Quiet Beauty is the mindfulness concept for the week, inspired by comfrey (Symphytum officinale). Comfrey is blooming in my garden right now and it is the kind of plant that most people don’t pay attention to. The world is a pretty loud and noisy place. The things that get our attention … Read more
Impermanence is the focus word this week, inspired by the loss of my tiny pears and apples that were just forming on trees. I was relieved two weeks ago when they made it through a severe Denver cold snap. And I wrongly assumed we were over the worst of the cold. During the … Read more
Connectedness is the mindfulness word for the week. And gardens are an easy place to begin to contemplate connectedness. There is a constant flowing of energy between plants, soil (earth), air, sun (fire), and rain (water). They all work in unison to support life on the planet. And as humans, we are intimately … Read more
Duality is my intentional focus word this week. Duality is that concept that polar opposites are part of the same whole. But more than that, they are intimately related and give rise to the other. In the yin-yang symbol of Chinese philosophy, the white part of the symbol has a dot of black … Read more
Warmth is what I am intending for my garden and it is the focus word for the week. I had planned to write about lemon balm or comfrey, both coming up abundantly in the garden. That was sidetracked by the spring snow yesterday and the 23 degree evening temperatures, which put buds … Read more
Earth – the ground we walk on – the only home we have – the place all sustenance springs from. Earth – a small rock, teeming with life, floating through infinite space. With Earth Day celebrations throughout the week, it was an easy pick for this week’s mindfulness focus. There are all kinds … Read more
If you’ve encountered stinging nettles by accident while walking or gardening, the word gift is probably not the first thing that pops into your head. Tiny stinging hairs cover the plant and brushing against them releases the plant’s venom. The sting contains formic acid, the same chemical as a bee sting, and can … Read more
I returned to my garden yesterday after a rather challenging work trip. Last week’s focus on “fascinating” was extremely helpful while I was away. But returning home to my garden immediately improved my mood. It was like coming home to a surprise party of plants. In seven days, the espalier apple and miniature … Read more
My focus word this week is “fascinating”. We tend to reserve that word for things that attract or intrigue us. Fractals, for example, with their never ending patterns, grab our attention and hold it. “They are created by repeating a simple process over and over in an ongoing feedback loop.”(1) Think about … Read more
Listening with Intention Listening is the mindfulness focus word this week. It may seem like the easiest thing in the world and at first glance it appears that not much effort is required. Yet mindful listening is not a passive activity. Instead, we are actively participating but in a quiet and intentional way. Although there … Read more
