Happy New Year! 

It has been a difficult year for many of us in the last two years. I am hoping some good change this year. 

This is a year of tiger, Mizunoe-tora (壬寅).
According to the theory of Ying-Yang and the five elements, tiger is a symbol of growth, development and birth. It’s a symbol of spring. 

Mizu refers to water. Water is essential for the plants to grow. In this sense, Mizunoe-tora is a perfect match. After a harsh winter, the sprouts blossom vigorously. 
I hope new energies grow in us this year. New year, new mindset. 

The word I’ve chosen for 2022 is 柔軟心, Nyunan-shin. It’s a zen word and means, soft mind. 

Each one of us have different value and opinion. Everyone thinks their view has more sense, and this is our struggle because many things don’t go as we wish.

If you have a soft mind and accept anything that comes to you, you begin to see things in different angles. And hopefully this gives you less stressful life. 

In this COVID era, many plans we make are wasted. It’s disappointing. With a soft approach, we may be able to deal with in a better way.