This book is a doorway to awareness of the flow of present moments. It does it in the most enjoyable way I know: through the garden and the green world. This is not a book about how to garden, but one of mindful explorations in the garden. Mindful explorations are activities that help us tune in to the present moment, using the garden as a portal.
It’s funny how our minds conspire to take us any place but that flow. We try to nail things down with labels, replay the past, or envision the future. Often, just the act of being in a garden or in the natural world can help our brain calm down, allowing awareness to seep in. We intuitively sense how beneficial this is for us, as people naturally seek out parks, rivers, mountains, and other green spaces.
This book begins with the basic understanding that the green world facilitates focused attention. Then we take it a step further by providing the tools to work with the green world in a more active, direct way. The activities in this book are designed to help you open doorways to awareness on a more consistent basis.
When we are in the flow, moments open into infinity. Poets and philosophers have often described this state of waking up. While viewing a field of sunflowers, inhaling the fragrance of a rose, or planting a seed, something shifts. We become fully present to the immenseness of the universe, simultaneously understanding our small place in it and our relationship to all that is.
There are a host of books that detail the physical and emotional health benefits of mindfulness, but many try to despiritualize the practice. This strikes me as odd. If spirituality is tuning in to our connection to something greater than ourselves, then mindfulness is a spiritual practice. It’s a remembrance of who and what we are.
Mindful practices facilitate deep awareness, gratitude, and understanding of our connectedness to all things. This is not simply an intellectual understanding, but instead a body-mind-spirit deep awareness.
Garden Connections
Life is a flowing river, not a series of static events. When we move into experiencing the flow, we are practicing mindfulness. Gardens and green spaces give us easy access to mindfulness practice. A garden, by its very nature, is a place of wonder and beauty. Gardens engage all our senses, helping us tap into the flow of moments. Plants are nonthreatening, so being in a garden provides a calm feeling of safety and openness that supports mindfulness practice.
Some of the earliest meditation and awareness masters have promoted the idea of meditating outdoors to be closer to the natural world while meditating. The Buddha sat under a Bodhi tree to reach enlightenment. Masters of tai chi and qigong (both movement meditations) often recommend practicing outdoors. When we are outdoors, we are closer to the natural energies that nurture and support us, creating a conducive environment for engaging with the flow.
Western science is catching up with what people have intuitively known: being in the natural world makes us feel good. Studies in the last few years show positive benefits to being outdoors.1
Most importantly, when we take the time to connect to the natural world, we realize that connection is there for us all the time. We simply need to stop and engage. As a culture, we have created boundaries to this knowingness, yet it seems so obvious when we look. Here we are, on this planet which supports us and provides everything we need, and yet, humans often seem oblivious to this vital support. By taking the time to stop and recognize our connections, we are enabling ourselves to make better judgments about the environment, our place in it, and the planet as a whole.
What Is Mindfulness?
Language can help us understand the world, but it can also create confusion. The word mindfulness was first used by scholar T. W. Rhys Davids in 1910 as he worked to translate a Buddhist text written in the Pali language. Davids struggled to find the right English translation for the word sati, and he eventually settled on mindfulness.2 There is no exact translation for this word, but it refers to awareness and remembrance, as in remembering who we really are in the present moment.
So, in some ways, the word mindfulness is a misnomer. We don’t want our mind to be full; we are actually trying to quiet the busy mind, which is always comparing, analyzing, and traveling to the past and the future. Our goal during a mindfulness practice is to be aware of presence, the entire gestalt of existence, not just the words running through our heads.
This is the simple explanation for mindfulness that I use in workshops: “Mindfulness is bringing our awareness to the flow of present moments.” This description captures the idea of movement and flow as well as our responsibility to focus our attention. It is an intentional activity.
The practice of paying attention via meditation (and other techniques) has been rooted in interactions with the natural world for thousands of years. Because this word and the recent interest in mindfulness blossomed from Buddhism, we often think this is the only place it existed, yet many spiritual traditions have contemplative practices that promote connectedness.
Connectedness
Experiencing connectedness is a benefit of mindfulness practice. Connectedness is the feeling and understanding of being part of a larger circle of energy and life on the planet. Most people have an intellectual understanding of connectedness. Connectedness is all around us if we take the time to look for it.
