There seemed to be a lovely, and very welcome, flow of articles recently that caught my attention for their beauty and creativity:

1. Zen Mindfulness Retreat in Rural Japan: 

Ever wondered what a mindfulness retreat might look like? This beautiful article from Condé Nast Traveler (March 2025) explores the experience at Dairyuji, a Zen mindfulness retreat held at an 800-year-old temple located on the Oga peninsula in northern Japan. Twice a year, the 38th head priest, Keno Miura; his American wife, Gretchen, a certified meditation teacher and grief educator and their four adult children, welcome a small group of participants for a two-night retreat. The retreat is based on the Soto Zen tenet that we all have the ability to become enlightened, and that peace can be found right here, right now, in our daily lives. The immersive experience includes meditation, yoga, and mandala crafting, all designed to foster creativity and self-compassion.

You can read more here: Attending a Zen Mindfulness retreat and Dairjuyi Temple

2. Laraaji’s Creative Spiritual Practice:

Vox features an interview with Laraaji, an 80-year-old pioneer of New Age music, who views music and meditation as intertwined. He emphasizes the importance of spontaneity and improvisation in his music, considering it a spiritual practice that enhances creativity. Laraaji explains that for him, music is not just an art form but a meditative practice that connects him to a deeper spiritual realm. He shares that his approach to sound is guided by the belief that when we allow ourselves to improvise and flow with the music, we can access higher states of consciousness, which in turn fosters greater creativity and healing.

You can read more here: Creativity as a spiritual practice and Receiving (John Hopkins Piano Version)

‘Meditation in the News’ is my attempt to build a regular habit of reading, digesting and sharing some of the (many) articles and press releases that I receive daily about meditation and meditation research. I hope you enjoy!

Read past editions of: ‘Meditation in the News‘