The Essence of Mindfulness Learned from Lucky Kilimanjaro's 'Kaze ni Naru'

Nice to meet you. My name is Jun Tange, and I work as a freelance PjM and PdM.
Usually, it is customary to provide a polite self-introduction in the first article of a note. However, there is a theme I really want to write about this time, so I will keep the self-introduction brief and get straight to the point (laughs).
The theme this time is Lucky Kilimanjaro's 'Kaze ni Naru' and Mindfulness.

Based on my experience working as an engineer and PM at startups, I recently published a book on Amazon.

This book systematizes my own insights on how young engineers and PMs can face the 'anxiety' and 'uncertainty' unique to software development sites. And within it, I introduce 'mindfulness' as one of the most important concepts.
(The book is now on sale. It is also available for unlimited reading via Kindle Unlimited, so please take a look if you are interested!)

Now, when introducing what this 'mindfulness' is in the book, there was one perfect subject in my mind that I felt 'this truly expresses exactly what I want to say.'
That is the song 'Kaze ni Naru' (Becoming the Wind) by Lucky Kilimanjaro. While writing the book, I seriously considered explaining mindfulness by quoting this song and its lyrics.
However, I thought that if J-POP lyrics (and quite passionate ones at that) appeared without any context, it might surprise the readers... So, with a heavy heart, I decided to give up on covering this theme in the book.

However, there is no better subject for helping people understand mindfulness more deeply. To convey my thoughts 100%, the existence of this song is essential. Therefore, as an 'extra edition' that I couldn't fit into the book, I would like to explain mindfulness in my own way while quoting Lucky Kilimanjaro's 'Kaze ni Naru'.

What is mindfulness in the first place?

In a nutshell, mindfulness is a state of mind where you simply direct your awareness to what is happening in the 'here and now' without evaluation or judgment.
We often spend our time in a state of 'not being present,' such as thinking about tomorrow's work while eating, or regretting past failures while walking. When the mind wanders here and there, it becomes easy to get caught up in negative emotions like anxiety and regret.

Let's think about this feeling concretely in a situation where you are taking a walk in the city.

• A mindful state

  • This is a state where your consciousness is directed only to the information your five senses are directly capturing at that moment, such as 'Oh, the sky is blue,' 'The wind is blowing,' or 'I can hear the birds chirping.'

• A non-mindful state

  • While walking on the same road, your head is full of thoughts, such as 'Why did I say that during last week's work failure... (regret for the past)' or 'I wonder if the meeting with the client next week will go well... (anxiety about the future).'

You see the scenery, but you don't really see it. You hear the sounds, but you don't really hear them. When you are not mindful, your consciousness is not in the 'here and now.'

Neither the past nor the future exists in this moment

In most cases, our anxiety is born from stories in our heads that are set in the 'past' or the 'future'.

You finish your day's work, soak in the bathtub, and finally reach a time of rest. However, your head is full of what your boss warned you about today (regret for the past) or the important meeting waiting for you tomorrow (anxiety about the future).

However, at this moment, there is no boss scolding you or meeting putting pressure on you in front of you. All that is there is the warm water and the steam. Nevertheless, you feel suffering. That suffering is a 'phantom' created by your brain.
By voluntarily replaying unpleasant memories of the past or imagining anxious scenarios of the future, you are deliberately evoking negative emotions that should have already ended or have not yet happened in this very moment.

Mindfulness is precisely about forcibly pulling this mental time travel back to the 'present.' By distancing yourself from thoughts of the past or future that fuel anxiety, you calm the waves of your mind.

The spirit of 'Kaze ni Naru'

Now, this is the main point. While introducing the lyrics of the chorus, I would like to reveal how 'Kaze ni Naru' hits the essence of mindfulness.

🎵 Become the wind, become the wind

First, what does it mean to "become the wind"?
I interpret this as a declaration that goes beyond the level of "focusing on the sensations of the 'here and now'" to "becoming the very 'existence' of the wind itself."

We humans feel anxiety due to conceptual thoughts in our heads, such as "regret for the past" or "worry about the future." On the other hand, what kind of existence is "the wind"?
The wind exists only in the "here and now." And above all, the wind does not think, evaluate, or judge, wondering things like "Am I a good wind?" or "That cloud is in my way." It simply blows neutrally in that moment.
In other words, "becoming the wind" means letting go of the "me as a suffering subject" who is always evaluating and judging, and becoming a wind-like existence that "simply exists neutrally in this very moment." This perfectly overlaps with the state of experiencing "now" through the five senses while walking, without inserting various thoughts or judgments.

🎵 It's okay to stay anxious

Mindfulness is often misunderstood as a technique to "erase" anxiety or negative emotions. However, its essence is the exact opposite. Mindfulness is about accepting (embracing) what is happening in the "here and now" (i.e., yourself feeling anxious) just as it is, without evaluating or judging it as good or bad. The line "It's okay to stay anxious" is the very spirit of this "non-judgmental acceptance."

