Mindfulness Garden Games
by Joann Calabrese
author of Growing Mindful

Week 9 Mindfulness Focus – Waxing Moon

The Waxing Moon Noticing the waxing moon (1) in its journey toward wholeness… that is my mindfulness focus for the week. The moon was new on Friday evening, but already it  has become a crescent in the sky.   Paying attention to the increase is this week’s practice. I like weaving back and forth between … Read more

Courage – Week 8 Mindfulness Experiment

Courage, my mindfulness focus for the week, was partially inspired by the first sprigs of yarrow in my garden.  Yarrow (Achillea millifolium) is an ancient  healing plant with the magical properties of protection and courage.  Discovering the yarrow confirmed something I’d been feeling since midweek, as I was practicing  invoking joy.  After a heartbreaking conversation with a … Read more

Invoking Joy – Week 7 Mindfulness Experiment

    Invoking joy – My mindfulness focus this week is inspired by my Corgi, Luna and my grandson, Leo. This is Luna sitting by the tunnel which allowed her to run under the pumpkins to a formerly blocked part of the yard. See that smile on her face?  It was delightful watching her run … Read more

Emptiness – Week 5 of the Mindfulness Experiment

“We shape clay into a pot, but it is the emptiness inside that holds whatever we want.”(1) Emptiness, spaciousness, openness – that’s the focus of this week’s mindfulness practice. A room is filled with space, but we focus on the objects.  A doorway is simply space but we focus on the wood that frames it. … Read more

Breathing Peace – Week 4 Mindfulness Experiment

Breathing Peace I participated in the Denver Women’s March yesterday, along with over 100,000 other people.  It was a beautiful event focusing on justice, human rights, dignity, and respect. It reminded me that there are many of us on the planet who believe in those values, even if some in high places do not. But … Read more

The Space Between Our Steps – Mindfulness Experiment Week 3

      Mindfulness Experiment Week 3 “There is a journey between our steps that we always miss.”  This idea was provided to me by Grand Master Samuel Copeland(1)  and it led to my week three focus words. What is the space between our steps? Last week’s mindfulness focus was to be aware of each … Read more

Walk as if Kissing the Earth – Mindfulness Experiment Week 2

      “Walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feet.” (1) I’ve chosen this idea from   Thich Nhat Hanh  as the intentional focus for the week.  It is a body centered practice and can be a movement meditation. Focusing deliberately on the feet’s connection to the earth can take us out … Read more

A New Year’s Mindfulness Experiment – Exploring One Concept a Week

A Mindful Experiment My intention for the new year is to take one concept each week – just ONE – and dive into it in a focused and mindful way and see what happens – a mindfulness experiment of sorts.  My hope is that I’ll be able to reach a deeper understanding and integrate it … Read more

My Four Point Plan for Dispelling the Darkness – thoughts on the longest night of the year

Winter solstice always carries the symbolism of light dispelling darkness. That image seems particularly comforting right now as we have entered a dark period in which people full of hate and mean intentions have captured the castle.  After weeks of mucking around in the darkness, I am ready to embrace the light.  I’ve written a … Read more

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