Dear Reader,

I hope you are having a beautiful summer and are able to savor parts of this season that you love. I'm holding dear the longer days, fresh flowers and vegetables from the garden, and more time with family and friends.

Luke and I escaped to Truro, Cape Cod for two days to celebrate our 31st anniversary, a place dear to us where we met 35 years ago. Then we spent a couple of days on a working oyster farm in Harpswell, Maine — one of the most beautiful places on earth. There I gave a talk to the garden club on the intersection between mindfulness and gardening. I thought I would share some take-a-ways.

.6 Steps to Mindfulness in the Garden

Whether you are a gardiner or visiting a summer garden...

1. Set an Intention: Begin with a clear intention to be present and mindful. Decide to approach gardening not just as a task, but as an opportunity for meditation and awareness.

2. Start with Centering: Take a few moments to center yourself to come into your body. Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and bring your attention to the present moment. You might try a butterfly hug or bee breathing to start.

3. Engage Your Senses: Use the 5,4,3,2,1 Method for grounding. Name 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things your can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste.

4. Focus on the Task at Hand: Stay connected to your breath and bodily sensations and aware of your thoughts while fully immersed in observing, planting, weeding…

5. Gratitude and Appreciation vs Judgment: Be aware of where the mind goes. Can you focus on the positive and what you can appreciate.

6. Carry the Peace. Bring the awareness, focus, and well-being (physical, mental, spiritual) that you gained into the rest of your day.

8 More Mindfulness Practices for the Garden

1. Walking Meditation: Walking in or around your garden, focus on each step, the sensation of your feet touching the ground and the sensations in your body created by walking. Walk slowly and deliberately, allowing yourself to be fully present in each moment. Walk long enough to get into a rhythm or experiment with slowing or speeding your pace. You can get a sound recording to walk you through (pun intended) here.

2. Mindful Eating: With vegetables, herbs, or fruits in your garden, practice mindful eating. Choose a piece of produce. Before eating, observe its colors, textures, and smells. Take a moment to express gratitude for the nourishment it provides and for all those involved in making this food possible. Eat slowly, savoring each bite and noticing the flavors and sensations in your mouth.

3. Nature Gazing: Find a comfortable spot in your garden to sit or lie. Soften your gaze and take in the sights around you — the shapes of leaves, the patterns of flowers, the movement of insects or birds. Allow your mind to rest in the present moment, absorbing the beauty of nature without needing to label or analyze anything; just bear witness.

4. Sound Meditation: Sit or lie in your garden. Close your eyes and focus solely on the sounds around you, those far, those near, loud or faint— birds chirping, leaves rustling in the wind, insects buzzing. Anchor on each sound as you notice how it comes and goes like the clouds in the sky, and notice how each contributes to the overall tapestry of your garden's soundscape.

5. Mindful Sketching: Choose a subject that captures your interest — it could be a flower, a single leaf, a whole tree, or even the overall landscape. As you start sketching or drawing, focus on each line or stroke you make. Be present with the process of translating what you see onto paper. It is not about the final product, but staying connected to your breath, thoughts, and the object of your attention. It’s about the process, not product. Sketch or paint something really tiny or the whole landscape. Zoom out, zoom in.

6. Morning Alter or Mandala Making with found objects. A man named Day Schildkret has a practice he calls Morning Alters. They are mindful and beautiful, but I call this practice mandala making with found, natural objects.

Place your most interesting found object in the center of your work-area. This will serve as the innermost ring of the mandala. Use your collection of found objects to create a circle around that object, then repeat to create more and more rings in whatever pattern you like.

7. Grounding or Earthing: is electrically conductive contact of the skin with the surface of the earth. Connect to the earth either with your bare feet or by lying on the ground. Studies have found grounding resolves painful, chronic inflammation, heals wounds faster, boosts immune system, improves sleep and more.

8. Observational and Reflective Writing: Choose a writing prompt related to your garden experience, such as:

• Describe the sights, sounds, and scents of your garden in detail. What do they remind you of? Where do they bring you in your memory or imagination?
• Reflect on a specific plant or flower and its significance to you.
• Write about a memorable moment or observation from your time in the garden.

Wishing you summer savoring of all the light and color you can absorb.

With love,

Jess

Jess@barredowlretreat.com, www.barredowlretreat.com

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