As the world moves into surreal disaster movie mode with COVID-19, mindfulness practice is needed more than ever. It may require increased dedication. Here are four key points to consider as we move through the next few weeks. First – Breathe No seriously – taking slow deep breaths activates the parasympathetic nervous system. That’s the … Read more
Calendula Officinalis The mindfulness word for the week is constancy, inspired by Calendula flowers overflowing in my yard. We’ll get to the “constancy” part of the plant in a moment, but first here is a little bit of information about this healing plant. About the Herb Calendula (Calendula officinalis), sometimes called pot marigold, is an … Read more
The word surrender often has negative connotations. We have lost; we are quitting or admitting defeat. And yet there are countless times surrender can be the healthy choice. In the garden, I have had to surrender to the fact that plants I grew successfully in Pennsylvania are stressed by the Colorado environment. … Read more
Summer Solstice arrives Thursday June 21st at 4:07 AM Mountain Time (6:07 AM EST). This marks the point when the northern hemisphere is at its furthest tilt toward the sun. Observers in ancient times would have noticed the sun moving in a northward direction and then stopping and heading back the other way. One … Read more
Owning Our Story – this week’s mindful focus, inspired by amaranth Every plant has a story. Amaranth is ancient. It came back into our modern awareness about twenty years ago as a healthy, high protein, grain-like choice. I will get to the story in a moment, but one reason I’ve been thinking of amaranth is … Read more
If you drive through my neighborhood in mid-summer, you will see wild morning glories in almost every yard. But here is the thing, they are not morning glories at all. They are bindweed flowers (Convolvulus arvensis} masquerading as morning glories. And the name bindweed tells you most of what you need to … Read more
Like Bilbo Baggins, I am a reluctant traveler. There have been way too many travel days in the last few months. The reasons for leaving home-base have been positive – seeing the people I love and attending cool workshops. But at the end of it all, I’d rather be home with my … Read more
I spent the last week in Qigong teacher training at Kripalu Retreat Center. The training was wonderful, and I will write more about it in future blogs. But what I want to focus on this morning is simply cultivating our awareness of stillness, which is a part of Qigong and many other mindfulness practices. It … Read more
Everything Changes When I started gardening many moons ago, it was impossible to get organic produce at local stores. I also had a house full of children. Growing plants we could make meals with was a top priority. However, all of that has changed. Drifting Toward Easy My work schedule is hectic, there aren’t … Read more
Dandelions and Marches What do dandelions have in common with young people and the March for Our Lives? It’s not a riddle. They are prolific and beautiful. And they embody strength in numbers. Until yesterday, I was simply going to write about dandelions, one of my favorite weedy medicinal herbs. Dandelions have lots of attributes … Read more
