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Why Silence is More Powerful than you Think | Seijaku and the Art of Stillness

Shizen Style

13,475 views

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You're drowning in noise—notifications, traffic, screens, constant chatter. Your nervous system is maxed out, and you don't even realize it anymore.
The Japanese concept of seijaku (静寂) offers a way back. Not just quiet, but a profound stillness that sharpens your mind, restores balance, and reveals what you've been missing.
In this video, I explore how silence works in Japanese aesthetics, traditional music, nature photography, and daily practice. From the pauses between shakuhachi notes to the empty space in a rock garden, discover how to reclaim silence in a loud world.
🎋 Topics covered:

*Seijaku and the Japanese aesthetic of stillness
*Ma (間) - the power of empty space
*Silence in shakuhachi music
*Photographing stillness in nature
*Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing)
*Simple daily practices for finding quiet

🌿 SHIZEN STYLE
Shizen (自然) means nature, natural, and spontaneous. This channel explores Japanese aesthetics, photography, nature, and mindful living.
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20 Comments

@ShizenStyle Creator 6 months ago Pinned

Check out my 📘 21 Days to Ikigai →https://www.shizenstyle.com/21-days-to-ikigai as well as the
◦Free Guide to 10 Japanese Minimalism Concepts & Habits That Changed My Life: https://www.shizenstyle.com/japanese-minimalism-guide

@sharonmatthews9962 11 months ago

This deeply resonates with me. I’m 73 and I just want peace and quiet! This video is a God send, thank you so much!

@Sheepdog1314 11 months ago (edited)

it's the hum of different frequencies and vibrations that drive people like me crazy - in factories, cities, supermarkets, vehicles, everywhere even my own house...I feel my best outside, far away from stuff - even nature, the earth, the desert, the forest, the oceans have a frequency but we are attuned to it - my goal for the rest of my years: not just to be WITH nature, but IN nature

@catherinechautard8706 9 months ago

‘When the world exhales’, excellent.

@Sheepdog1314 11 months ago

many animals, especially pets, do not like constant noise or stimulation. I have owned horse - they loved the quiet. My dogs get all freaked out when there is sensory overload. Same with the cat. Listen to them.

@lynnoorman2144 10 months ago

Thank you for this. I love to be silent for a few moments before getting out of bed and listen to the birds outside.

@johnvienna3422 11 months ago

Ah, I've got tinnitus, so there's no silence, ever. Waterfalls are great though, because they mask the tinnitus. Lovely video 😊

@Jennifer-c3q6r 11 months ago

So true. We truly don’t realise how much sensory overload we are exposed to on a daily basis. I know I didn’t. But I developed a neurological condition and this constant noise and bombardment is something I now struggle with. Bright lights, music, tv shows, phones, advertising etc all can cause pain for me and even trip me over into total overload and I lose the ability to walk. I had no appreciation for how much noise we were subjected to until I had to shut it off and block it out. Silence is now my normal and I now have a new appreciation for how important it is.

@shutterbug2061 10 months ago

I’m not exactly sure how you showed up in my feed but I’m so glad you did 💗 Your voice alone is so soothing 🥰 Thank you!

@purplemonkeydishwasher2000 8 months ago

Oh boy, when you asked when was the last time you sat in true silence and then cut the sound for a moment, I wished for that silence to be longer, true longing for just a bit longer, a bit more intentional quiet. Great video.

@yarrowmoon 9 months ago

I started listening to your show and today, before going into the grocery store and Petsmart (to get my cats prescription food that he has to have or he'll die) I sit in my car and check the apps to see if there are rewards /how I can save money with digital coupons. I get annoyed that we have to waste our time to save money at these corporations. I am an organic farmer and have spent most of my life outside growing food and medicine, sitting with the bees and the ants.. While checking on these apps I thought about your show and how I want to return to a slower, more mindful pace of life butthese corporations, apps, and media outlets literally have us and get us to spend time on their apps. I am trying to save money so my goal is to figure out how to not let these corporations waste any more of my time and get back to Shizen!

@catherinechautard8706 8 months ago

I’m rewatching this video. You are brillant Sir.
The setting with the shapes and light in the left background, the points of light, the content and speed of your speech. Everything is perfect. 🤩 ❤

@auggiemarsh8682 7 months ago

Some important pointers I’m going to practice today. Thanks

@Irina-b7z 11 months ago

Beautiful video. Thank you 🙏

@auggiemarsh8682 7 months ago

Deep bow of gratitude, Joshua, for all of your beautiful insights and thoughtful expositions on everything Japanese. Your channel is deeply inspiring and feels like a gentle return to something essential I've carried inside for decades.

As a new subscriber, I'm immersing myself in your content and it’s stirring so many fond memories: studying shakuhachi with Masayuki Koga back in 1992, collecting exquisite flutes from Monty Levenson in Northern California, building out a very traditional Aikido dojo for my Sensei, and designing my massage business rooms with full Japanese decor—including a traditional bamboo water fountain in each room—while often playing shakuhachi music during sessions to create that profound calm.

After more than 20 years of not playing (I sadly sold my flutes before moving to Australia, out of fear of cracking that I'd dealt with before), your video on seijaku and the art of stillness has reignited that fire. I'm starting fresh with an ABS shakuhachi Yuu—humble beginnings, but your words make it feel like the perfect, natural step back into practice.

Thank you again for reminding me of the deep value in hikizan no bigaku, ma, and yohaku no bi. Another deep bow for inspiring me to carve out more of that beautiful emptiness and stillness in my days. 🙇‍♂

Keep sharing this wisdom—it's touching lives in quiet, powerful ways.

@KenDay 11 months ago

Thank you 😊

@micahdeanmusic 11 months ago (edited)

Amazing video. Would you ever consider doing a video on how you light your YouTube videos? I’m a singer and I film a lot and love the calm lighting that you achieve in your set up!