We know that the water circulating on the planet has taken a journey, flowing through rivers and nourishing people and plants and animals, flowing through us and then back to the clouds before being returned to rivers and oceans. Water has a cycle of connectedness, as do all of the elements.
We also know that sunlight enables plants to make food. Whether we eat plants or the animals that have eaten plants, we are being supported and connected by the sun, which bathes our planet with energy. This is a simple but powerful example of connectedness.
Science now confirms what energy healers and shamans have known for ages: fields of energy surround our bodies and can affect the energy fields of those around us.3 We can affect others with our positive or negative energy in a very real way.
Everything on the planet is connected. Although we can work our way to this intellectual understanding of connectedness, experiencing connectedness is not a cerebral activity. It is a heart and body–centered energetic awareness. When connected, we experience the visible and invisible energies that touch us all, providing tangible support, nurturing, and wisdom.
There are personal benefits to experiencing connectedness, but I think there are global benefits as well. I think connectedness would help us solve many of the problems humanity faces. Having a strong sense of connection creates empathy and makes it more likely that a group will reach a consensus. It can bring about a collective understanding of a problem and how to solve it. If we, as humans, have a deep understanding that we are part of a larger organism, we might act differently. Mindful awareness helps provide a pathway to that understanding.
A Little About Me
I first began meditating in the early 1970s in an Edgar Cayce 4 study group, and I have maintained a consistent practice since then. I was raised Catholic and taught that wisdom was passed down in a hierarchal fashion, so it was a profound shift for me to sit in silence and tap into my internal wisdom. At that time, instruction and classes were hard to come by, so my friendship circle supported each other as we explored and learned to meditate, supplemented by workshops and cassette tape instruction. Our first intention was always to connect to our spiritual selves and divine nature.
I think what we got wrong at the beginning was that we did not understand the holistic nature of meditation and mindfulness. We could sit in meditation for long periods of time and focus our thoughts, but we left our bodies and emotions behind. In our novice thinking, they were parts of ourselves to ignore or cast off.
The counterbalance to this was growing up in a gardening family. I had my hands in the soil from an early age and was aware—in a nonverbal, intuitive way—of my connection to the earth. For some reason, I considered the peace and contentment I felt while gardening to be totally separate from religion.
That all changed when I discovered an earth-centered spiritual path that was rooted in sensing the wonder and magic of being alive in our bodies and appreciating the communities on this planet. The green world and other nonhuman beings are counted in those communities. It’s all connected.
Acknowledging and celebrating the sacredness of the earth was a shift in perception, but it wasn’t the only shift I experienced. Our lives are tapestries with many threads woven into the fabric of who we are. Some of the other dominant threads of influence for me have been learning about healing plants, permaculture, my work in the nonprofit world, and ritual and energy work.
My love of gardening propelled me to learn more about healing herbs, in part because they were companion plants that helped vegetables grow. Delving into their histories and unique properties, I began to understand that the discovery of plants’ healing properties had as much to do with intuition as observation. Early herbalism was an energy-sensing art as much as a science.
Then I discovered permaculture, a design system of sustainable practices. I had been an organic gardener for many years when I first watched a video about permaculture. While organic gardening is a set of practices centered around care of the soil and growing food without pesticides, permaculture takes a much broader view. Its overall goal is sustainability and increased food production, but the philosophy is about connectedness. That instantly got my attention.
I earned a permaculture design certificate many years ago, and although I never used my certificate professionally, my home and garden sanctuary reflect permaculture concepts. Perennials are interplanted with annuals, existing space and resources are used creatively, and I incorporate diverse plants. Permaculture also grabbed my attention because of its understanding that weedy plants like dandelion, nettle, and burdock have many benefits for the soil—and humans as well!
Permaculture has impacted the way I see the world as one interconnected organism. The guiding principles can be applied not only to the earth, but to human interaction as well. They have a spiritual perspective, which is not surprising because permaculture begins with connectedness. Some of the basic concepts include taking time to observe and understand a system, responding to change with creativity, and engaging in self-reflection. All of these are mindful practices for interacting with others on the planet and could be a playbook for intentional living.
Another influence in my life is the nonprofit world. With an undergraduate degree in social work and a master’s degree in organizational leadership, I’ve spent much of my life in this realm. When functioning well, nonprofit organizations embrace a heart-centered path to bring positive change to the world. I’ve worked in various settings, but my current role is as a wellness and recovery educator. I provide training for individuals who will be assisting others with recovery from mental health conditions and substance use disorders. I also conduct workshops on mindfulness, trauma-informed practices, and wellness. Mindfulness practice guides me when dealing with challenging work situations, as does my work with plants. (The plant correspondences outlined in Part 2 of this book provide continual insight on approaching problems with intentionality.)
