Event - Ikebana @ The Windmill

Ikebana is the art of Japanese flower arranging; ‘Ike’ translating as live and ‘bana’ meaning flower - the full translation is living flowers. In May, we were invited to take part in a new Ikebana workshop offering from In Bloom Wellbeing at event space The Windmill in Costitx, Mallorca.

Ikebana is an ancient art form with routes in Buddhism in the 7th Century. Buddhist monks would create these simple flower arrangements in silent meditation and later Samurai warriors began to learn the art as a practice of meditation and mindfulness, using it to calm their mind before battle.

By the 17th century, Ikebana had spread into Japanese society and there are now over 3000 schools observing the ancient principles of simplicity and modernism.

Tara Khan of In Bloom Wellbeing offers 1:1 sessions and workshops in both the UK and Mallorca, teaching the main principles of the art form which for many, becomes a lifelong study. Providing a simple selection of flowers, we were taken through how the branches and flowers are placed at specific angle representing the universe, humanity and Earth.

In contrast to huge Western-style arrangements using many flowers for maximum impact, Ikebana is about structure, minimalism and ‘Ma’ (the value of empty space).

Tara encouraged thoughts, feelings and mood to infuse into our arrangement alongside our personal journey with nature. As the pieces developed, we found ourselves foraging in the garden around us for small pieces of lavender and flowers to add colour and structure.

In Volume 1 of Susurro, she explains further how Ikebana is an interplay between space and the plant and the beauty in imperfection. She also delves deeper into how Ikebana is a more sustainable practice than Western flower arranging with minimalism as a core value.

Lunch was provided by Oyster Catcher Catering with a Japanese inspired tasting menu combining Spanish influences, for something absolutely delicious and completely unique.

Follow @inbloom_wellbeing and @windmillcostitx for news on their next Ikebana event.