Instead of resisting by thinking "I must erase this anxiety" or "It's not okay to be anxious" (which is a non-mindful state), you simply give it an "OK" without denying the state, acknowledging, "Ah, I am feeling anxious right now." There is no need to forcibly suppress emotions or negate them with positive words. You acknowledge the presence of the emotion of anxiety within you and simply observe it, as if watching clouds drift across the sky.

This attitude is the most important practice of mindfulness: stopping the labeling (evaluation/judgment) of "good or bad" for all emotions, including not just anxiety and stress, but also happiness and joy.

🎵 "I will become the wind"
Reciting it makes my body feel lighter

This phrase also brilliantly demonstrates the "practice" and "effect" of mindfulness.

"Reciting" = a conscious "anchor"
First, the act of "reciting." A state of mindfulness is not something you can achieve by leaving it alone; it requires conscious practice or a trigger for focus. For example, counting breaths during meditation or performing a "body scan" where you shift your focus to each part of your body in order are intentional efforts to bring your consciousness back to the "now."
During meditation, even if distracting thoughts arise, you don't chase them away; you notice, "Oh, a distracting thought has arisen," and gently return your consciousness to your "breath." In this way, it is easier to practice mindfulness if you have an "anchor" to pull your consciousness back.
The act of "reciting" in these lyrics serves exactly as this "anchor." The moment you are about to be swallowed by the distraction of anxiety (thoughts of the past or future), by reciting "I will become the wind," you are consciously pulling yourself back to "return to the sensations of the 'here and now'."

"My body feels lighter" = liberation from "secondary suffering"
And the sensation that "my body feels lighter." What is noteworthy is that it does not say the body feels lighter *after* "the anxiety disappears."

While accepting it by saying "It's okay to stay anxious," you switch your consciousness to "become the wind (= focus on the 'now')." Then, although the "anxiety" itself may still be there, the result of stopping the "fight against anxiety" is that the unnecessary tension in your mind and body is released, and "your body feels lighter."
What truly makes us suffer is not the anxiety itself (primary suffering), but the act of struggling, thinking "I want to get rid of this anxiety but I can't," and blaming ourselves for it (= secondary suffering).

In that sense, this song brilliantly sings of the "essential sense of liberation that comes the moment you stop resisting anxiety."

There are hints of mindfulness scattered throughout the lyrics beyond just the chorus, so please take a look at the whole thing.

Full lyrics
https://www.uta-net.com/song/268730/

To overcome anxiety

This is a slight digression from mindfulness, but I would like to introduce one more phrase I like.

Especially this phrase: "You keep choosing in order to overcome the anxiety". Accepting that "it's okay to stay anxious" (mindfulness) is extremely important when dealing with anxiety. However, at the same time, it is of course necessary for us to make efforts to reduce the anxiety itself through "action."

In my book, I explained that the root of anxiety is 'uncertainty' (i.e., not knowing the future or what others are thinking). Therefore, reducing that uncertainty—in other words, decreasing the number of 'unknowns'—is the most fundamental way to resolve anxiety.
So, how can we reduce these 'unknowns'?
The only way is to take concrete actions, such as 'researching,' 'asking others,' or 'making a decision' (taking a leap of faith). I interpret the line 'I will keep choosing' in these lyrics as singing about this very active choice of 'continuing to take action to reduce uncertainty.'
It is not a matter of 'I cannot move because I am anxious,' but rather 'I keep taking action to overcome anxiety.' While using mindfulness to steady our minds, we must also move reality forward in this way. Both are essential for us to work in a healthy manner.

Summary

This time, although it may have seemed like an unexpected combination at first glance, I took a deeper dive into the essence of mindfulness using Lucky Kilimanjaro's 'Kaze ni Naru' as a subject.
I have no way of knowing if Yukimaru Kumaki, who wrote the lyrics, intended them to be about mindfulness. However, based on my own interpretation, there is no other song that so perfectly expresses the sense of 'accepting anxiety' and 'being here and now,' and it is one of my favorite songs.

Lucky Kilimanjaro, not limited to this song, generally gives the impression that many of their tracks contain mindfulness-inspired messages like 'Don't worry too much about the past or future, live in the now! Enjoy the present!'
Their big hit from this year, 'Tanoshii Oishii Torisugitemo Ii', also sings even more strongly about the message of enjoying the present. I would be happy if you took this opportunity to listen to it while paying attention to the lyrics.

Well, from next time on, I would like to introduce knowledge that is a bit more serious (?) and useful for engineers and PMs.
This time, the article ended up being full of my personal interests, but thank you very much for sticking with me until the end.

[PR] I have published a book that explains the 'mindfulness' and 'how to face anxiety' introduced here in a more systematic and practical way, tailored to the software development field. If you are interested, I would be very happy if you could pick up a copy!