One of the other threads in my life has been exploring modalities for sensing and working with energy. While living in Pennsylvania, I co-founded a women’s ritual group and, with friends, created monthly full moon rituals. We created and nurtured group energy through meditation, drumming, chanting, and other focused activities. I also co-facilitated a drumming and chanting circle for over fourteen years and led Dances of Universal Peace, a kind of movement meditation that combines sacred dance and chant.5
Intentional movement is a way to bring us back into the here and now. Drum, dance, and chant are beautiful ways to increase group energy and cohesiveness, but I have found qigong to be a more direct path to sensing energy flow and cultivating increased awareness of presence. Qigong is a mind-body healing practice that originated in China.
I was introduced to qigong over twenty years ago through a deceptively easy form called the Eight Pieces of Brocade. It was my only daily qigong practice for many years. In 2002, I began a martial arts class that included tai chi. It was taught by Grand Master Samuel Copeland, who this book is dedicated to. Tai chi is a martial art, but when executed slowly, it is also a mindful and healing practice, like qigong. Many instructors place tai chi under the umbrella of qigong.
To me, qigong is energy work, pure and simple. There are both stillness practices and movement practices within qigong, but even when we are still, we practice sensing the energy flow in and around our bodies. The flowing movements of qigong mimic the flow of energy in the natural world. Practicing in the garden, surrounded by living green entities, reinforces that awareness.
I incorporate qigong and tai chi movements into my workshops and also lead monthly mindfulness and qigong walks at Bluff Lake Nature Center in Denver, Colorado. In the last few years, I’ve completed my Practice Leader certifications with the Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi (IIQTC) for both Level I Qigong and Tai Chi Easy.6
My life tapestry involves many different practices, all unified by spirituality and connectedness. Ultimately, all things come back to the garden for me. My work life is influenced by my time in the garden. Qigong is an extension of the flowing energies in the garden. There is wisdom to be gained in caring for plants and simply hanging out with them. They are allies, teachers, and healers on many different levels.
Mindfulness involves tuning in to the flow of life. Movement and non-movement are constantly morphing into each other. If we are paying attention, we can ride that wave. It’s not complicated, but it requires practice and commitment to train your awareness. This book is an exploration of activities and rituals to do just that.
Jumping In: Helpful Tips and Tools
This book has two distinct parts. Part 1 is a kind of recipe book of green world mindfulness techniques and activities. Activities can be done in any order. You, the reader, can scan the topics and go where your intuition leads you. The activities are grouped into categories, but the practices don’t always neatly fit into one category or another. Some of the activities are simple, fun attunements. Others might take a little more time to plan, and some require a commitment to practice over time. Sampling the activities is a great way to get started, but repeating them will help deepen the practice. Repeating the same activity on a regular basis (daily or whatever your schedule allows) will open doorways to awareness.
Part 2 involves heart-centered and energetic explorations of garden correspondences. There is a long tradition with herbalists and alchemists of identifying plant correspondences. These are energetic characteristics of a plant, beyond their nutritional or medicinal traits. In this section, we’ll work with one plant and its energetic correspondence for one week at a time. By planting that “seed” in your awareness, you can allow it to grow and focus your attention. There are fifty-two entries, making this ideal for a year’s worth of practice, if you so choose.
You can begin anywhere, but it makes the most sense to read over the introductory sections for Part 1 and Part 2 before choosing activities. Both parts of the book can be used simultaneously or separately. You may be drawn to one part or another. That is okay—the parts are just different ways to approach green world mindfulness. Follow your intuition.
I’ve included the two-part botanical names for readers who may be interested. Botanists have worked out a naming system that helps ensure they are speaking about the same plant. The first part of the name is the genus, which identifies a group of plants with similar characteristics. The second part relates to the species of the plant and identifies its more specific features. The species name also differentiates it from others in its group. Most of the names are derived from Greek or Latin. Rest assured, it’s not necessary to know botanical names when cultivating green world awareness.
