Following Tanaka's wisdom is an easy way to start making life feel just a little more balanced (Independent)

'Following Tanaka's wisdom is an easy way to start making life feel just a little more balanced' the Independent

The Japanese wisdom of chowa offers a fresh perspective on how to live, and new ways to find balance among the many different directions that modern life pulls us in.

Chowa is a Japanese concept that is often translated as 'harmony', but more accurately means 'the search for balance'. Chowa is both a philosophy and a set of practices that can help us get to the heart of what is most important to us, and change our way of thinking about ourselves and others.

This book will teach you how to apply the lessons of chowa to your own life to better focus on what really matters and cultivate an everyday state of equilibrium and calm that will help you feel ready for anything. Chowa helps us to better balance our priorities and our relationships and find inner strength and flexibility in times of change and difficulty.

Whether you are searching for balance at home, at work, in your relationships or in any other area of your life, chowa offers new solutions and a way of thinking that we could all benefit from, now more than ever.

Akemi Tanaka is descended from a family of Samurai who fought alongside the 15th Century warrior-poet Ota Dokan. She grew up in Japan, but now lives in London with her English partner. Akemi is an established cultural communicator on Japan, regularly leading cultural study tours back to her homeland, and giving presentations at schools, universities and cultural centres. Akemi was recently awarded by the British government in recognition of her charity work for the orphans of the 2011 Tsunami, following which she founded the charity 'Aid for Japan.' She is also expert in Tea Ceremony, for which she dresses in high traditional costume, and demonstrates this ancient art as a masterclass in mindfulness and gratitude.