practice you might try tonight:
Hands on your heart. Close your eyes. Think of one place in your life that feels tender or “cracked.”
Imagine Reiki energy, golden like Kintsugi lacquer, flowing into that space. See it filling and sealing, not erasing — honoring what’s been while letting its beauty shine. Breathe here a while.
Because you — all parts of you, even the scarred and jagged ones — are a work of art.
And just like Rumi said (in another poem):
“Don’t you know yet? It is your light that lights the world.”
With love,
Lisa
P.S. If you’d like a visual or written reminder, I’ve made a printable PDF of The Guest House poem. Maybe place it somewhere you’ll see it — a cue to welcome each guest as a teacher.
P.P.S. The founder of Reiki, Mikao Usui, sat twice daily to recite the principles, and recommeded all Reiki practitioners on a path of awakening to do the same. The Reiki principles are a wonderful way to live with mindfulness and intention as you navigate the landscape of daily life. Explore my mini-course on the Reiki Principles.
