Minimalist Lessons from a Tea Ceremony: A few years ago, I participated in a Japanese tea ceremony. It’s a beautiful ritual, and—in my opinion—a wonderful analogy to minimalist living. In a nutshell, chado (or Way of Tea) is the ceremonial preparation and serving of matcha, powdered green tea. Guests enter the teahouse after walking through a small, contemplative garden and symbolically purifying their hands and mouth with water from a stone basin. To enter the tearoom, they must bow their heads to fit through the small door—meaning all are equal in tea, regardless of social status or position…{read more}
7 Steps to a Minimalist Wardrobe: When I decided to pursue a minimalist lifestyle, one of the first areas I tackled was my closet. I had too many clothes that I didn’t wear, and too little space in which to keep them. I wanted a wardrobe that was simple, elegant, and functional — and I wanted to be able to retrieve the pieces, and put them away, without any pushing, pulling, or wrestling. Over the course of a few months, I pared down my closet to less than half its original contents. I sold quite a number on eBay, gave some to family and friends, and donated the rest. The reward: a spacious closet, and a well-edited wardrobe that perfectly suits my needs…{read more}