Why do we feel contemplative in Japanese gardens and architecture? Can our physical environment foster mindfulness? Dr. Yoko Kawai, lecturer at Yale School of Architecture, examines how Japanese spatial concepts like ma (in-between-ness), utsuroi (transience) and yugen (the unknown) create the mind-body-space relationship that is instrumental to mindfulness. Elements of tea gardens and teahouses are introduced as examples.

Dr. Yoko Kawai is a principal of Penguin Environmental Design, which focuses on incorporating landscape into architecture. She co-founded Mirai Work Space Alliance that brings “Space for Well-Being” to contemporary workplaces. She has published articles in various scholarly journals, including Journal of Green Building and Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering.