Haiku – A Mindful Practice

A guest post by haiku poet Clive Bennett who also writes on here about the mindfulness of watching birds. 

The mindfulness of haiku stems from its focus on the present moment and nature, encouraging writers and readers to observe, pause, and reflect on ordinary experiences to foster a deeper connection with themselves and the world. The short, structured format of haiku naturally promotes a mindful state by requiring intense focus, capturing fleeting sensory details, and facilitating a brief meditation that reduces stress and enhances awareness and compassion.

tracing a path
through the trees
a beaver moon

The poems that we know today as haiku have their origins in Japanese poetry over 300 years ago (Bashō, Buson & Shiki). They followed conventions that had been part of Japanese culture for over a thousand years, such as alternating lines of five and seven sound symbols (on or onji, not quite the same as syllables) and “season words” (kigo) — words or phrases that provide a seasonal context for the poem.

cherry blossom
drifting in the window
chaffinch song

Modern English-language haiku are often written in three short lines of seventeen syllables or less (although can be anything from one word to four lines), usually with a natural pause at the end of the first or second line – or more specifically between the fragment and phrase; and written in the present tense, in ordinary language (no punctuation), with two juxtaposed sensory images that rub off each other.

overnight redwings among the windfalls

While a haiku does not have to cover natural subjects anymore, it is most often used as a celebration of nature. And although modern haiku still focus on simple yet sensory language that creates a brief moment in time and a sense of illumination, (an “Aha” moment!), the structure can be looser and traditional rules ignored.

There is no commentary in it, no ego, no thinking. But there is something there — the mind of the writer (and then that of the reader) which becomes the means in which this very simple moment happens.

drifting clouds now a dragon

A good haiku captures something that transcends the moment, but which at the same time can only be expressed ‘in the moment.’ It is both inside and outside the mind of the author and the reader. Yet the reader can, through re-experiencing the haiku, peek into the universal in the same way a child can stare at reflections in a rain drop, or marvel at a blade of grass. Haiku poets often imbue natural elements with a sense of life and vitality, mirroring the animistic perspective that sees the world as interconnected and alive.  

blending with the day a grey heron

Haiku like most poetry is best read slowly and preferably out loud. Read twice if you can. Savouring each line and exploring the emotions engendered by the evocative images forming in your mind.

Tip

One of the best ways of writing haiku is to jot down or record notes about things in nature that strike you, whenever or wherever, that may be: You could be out walking the dog, taking the kids to school, shopping in your nearest superstore; or even hanging out the washing …

hanging out
our winter woolies
first swallow

It’s like journaling which has proven benefits in reducing stress … but I find it simpler to do. Here’s one from some notes I made on a walk with the dogs down our lane last autumn …

indian summer
the wild strawberry
in bloom again

On the face of it this is just a simple ‘sketch from life’ – a ‘shasei’ (after Shiki) – a plant flowering out of season in an autumn window of unseasonably warm weather – a pleasant surprise that just catches the imagination. What it does perhaps is reflect a Zen-like awareness, inviting us to pause and appreciate the beauty around us emphasizing mindfulness and presence in every moment.

Feeling inspired! Go on – drop a haiku in the comments below. I’d love to read them …