Category Archives: Spirituality

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” →
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 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 →
Meditation, Spirituality

Online Meditations 2022

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Did you know that my weekly online meditations, which I started in May 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic with the purpose of staying connected and blowing together for better health in the world, are still going on?

Every week on Wednesday, we blow shakuhachi and meditate together for 20 to 30 minutes on Zoom (10 to 15 minutes Chakra Meditation and 10 minutes RO-buki.).

During the sessions, the focus goes inwards. You connect to your body, to your inner peace through your breathing and blow with full awareness what your heart tells you (solidarity with the world’s sufferings, healing, compassion, love, emptiness, silence,…), uniting your sounds and efforts with those of the other participants. 

“A group of people coming together in a state of presence generate a collective energy field of great intensity.”
(Eckhart Tolle)

UPDATE JUNE 2023

After more than three years, the Online Meditations have reached their end. It is no longer possible to join.

If you are interested to meditate with me, please join my Virtual Shakuhachi Dojo on Patreon or follow me on Insight Timer.

Support to the blog is still welcome!

I SUPPORT SHAKUHACHI MEDITATION
Continue reading Online Meditations 2022 →
Meditation, Shakuhachi practice, Spirituality

Deep Breathing Meditation

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What is your relationship with your breathing? Do you ignore it, train it, observe it?… Has the Covid-19 pandemic affected your awareness about your breathing in any way?

Blowing the shakuhachi is a deep breathing training. Over the years, I notice that my breathing’s awareness and quality have improved, and as a result, the connection with my breathing has increased my inner peace, my ability to manage my emotions, and more generally, my feeling of happiness.

Since February 2022, I give live meditation sessions of the app Insight Timer. I share with the participants the deep breathing meditation training in relation to the musical tradition of shakuhachi, which combines the unique sounds of the flute with inspiring music.
Being connected with people from all over the world at the same time is really special.

These sessions are FREE, so don’t hesitate to follow me and attend my sessions!

You can also train by yourself anytime, listening to my audio meditations on the app. Keep reading to discover how.

Subscribe to my blog here and don’t miss any post:

Continue reading Deep Breathing Meditation →
Shakuhachi Music, Spirituality

REFLECTION

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Reflection CD Cover

My new CD “Reflection” is live !! This project started in the last trimester of 2019 with the composition of the first meditation pieces and it followed me into the Covid-19 period. Just when the pandemic started, I was about to perform some of my new pieces during a meditation concert that got cancelled. The first one of a long row… But these compositions and this recording project supported me day-in day-out, until I felt that it was time to release them into the digital world.

So here it is and you can listen to it through this link on your favourite digital platform.
Or listen and buy your favorite tracks on Bandcamp.

The beautiful cover photo was taken by my husband Wim Scheenen. Please have a look at his inspiring website.

A short review by Elizabeth Brown (December 2021)

These days, I often find myself turning to Hélène Seiyu’s new CD, Reflection. It’s beautiful to listen to in order, as a whole–or, you can choose a single piece and let it repeat endlessly, as meditation. 

Seven of Hélène’s compositions are anchored by two traditional pieces, Neri Sashi and Higo Sashi, all played in a resonant setting on large instruments. Her own compositions sound both freely improvisatory and firmly rooted in the tradition; only a shakuhachi player could write these pieces. I love Hélène’s playing; every sound and every pause come from deep in the heart. We all need this kind of music now.

Elizabeth Brown, composer/performer.

Continue reading REFLECTION →
Meditation, Spirituality

ROBUKI & Loving-Kindness

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WORLD SHAKUHACHI DAY on October 8 – Let’s blow 108 RO!

Blow away Covid-19 !

This week there will be the first World Shakuhachi Day. We will blow 108 R0 to “express condolence with victims of Covid-19, sympathy and encouragement to infected and hospitalized patients, and to dedicate a heartfelt thanks to the medical staff and hope for a solution to fight back the disease. Let’s blow 108 Ro with the spirit of bowing away this global pandemic.”

As my ROBUKI practice lasts normally around 10 minutes, I trained counting until 108 RO and it took me 27 minutes (4 RO / minute). I didn’t have difficulty to count, putting a mental mark every 12 RO up to 9 times. Keeping a regular breathing rhythm and relaxing in the sound help me to stay focused.

If you have difficulties to count until 108, here are some tips about how to keep track of 108 RO.