Suggested Supplies
• A journal. This can be a simple spiral-bound notebook or another notebook of your choosing. It can be fun to pick out a special note-book for recording observations and experiences, and it can strengthen your commitment to practice.
• Writing tools. You’ll need something to write and draw with. I suggest colored pencils for drawing and gel pens for writing. Colored pencils are affordable and provide a sensory treat as they tend to flow more easily on paper and create colorful recordings of our observations. Gel pens are fun to write with and increase the likelihood that you will write in your journal.
• Access to a garden or other green space. You don’t need your own garden to do these activities. Any green space where you are comfortable will work: a public park, a friend’s backyard, a hiking trail, a public garden, an arboretum or conservatory, a patio garden, or next to your indoor houseplants.
Beginning Each Activity: Grounding and Centering
When beginning any of the explorations in either part of the book, take a few moments to ground and center yourself. Grounding is the letting go of excess energy so that you can be fully present. This excess energy might be a feeling of agitation, mental worries, or a preoccupation with something. An easy way to ground yourself is to take one to three intentional, deep breaths. On the exhales, feel or imagine any chaotic energy streaming out through your feet and fingertips and into the ground. This is a cleansing breath, allowing you to let go of what you don’t need so you can focus on the activity.
To center yourself, take another deep breath or two and bring your attention to the core of your being. Mindfulness is a full-body experience, not an intellectual exercise. If your focus is still mostly in your head, place your hands on your diaphragm and feel it expanding and contracting as you breathe. Consciously move your attention from your head to your core.
These opening breaths can be done in a few minutes. Don’t skip them. They help us shift into a focused mindfulness practice.
Endings: Closing with Intention
When ending an activity, even the very short ones, take a few moments to intentionally close. Reflect on the activity and what, if anything, you discovered. Most of the explorations in this book have suggested questions that you can answer in your journal. I have found journaling to be a great tool for allowing insights and feelings to percolate into my awareness. Just the act of putting pen to paper seems to unlock hidden knowledge and emotion. I might start by writing about something that is at a conscious level, and suddenly other insights are flooding onto the paper. Journaling is also a way to cultivate full-body awareness by writing about feelings and energetic discoveries after the activities. Capturing our discoveries in this way also provides a record of our mindfulness journey.
Many people have an aversion to writing because a teacher or someone else convinced them they couldn’t write. Keeping a journal is not about writing essays that someone is going to grade. Recording discoveries in a journal is a focusing activity. It can include doodling, drawing, writing random words, or a combination of these things. Mostly importantly, the journal is yours. You don’t have to share it with anyone. Misspelled words don’t matter. I encourage you to give journaling a try.
There is, of course, the option to record insights electronically on a tablet, laptop, or even your phone. There are now options to write with a stylus on a tablet. I briefly tried journaling electronically and quickly returned to paper and pen. Experiment to find out what works best for you, but be aware that bringing any electronic device out to the garden might be more of a distraction than a help.
Gratitude for the Green World
As we approach any of these explorations, we want to remember that we are interacting with living beings. Each plant has a life force and a focus on living and thriving. Whenever we are harvesting plants, either part or all of the plant, we can take a moment to acknowledge the plant and its gift to us. Thanking the plant, silently or aloud, with intention is a good practice to adopt.
On Committing to Practice
This is a workbook. The activities are meant to be experienced. Mindfulness is a skill, and like playing the violin or creating art, one that gets better with practice. So just jump in and begin building your practice. You’ll like some activities better than others. Stay with those, but also try out some others that you aren’t immediately drawn to. They may surprise you.
Making a commitment goes a long way to warding off inertia. Decide how much time you will devote to your practice. Many of the activities in this book can be experienced in ten to fifteen minutes. Pick some activities that interest you and make a plan to stay engaged.
A caution: One way to sabotage your practice is to commit to more than you can do. Be realistic about what your available time is and set your goals accordingly. You can always do more! Set reasonable goals so that you can achieve success.
1. Robbins, “Ecopsychology.”
2. Lomas, “Where Does the Word ‘Mindfulness’ Come From?”
3. McCraty, The Energetic Heart.
4. For more information on Edgar Cayce, see the Edgar Cayce’s Assocation for Research and Enlightenment website, www.edgarcayce.org.
5. For more information, see the Dances of Universal Peace’s website, www.dancesofuniversalpeacena.org/.
6. For more information, see the Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi’s website, www.instituteofintegralqigongandtaichi.org.