It would be odd if we had to explain why it’s not a good idea to plant a garden on top of a toxic dump. It is a commonsense sort of thing. Toxic chemicals in the soil may prevent anything from growing. The plants that do germinate will be stressed and susceptible to disease … Read more
Viral Overload I don’t know about you, but I am weary of seeing the super magnified coronavirus molecule everywhere I turn. Certainly, we want to be informed citizens, but we are awash in scary images and language, sometimes without any real content. Rather than feeling informed, the overload can invoke a lot of fear … Read more
One weekend a month, from March to October, I lead mindfulness walks at Bluff Lake Nature Center. But the walks have been temporarily suspended because of the pandemic. The nature center is open so that people can exercise, but social distancing makes it hard to lead a mindfulness walk. Shouting instructions across 6 feet … Read more
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
