Matcha Minds — Zen Presence and the Samurai Mind
This is my second book, currently in progress and actively being written.
Unlike my first book, Matcha Moments, which focused on matcha, wellness, and everyday rituals, this book explores a deeper question:
What actually changes the mind?
Over the past several years, I have been writing, researching, and living this question through the body rather than through belief or philosophy.
This book is the result of that process.
It is not a religious book.
It is not a meditation manual.
And it is not a collection of spiritual ideas.
It is a practical exploration of Zen as a state of the brain and nervous system, and of the Samurai mind as a way of acting clearly in the world.
What This Book Is About
This book looks at Zen not as a tradition to study, but as a way the mind operates when judgment quiets down.
Modern life trains us to live almost entirely in thought:
planning, analyzing, interpreting, worrying.
Zen points in the opposite direction.
It shows what happens when awareness shifts from mental dominance to embodied presence.
Throughout the book, Zen is explained in a non-religious way, grounded in lived experience, neuroscience, and simple physical practices.
The Samurai perspective is introduced not as historical ideology, but as a mindset optimized for clarity, timing, and action.
This book is written for readers who are not looking for more information, but for a different way of using the mind itself.
Why I Am Writing This Book
For a long time, I believed that awakening or clarity was something rare, spiritual, or inaccessible.
What I eventually realized was much simpler.
The shift people describe as “awakening” is often a change in how the brain prioritizes attention.
When thinking quiets down, presence emerges naturally.
Not through effort, but through alignment.
This book was born from that realization.
Rather than telling readers what to believe, it focuses on helping them recognize how their own mind works — and how it can settle without force.
Structure of the Book (Current Draft)
The book is structured to move from understanding, to recognition, to everyday integration.
It begins by explaining how modern thinking patterns dominate attention, and why willpower alone does not create calm.
It then explores right-brain activation, embodied awareness, and the role of ritual and repetition.
Later chapters focus on Zen without religion, stillness without suppression, and the Samurai approach to clarity and action.
The final sections bring everything back into daily life, showing how presence can be lived through ordinary activities — including preparing and drinking matcha.
This is not a theory-first book.
It is a body-first book.
Current Status
As of now, this manuscript has passed 15,000 words and continues to evolve.
The core structure is in place, and several chapters are already close to final form.
I am continuing to refine the language so that the book remains accessible, grounded, and practical.
This page will be updated as the manuscript progresses toward publication.
Who This Book Is For
This book is for readers who feel that:
- Understanding is not the same as change
- Calmness cannot be forced
- Thinking more has not made life clearer
It is especially suited for those interested in Zen, mindfulness, or the Samurai mindset, but who are looking for a non-religious, modern interpretation grounded in real life.