Well, ‘Shojin’ means pursuing a perfect state of mind, banishing worldly thoughts and striving for limitless perfection. Crikey, sounds exhausting. ‘Mania’ pretty much sums up modern life. Rushing about like a frenzied ferret. Also exhausting. Somewhere in the middle, there is balance.

Picture for a moment a monk. He’s wearing comfortable robes and focusing on his breathing: in through the nose, out through the mouth. It’s not so hard, you think. Very peaceful. You start to daydream about being a monk. Then – BAM! – a honking car brings you crashing back to reality. If only there was a way to be a bit more monky without banishing modern life completely.