Mindfulness Garden Games
by Joann Calabrese
author of Growing Mindful

Time Change Challenge

New Moon Greetings – March 10, 2024 It’s Daylight Savings Time Again On this first morning of Daylight Savings Time (DST), I have a mindfulness time-change challenge for you. We know this six-month cycle of adjusting the clocks is disorienting. So you may be thinking the challenge is to remain mindfully attentive as you try … Read more

Herbs as Mindfulness Prompts

Happy New Moon – February 9, 2024 Plants as Mindfulness Prompts In truth, any plant could be a mindfulness prompt if you define it that way – a reminder to stop, breathe, and be present. But fragrant plants are some of the best as they will grab your attention when you brush against them. They … Read more

Aligning with Lunar Cycles

Greeting on the first New Moon of 2024 – January 11th If your new year resolutions have already fallen flat or perhaps not off the ground yet, don’t worry – the lunar cycle is your answer. We don’t have to be stuck with an annual cycle for setting intentions and goals. It’s way too long. … Read more

Humble Beets & Balance

Beets and Balance

Full Moon Greetings – November 27, 2023 A Symbol of Balance  Beets (Beta Vulgaris) are a perfect symbol of balance. These earthy vegetables hold the energy of equilibrium both symbolically and in reality. At the dinner table the roots and leaves (all edible) represent a balanced and healthy choice. Beets are helpful in balancing both … Read more

Meditation Basics

New Moon Greetings – October 14, 2023 One of my favorite books on meditation and mindfulness is Eric Harrison’s The Foundations of Mindfulness, How to Cultivate Attention, Good Judgment, and Tranquility. The book is informed by Harrison’s 30 years as a meditation and mindfulness instructor in Australia. He was introduced to meditation in the 1970s … Read more

Quirkiness of Corn

Full Moon Greetings – September 29, 2023 Corn’s Quirky Nature You might not think much about corn (Zea mays or Maize) in your garden or on your plate, but it has fascinating and distinct characteristics from most other plants you grow. First of all, corn is a grain. (The grain family includes plants like wheat, … Read more

August Garden Chaos

Happy New Moon – August 16, 2023 The chaos of a typical August garden may make practicing mindfulness in your green space a bit challenging. Plants are producing abundantly and all a bit overgrown, tangling around and into each other. In addition to the usual tending of plants like weeding and watering, most of us … Read more

Garden Enlightenment

What of enlightenment? When I began meditating many moons ago, the workshops and books I was immersed in promoted a concept of enlightenment. They weren’t referring to The Enlightenment with a capital E that happened in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries, but instead a spiritual shift in perspective. Since meditation has become mainstream, the … Read more

Earth Day Mindfulness

Happy New Moon  April 20, 2023 Earth Day Mindfulness Earth Day is upon us (Saturday April 22nd) and I wanted to write about Earth Day Mindfulness, but have been challenged by opposing views. Mindfulness is of course paying attention to what IS, not about closing our eyes, and pretending things are okay when they are … Read more

New Moon & Equinox Energy

Happy New Moon, March 21, 2023 Weaving Together the Energy of Spring Equinox & New Moon This day holds an abundance of new moon & equinox energy. The new moon occurs today, March 21st, and the vernal equinox took place yesterday, March 20th.  Each of these events hold powerful imagery and energy that we can … Read more

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