All posts by Hélène Seiyu Codjo

I'm a flutist, shakuhachi teacher and performer.
Shakuhachi inspiration

Free Online Shakuhachi Workshop!

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On January 25th, 2026, at 5:00 pm (CET), I will be offering a free online workshop to celebrate the fifth anniversary of my virtual shakuhachi dojo on Patreon 🥳🎶🕊️

Virtual Shakuhachi Dojo

I started this dojo in February 2021, during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since then, this intimate space has been home to many meditations, tutorials, stories, and recordings, created to help you discover the shakuhachi, deepen your meditation practice, or improve your playing.

Beyond exclusive content, the dojo is also a place where you can connect with me personally.

This work is my humble legacy to the world. The motto I wrote at the very beginning still guides everything I do:

When you realise that the ultimate happiness is being yourself and that nobody can be better than you at it, then the competitive ego disappears. Remains the deep motivation to do your best at being yourself, for you and for the world. This is what this project is about.

Registration

To register, join the dojo for free and answer the poll in this post.

Registration is required to receive the workshop link and music notation.

The workshop will be held on Teams and will last 60 minutes.

Continue reading Free Online Shakuhachi Workshop! →
Shakuhachi practice

Effective Tips for Memorising Shakuhachi Honkyoku

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When I started playing in nature a few years ago, I quickly realised that I needed to learn my Honkyoku repertoire by heart. I wanted to be able to play anywhere, without relying on notation.

And then I made a huge discovery.

Why play Honkyoku by heart?

I wrote about this topic a few years ago (in this post), and looking back, I’m still using the same approach—only now, my repertoire has grown a lot.

Oral transmission

Traditional shakuhachi music is an oral tradition. Notation came later, mainly as a tool to remember and pass on the music. But you cannot truly play Honkyoku as it is meant to sound if you don’t know the style or have never heard it.

That’s why I make so many practice recordings for my students. You can find them on my SoundCloud page.

Playing by heart connects you more deeply to this tradition—and to yourself. Your listening shifts. You begin to follow in the footsteps of the Komusō monks.

Continue reading Effective Tips for Memorising Shakuhachi Honkyoku →
Shakuhachi for beginners, Shakuhachi Music

Kame-no-Shirabe: A Beginner’s Shakuhachi Composition

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Kame-no-Shirabe 亀 の 調

I’m thrilled to announce that my new composition for beginners, Kame-no-Shirabe (Tortoise’s Melody), commissioned by the European Shakuhachi Society, has been published in their Bamboo Newsletter of June 2025.

I am the fourth composer of their “Ignition Commission” program, and the first European one!

Celebration of slowness

Slowness is the motto of the piece!

“With calm and tranquility you’ll reach your goals”.

“If you sometimes feel like you are progressing slowly on your shakuhachi journey, this piece is a celebration of the slow pace of the tortoise. Slowness gives time to look at the details, to feel what is happening when you play, inside and out. It gives space to deepen your practice.
In some cultures, the tortoise is a symbol of wisdom, longevity and protection.“

Listen

You can listen to my composition here:

My Works for Shakuhachi Beginners

Continue reading Kame-no-Shirabe: A Beginner’s Shakuhachi Composition →
Shakuhachi practice

From the Heart

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On March 2, 2025, I’ll be giving a free online workshop organised by the European Shakuhachi Society. Click here for information and registration.

If you are interested, please register even if you cannot attend the event live. You’ll get the teaching material and a link to watch it back afterwards.

From the Heart

The theme of the workshop is From the Heart. I’ll be teaching Nyoi Chōshi, which is a short prelude to a longer piece, Nyoi, composed by Miyakawa Nyozan at the end of the 19th century.

The level is beginner/elementary but the workshop will also be interesting for more advanced students. Going back to the basics is always good!

Playing a simple piece allows for more precision to pitch, ornementation, phrasing, tone quality, etc. The beginners’ version will allow participants to learn the main line and enjoy its simplicity (simple doesn’t mean easy!).

We will also work to embody the piece so that you can make it your own.

You learn honkyoku from notation but you play it from the heart.

Continue reading From the Heart →
Meditation, Shakuhachi inspiration, Spirituality

“Why the Shakuhachi matters in a divided World”

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Happy and Healthy 2025!

I’m glad to share another inspiring post about shakuhachi written by the “Komuso Khronicles“: “The Shakuhachi: A tool for Interconnectedness Beyond Words, part 2” (see the original post down below).

A few reflections after reading the post

We cannot be reminded enough to stay connected to the essence of the shakuhachi. Whether it is during a public performance or a lesson with your teacher, what does really matter?
Your competitive mind, your ego, wants you to prove yourself. To prove yourself to yourself. To impress others and get external validation. To be good enough. To be the best.

The technical control on the flute is the way to express yourself the more accurately possible. It is a tool, not a goal.
Your sincere shakuhachi playing, the sounds you dare to share with the world, this is what matters. Breathe.

“Its sound bypasses the intellect and speaks directly to the heart, creating a space where differences dissolve, and unity prevails.”

What if you saw the shakuhachi as a bridge?

