5 stars for Wabi Sabi: Japanese Wisdom for a Perfectly Imperfect Life by Beth Kempton.
I remember very well the day I finished reading this book. 9th January 2026. I told myself I will get down to writing my review that weekend. Days passed. Weeks passed. Months passed. The more I procastinate, the more I don't feel like sitting down to write. I justify myself with reasons for the delay. This and that. Excuses really. Ultimately, it boils down to priority. I make time for a newfound hobby, yet I did not set aside time for my all-time favourite pastime. But still, better late than never. So, here goes.
Wabi Sabi is a book that inspires us to find our own gentle rhythm to simplify, deepen our connection with nature, concentrate on what really matters to us, and discover happiness right where we are. It guides us to sense the essence of wabi sabi for ourselves and welcome it into our lives as inspiration for a new way of beholding the world.
In chapter three "Living with Nature", the author shares lessons from the Yamabushi. I am quietly pleased with it as I can totally relate to it having joined a mountain retreat in Yamagata Prefecture in May 2023. The guided Yamabushi Hike to Mount Haguro is a deeply empowering experience, one that heals me and one that I will never forget.
The book also shares useful tips for decluttering, soulful shopping, shinrin-yoku (森林浴 forest bathing) and the beauty of ageing. To quote "We have a tendency to look at the ageing process as something to be avoided, feared even. But everything about wabi sabi tells us that it is to be embraced - that we bloom and ripen with time; that our character develops and our wisdom deepens as we age; that we have more to offer the world with every experience we go through."
At the end of this book, my main takeaway is summed up in three words: imperfect, impermanent, incomplete.
Accepting that everything is imperfect, impermanent and incomplete guides us to living a simpler and more meaningful life. Wabi sabi is a state of the heart - experiencing the world not with the logical mind but with the feeling heart, and with all our sense. When we are able to let go of perfection and accept ourselves just as we are, we can be content with less, find beauty in everyday life simply by slowing down, reconnecting with nature and looking for things to appreciate.
This is a great book to start the year with. There are so many things to like that I found myself jotting down chunks and chunks of quotes. I know they will come in handy some day when I have need to refresh my memory and remind myself to "Wabi Sabi".
Publisher: Piatkus Books
Publication date: 28 Aug 2018
*** Favourite Quote 1 ***
The secret of wabi sabi lies in seeing the world not with the logical mind but through the feeling heart.
*** Favourite Quote 2 ***
A search for wabi sabi is a journey to the heart of life itself. Open your eyes and embrace the mystery of all that is to come.
*** Favourite Quote 3 ***
Wabi is about finding beauty in simplicity, and a spiritual richness and serenity in detaching from the material world. Sabi is more concerned with the passage of time, with the way that all things grow and decay and how ageing alters the visual nature of those things.
*** Favourite Quote 4 ***
It's less about what we see and more about how we see.
*** Favourite Quote 5 ***
Ultimately, wabi is a mindset that appreciates humility, simplicity and frugality as routes to tranquillity and contentment. The spirit of wabi is deeply connected to the idea of accepting that our true needs are simple, and of being humble and grateful for the beauty that already exists right where we are.
*** Favourite Quote 6 ***
Sabi is a condition created by time, not the human hand...
It is beauty revealed in the process of use and decay..
*** Favourite Quote 7 ***
Sabi beauty reminds us of our own connection with the past, of the natural cycle of life and of our very own mortality.
*** Favourite Quote 8 ***
Wabi sabi goes beyond the beauty of any given object or environment, to refer to one's response to that profound beauty. Wabi sabi is a feeling, and it is intangible. One's wabi sabi is not the same as another's, because each of us experiences the world in different ways.
*** Favourite Quote 9 ***
Wabi sabi teaches us to be content with less, in a way that feels like more.
*** Favourite Quote 10 ***
At its essence, the experience of wabi sabi is an intuitive response to beauty which reflects the true nature of things as they are. This experience of wabi sabi is often felt in the presence of natural materials, which is why spending time in nature can be such a powerful experience.
Nature just is, and welcomes you, just as you are.
*** Favourite Quote 11 ***
Wabi sabi invites you to tune into your natural rhythm, in this season of your life, in this season of the year, in this moment of your day.
*** Favourite Quote 12 ***
The medicine of the forest is far more than a contemporary wellness trend. People have lived in forests since ancient times. Nature is in our blood. It's in our bones. It's in our very human spirit. It is the haunting call of the mountains and the swirling pull of the sea; the whispering of the wind and the secrets in the trees.
*** Favourite Quote 13 ***
Nature is the home of miracles... When we take the time to stop and look, each one of these gifts reminds us to pay attention to the fleeting beauty of our own lives.
*** Favourite Quote 14 ***
Wabi sabi teaches us to accept that the past was then, and it was what it was. This is now, and it is what it is. Your life is happening right here, and every day is the beginning of the rest of it.
*** Favourite Quote 15 ***
Acceptance is alignment with the truth of the present moment. In the present moment, what is true about your life?
*** Favourite Quote 16 ***
Accepting that we cannot hold on to or control the status quo is a powerful teaching from wabi sabi, reminding us to treasure the good we have right now, and know that the bad will pass.
*** Favourite Quote 17 ***
We need to trust and accept and be willing to say, I don't know it all, but I dont need to know it all. I know enough. I don't have it all, but I don't need to have it all. I have enough. And I am not all things to all people, but I don't need to be all things to all people. I am doing my best to be all I can be to those who really matter. I am enough.
*** Favourite Quote 18 ***
Remember, one of the most fundamental teachings of wabi sabi is that we are impermanent, just like everyone we love, and everything in the world around us. We will not live for ever. We may not even live a long time. Life is precious, and fleeting. It's up to us to make the most of it at each stage, starting where we are right now.
*** Favourite Quote 19 ***
We have a tendency to look at the ageing process as something to be avoided, feared even. But everything about wabi sabi tells us that it is to be embraced - that we bloom and ripen with time; that our character develops and our wisdom depends as we age; that we have more to offer the world with every experience we go through.
*** Favourite Quote 20 ***
Looking at the world through the lens of wabi sabi has transformed it into a more beautiful, gentle and forgiving place, full of possibility and delight.
~ Wabi Sabi: Japanese Wisdom for a Perfectly Imperfect Life
Beth Kempton
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A whole new way of looking at the world - and your life - inspired by centuries-old Japanese wisdom.
Wabi sabi ( "wah-bi sah-bi" ) is a captivating concept from Japanese aesthetics, which helps us to see beauty in imperfection, appreciate simplicity and accept the transient nature of all things. With roots in zen and the way of tea, the timeless wisdom of wabi sabi is more relevant than ever for modern life, as we search for new ways to approach life's challenges and seek meaning beyond materialism.
Wabi sabi is a refreshing antidote to our fast-paced, consumption-driven world, which will encourage you to slow down, reconnect with nature, and be gentler on yourself. It will help you simplify everything, and concentrate on what really matters.
From honouring the rhythm of the seasons to creating a welcoming home, from reframing failure to ageing with grace, wabi sabi will teach you to find more joy and inspiration throughout your perfectly imperfect life.
This book is the definitive guide to applying the principles of wabi sabi to transform every area of your life, and finding happiness right where you are.
*Blurb from Goodreads*
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