Mindfulness Garden Games
by Joann Calabrese
author of Growing Mindful

Nurturing Vital Connections

Happy New Moon – August 23, 2025
Nurturing Vital Connections in the Garden & in Our Lives 

Every healthy garden is a community and it thrives on good connections. The plants, soil organisms, fungi, helpful insects, birds, wind and rain are all part of an inter-connected ecosystem. Gardeners know it is important to nurture those connections.

We make compost to add to the soil and cover the garden with mulch. Flowers draw in pollinators and water features help both the pollinators and birds who will eat insect predators. In my Denver garden where the sun can get too hot, shade cloth protects the plants and soil. Many gardeners use raised beds so they are disturbing the soil as little as possible, protecting the fungi and other organisms thatCultivating Joy help plants grow.

The point is that gardeners generally recognize and nurture those connections making the garden healthier and more resilient. .

Human Connections beyond the Garden 
Luna behind the flax bed

Take a moment to consider if you are nurturing your human connections as much as you tend to the garden connections. When we are feeling overwhelmed by the world it is easy to forget those relationships. And yet, in a world that feels a little broken right now, nurturing those relationships does the same thing it does for our gardens. It makes us stronger, healthier, and more resilient.

We can intentionally find ways to strengthen those connections on a regular basis. There are probably a million different ways to do that – but I want to suggest one that can be fun and different, and maybe something you’ve not done in a long time.

Take the time to write a note of appreciation and then send it through the mail to someone you care about.

Yes, I know you can just send a text, but getting a hand written note in the mail is an unexpected joy for most people. You don’t have

Red Poppies
Poppies

to write a long letter (although you could), just let someone know you are thinking of them and how much you appreciate them being on the planet. It will brighten their day (and yours) and strenghten your bond.

A Mindfulness Challenge for Connection
Millie on the mulched paths

If this idea of reaching out to others through the mail speaks to you, make a commitment to put it into action. Create a list of people you’d like to reach out to – those that have brought joy and support to your life in some way. I recommend starting with a short list so it feels manageable.

Then make a commitment to reach out to people in writing for the rest of 2025.  Decide how often you will write. Maybe you want to sit down and write five notes or letters this weekend. Or you could commit to writing one note a week or a month for the rest of the year and just work your way down your list. In case you are wondering, my intention is to write one letter at least every other week.

Life is busy but taking time to connect with friends and allies is what will give us strength through the hard times.

If you accept the challenge, I’d love to hear about your commitment and how it goes.

About this Blog Post & and Qigong Practice 
Luna in the grapevines

This post is part of my lunar blog series. I post each new moon as it is a great time to begin projects and set intentions with the increasing light.  Topics are related to related to plants and ideas featured in my book,  Growing Mindful.  . Other topics are related to mindfulness, gardens, qigong, and intentional living. For more details and a list of past lunar blog posts, click here. 

About Qigong – I lead qigong at Bluff Lake Nature Center in Denver on the last Sunday of each month.  You can find the schedule in announcements on the home page. I have also partnered with other graduates of the IIQTC (Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi) to offer virtual HeART of Body Compassionate Self Care Practice Circles based on qigong and tai chi. Check out the information here: Global Healing Circles or contact me if you need more information.

 

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