“A bridge between individuals, between the self and the universe, and between the personal and the universal. “

What if you saw the shakuhachi as a manifestation of impermanence?

Each note arises, resonates, and fades away, reflecting the impermanence of all things.

What if you saw what you’re experiencing while playing, performing, learning, practicing, breathing, as a tool to grow in your life?

The shakuhachi aligns with the personal dharma (duty or path) of self-discipline and growth. Learning to play it requires patience, focus, and humility, cultivating virtues that bring harmony to one’s life. Additionally, sharing its music can foster connections and peace within a community.

What if you saw the shakuhachi, however humble its international influence, as a profound and universal tool of interconnection?

Playing or listening to it can evoke a sense of unity with the cosmos, serving as a meditative practice that transcends individual ego and dualistic thinking.

“Why the Shakuhachi matters in a divided World?” Continue reading!

Continue reading “Why the Shakuhachi matters in a divided World” →
Shakuhachi Festival, Shakuhachi Music

World Shakuhachi Festival Texas 2025

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Here are some information about the World Shakuhachi Festival Texas 2025, on April 17~20, 2025. Here is the link to the website: https://wsf2025.com

“WSF 2025 is the eighth major international shakuhachi festival to be held since the original 1994 WSF convened in Bisei, Okayama Prefecture, Japan. It will feature a diverse range of music in concerts, workshops, lectures, exhibitions, masterclasses, and informal gatherings, in a diverse range of genres such as jazz, contemporary music, cross-cultural fusion, improvisation, video games, rock, and pop, among others.”

The Early-Bird registration  is now open, until December 31, 2024.

The festival offers the possibility to apply for a scholarship to potential WSF 2025 participants from any country. Scholarship application deadline is December 15, 2024.

There will be a performer’s competition during the festival. This competition is open to all registered general participants of the World Shakuhachi Festival 2025. Deadline for submissions will be December 31st.

Have a look at the general schedule to get an idea of the program, and find all the details on the concerts and workshops pages. It is going to be amazing!

I feel honoured to be part of this unique event as an invited guest and to represent the Hijirikai school there!

Hope to see some of you there!

Meditation, Spirituality

Shoshikan meditation practice and Shakuhachi

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I’m reposting here an inspiring blogpost about the Shoshikan meditation practice from the blog “Komuso Khronicles” written by the Komuso monk Fuu. As mentioned at the beginning of the post:

Shoshikan (初心観), also known as “observation of the beginner’s mind,” is a Zen meditation practice that emphasizes maintaining a sense of curiosity, openness, and acceptance, free from preconceived notions or biases.

At every stage of your shakuhachi journey, it is essential to stay in touch with your beginner’s mind (curiosity, openness, acceptance, creativity, wonder, etc.). I sometimes see in my students the beginner’s enthusiasm fade when faced with the technical difficulties of the flute. Developing a non-judgemental attitude based on self-observation helps you navigate the ups and downs of the journey.

The article covers several important aspects of shakuhachi playing: Breath and Awareness, Tone Quality, Physical and Mental Posture, Unity of Breath-Body-Instrument, Self-Discovery and Connection to Nature, as well as a comparison between Shoshikan 照思観 and Suizen (吹禅 – Blowing zen)

Happy reading! Feel free to leave a comment and to subscribe to the Komuso Khronicles!

Beyond Blowing…
Shakuhachi Music

Shakuhachi Notation

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As summer approaches – at least in my part of the world – I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be teaching and performing at the European Shakuhachi Society Summer School in Finland from July 29th to August 1st! It promises to be an exciting opportunity for all involved.

When asked for my program, I selected two compositions by Fukuda Teruhisa sensei and two of my own compositions.

In a diverse summer school setting with various teachers and schools, I think our compositions would serve as an excellent introduction to the Hijirikai style, a modern school rooted in ancient tradition.

I’m excited to meet people in person again! If you’d like to join, click here to get all the information.

Shakuhachi Notation

Thinking about composition leads me to consider notation and various approaches to it.

Continue reading Shakuhachi Notation →
Shakuhachi inspiration, Shakuhachi Music

10 years of Shakuhachi School!

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Just a quick post in this busy period to celebrate with you the end of 2023 and the seven years of existence of this blog!

I look back on a rich year, the highlight of which was my trip to Japan, coinciding with the 10th anniversary of my shakuhachi school in the Netherlands, the Dutch branch of Hijiri-Kai (Sainte-École), founded by Fukuda Teruhisa in Tokyo, Japan.

What does a shakuhachi school mean nowadays in a Western country?

Continue reading 10 years of Shakuhachi School! →
Shakuhachi history, Shakuhachi inspiration, Shakuhachi video, Spirituality

Shakuhachi Pilgrimage in Japan – Part 3 – A Komuso story

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I started my trip in Japan visiting my shakuhachi master Fukuda Teruhisa in Tokyo. We practiced lots of music, including some of his compositions. For each piece, I asked him about the meaning and his intention. At a moment, I asked him if there was any particular order to play a set of pieces and he answered with a story, a Komuso story…

Continue reading Shakuhachi Pilgrimage in Japan – Part 3 – A Komuso story →