Hózhǫ́

Hózhǫ́ is a philosophy of life at the core the Diné traditional way of knowing. It is a worldview that places Diné (Navajo) life in harmony with the natural world and the universe. It seeks inner peace for individuals and healthy relationships with others. Because hózhǫ́ embodies two central practices in Diné tradition, Hózhǫ́ǫ́jí (the Blessing Way) and Naayée’ k’egho (the Protection Way), it affords both the development of well-being and protection from the imperfections and imbalances encountered in life. The four cardinal directions, the daily cycle of day and night, the cycle of the seasons, and other natural processes reflect the harmony and balance that is hózhǫ́. Ceremonial baskets symbolically express the Diné universe and are a central requirement for the ritual practice that can restore hózhǫ́. In order to make a basket worthy of ceremony, the weavers must strive to maintain hózhǫ́, to Walk in Beauty themselves.