For my following sessions of 108 RO, I put on the timer on 27 minutes, with a bell ring every 3 minutes (=12 ROx9). This helps me to hold on to my rhythm of 4 RO / minute and enables me to notice immediately if my breath becomes a little more shallow or my lips tense up.

On Thursday October 8, I will be celebrating the World Shakuhachi Day online at 8:30 PM (UTC+2) with a ROBUKI of 27 minutes (108 RO). If you would like to join, just contact me. All you need is a shakuhachi and a computer or a tablet with a webcam.
Let’s blow 108 RO together!

Next to this event, ROBUKI is is part of my regular shakuhachi meditation. I like to put on the timer instead of counting how many RO I blow because it allows me to concentrate fully on my favourites meditation practices, which are the Loving-Kindness and the Tonglen Meditations.

Continue reading ROBUKI & Loving-Kindness →
Daily life, Spirituality

Robuki in the Time of Covid-19

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When most of us on the planet are more or less locked down at home due to the Covid-19 pandemic, when lots of stressful information are endless released all around the world, I was wondering “what can I do, as a shakuhachi player?” And then I got this message from Kiku Day:

“We are a group of shakuhachi players who did a little brain storm and we came up with the idea of a ROBUKI WAVE. We suggest to make a ROBUKI WAVE across our planet as a gesture of solidarity, contemplation and healing of the situation with Covid-19 we are in at present! Join us playing ROBUKI at 12 noon your own time for as long or short as you want. We start tomorrow Monday 23rd March 2020! We will at least continue for a week and see if we continue further. Imagine as the Earth rotate there will be people playing robuki at 12 noon across the whole planet. […Facebook event details…] We will try to make a video with ROBUKIi across the whole planet afterwards.”

I immediately loved the idea of blowing RO together to connect and join our efforts and thoughts for the planet. I passed on the message to my students and friends in the Netherlands & Belgium and some of them reacted with a strong enthusiasm. This made me think that it would be nice to meet up online to blow together. I had never used ZOOM before, so it was a good opportunity to learn quickly how to use it and set up a daily Robuki-meeting!

Continue reading Robuki in the Time of Covid-19 →
Daily life, Spirituality

Floating Souls (2)

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Anime Fluttuanti

Last year, I presented the fantastic work of my colleague and friend Fiore Seichiku De Mattia: “Floatings Souls” (Anime Fluttuanti), a project conducted as part of the Music Research Laboratory in Psychiatric Community, Fondazione Emilia Bosis (Bergamo). Since that time, Fiore made and uploaded 3 new videos about this project, chosen as the most representative ones. In these videos, he plays original shakuhachi solo compositions of Fukuda Teruhisa: Kanjinhijiri, Roro no Shirabe and Hijiri.
The spiritual inspiration of Fukuda sensei’s compositions, the “floating sounds” of the shakuhachi and Fiore’s profound reflection about the mystery of the other guide us to find the connection to these “floating souls”.
It is moving and beautiful. Continue reading Floating Souls (2) →

Daily life, Spirituality

Playing shakuhachi at funerals

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We don’t really like to think about death. Although death is part of life, it is quite taboo in our society and a difficult topic to address. Like it would bring bad luck.

Two and half weeks ago, I gave a shakuhachi presentation in a zen center in Rotterdam (The Netherlands). I gave explanations about the history of the instrument, played a couple of honkyoku, and guided the participants to make their first sounds on the shakuhachi.  We also had a very nice talk about the relationships between shakuhachi and zen meditation. It was a very rich experience for all of us. At a moment, while I was playing, one participant became very emotional. Afterwards, the organiser of the workshop, who is one of my students, told me that when I was playing, he was thinking that shakuhachi would be very appropriate to be played during funerals. “Actually” I answered, “I played a week ago during the funeral of my cousin. I am quite used to play at family funerals. Before, I used to play the flute, but now, playing the shakuhachi adds a spiritual dimension I really appreciate and need myself.”
I also told him about the time I was asked to play for a nature funeral of a total stranger.
During my demonstration at the zen center, the piece the participant became emotional with was Azuma Jishi (Azuma no kyoku). Was supposed to be. I did start playing it, but in the middle of it, as I was playing by heart, I mixed it up with Kumoi Jishi, which was the piece I played for my cousin’s funeral, and couldn’t come back to Azuma Jishi anymore, so I ended up playing Kumoi Jishi.
My student’s comment about thinking of a funeral while I was playing and the participant’s reaction during this piece make me think that there was still a lot of my sadness from the death of my cousin in my shakuhachi play on this day. Continue reading Playing shakuhachi at funerals →