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
Happy Winter Solstice! (arriving at 3:35 PM Mountain Time today) For us in the northern hemisphere, winter … Read more
Moving Beyond Labels Seeing with Fresh Eyes is an accessible mindfulness practice of shifting focus to see what’s before us. It’s accessible but not always easy because words get in the way. Language has obviously been a great boon for human development. However, it creates a barrier to the here and now. … 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
Blight in the Garden My apple and pear trees have been infected with blight, a fungal disease that can quickly kills leaves, stems, and fruit. But both of my trees are blight resistant varieties, which is a good thing, because so far, the outbreak has been manageable. Many years ago in Pennsylvania, I had an … Read more
Stopping by the garden center to pick up potting soil can be a “dangerous” thing. I don’t need any new plants, but strangely, nicotiana, poppies, and lavender ended up in my cart. There was no plan on where they would end up in the yard, so once I got home I was stuck … 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
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
Look Up – This Week’s Mindfulness Focus I’ve been busy cleaning up the yard and garden beds after a long winter. Green shoots of garlic, yarrow, lemon balm, and hops are making an appearance. And my new Black Knight butterfly bush has sprouted tiny leaves. It is easy to keep eyes focused down on the … Read more
Pruning the Honey Locust Tree The winter-sleeping honey locust in my front yard is barren. In the summer the tree is green, full, and beautiful with graceful feathery leaves. In the fall it turns golden with long flat seed pods. Winter, as with most deciduous trees, has it looking a little like a skeleton and … Read more
