You sit at your desk… working. You have been working all day and you feel tired now. You stop. You feel the need to take a long break. 

You check the clock. Surprise! 

It’s already late afternoon. The day slipped by. 

You stand up and go to the window. It’s a sunny afternoon. It’s that time of the day when everything that is touched by the sunlight turns into warm gold. 

You start to hear a gentle whisper. ‘Come!’ 

Are you imagining it? 

No. 

There it is again, calling you. 

‘Come to me!’ 

You can almost tell that it’s amused by something.

You take your shoes and your keys and step outside. You inhale deeply — the air is warm and sweet, there is a gentle fragrance coming from somewhere. 

Without thinking, your legs start to move in that direction. 

You discover that you entered the park. Everywhere you look the trees are in bloom. Thousands of minuscule flowers are giggling from each branch. Your smile widens and you feel there's laughter bubbling up inside you. Like you and the trees are having an inside joke with each other.

You stop under a beautiful Japanese cherry tree — a sakura tree, 

the flowers, the branches and even the air between them is full of this magical golden light. 

Time has stopped. 

You drink everything in, not wanting to blink even for one second for fear of losing even one moment of this. 

You breathe in. Deeper and deeper. 

The smell is intoxicating, sweeter than any cake. 

Your heart is beating fast in your chest like a small bird — telling you: ‘I am alive’!

You notice you have tears in your eyes. Good tears. 

And just when you feel that you are going to explode in a million pieces out of this beautiful, blissful overload – there is this quiet calmness coming over you. All is well. You are safe.

You are always safe. And supported. And loved.

So deeply loved.

You feel refreshed, present and energized, ready to continue your day. You notice the smile is still on your face. And a newfound confidence starts to bloom inside you. You can do anything. Absolutely anything you can think of.

This time you welcome even life's puzzles, because you know there’s a lesson to be learned and it will make you stronger. 

Slowly but surely, you realize that this magical place is always close by. You can visit it whenever you like, everyday. 

It’s the eternal warm golden spring afternoon that you have inside you… even if outside is a cold, dark winter day. 

This — my friend — is the Sakura Feeling.

This is the closest way I can express in words how you feel after practicing this meditation.

This is why I call it Sakura Meditation.