The Seven Wonders of Shrines

When you go to a shrine,
for some reason, you may have a similar feeling.

Even though you are not doing anything special,
you get a slightly different feeling.

That might not be a coincidence.

There are 'seven wonders' that people often feel at shrines.

The first.
The air changes.

The moment you pass through the torii gate,
some people feel that the air is a little different.

A feeling as if it has become lighter,
or clearer.

The second.
The sound changes.

Outside sounds seem to fade away,
or feel quieter.

Even though it is the same place,
the way you hear things changes.

The third.
Time slows down.

Even though you should have been in a hurry,
for some reason, you are walking slowly.

A feeling that the flow of time has changed just a little.

The fourth.
Feeling the wind.

Even when there is no wind blowing,
for some reason, you may feel a breeze.

In a sudden moment, the air moves.

The fifth.
Thoughts decrease.

Things that were spinning around in your head
become a little quieter.

Before you know it, there is a moment where you are thinking of nothing.

The sixth.
Feeling calm.

For no reason, you feel at peace.

A feeling of being slightly centered just by being there.

The seventh.
Wanting to come back.

When you leave,
for some reason, you want to come back again.

Even though you did nothing special,
it is a place you want to visit again.

Perhaps a shrine is not a place to change something,
but a place to reset yourself a little.

Not a big change, but a small one.

But the accumulation of those,
changes you little by little.

If you ever go to a shrine,
please try to be a little conscious of these seven things.

I am sure you will feel things a little differently than before.