socially conscious, science-based, & nature-infused
A statement perhaps more apt during this past year (depending upon your experience of 2020, your perspective on our creepy-crawly garden friends, and/or whether you’re taken up gardening during the pandemic). Worms are essential players in our soil’s ecosystem, improving aeration and breaking down… Continue Reading “Life is like a bucket of worms”
These days, many school-aged families are juggling remote learning schedules with other demanding work/life responsibilities, so finding time to enjoy regular meals together can be difficult. As the working parent of a fifth grader with special needs, I get it. Really, I do. The… Continue Reading “Mindful eating for families”
Check out this April 2020 article from the American Psychological Assocation, on the positive benefits of nature exposure. From its summary: “Spending time in nature is linked to both cognitive benefits and improvements in mood, mental health and emotional well-being. Feeling connected to nature… Continue Reading “APA Explores Nature Boost”
I’ve posted this quote from Viktor Frankl previously, and as someone who worked as a mindfulness-based psychotherapst for eighteen years, his words come to mind again and again. Especially now. We can’t control or deny (nor should we) the many stressful events of 2020,… Continue Reading “Choosing a compassionate response”
In earlier posts, I’ve unpacked the definition of mindful eating as it relates to our personal experience and the larger food system, briefly discussed the concept of food literacy, and encouraged us all to play with growing our own food – whether it’s on… Continue Reading “Beyond this bite: Mindful Eating, Food Literacy, and Therapeutic Horticulture”
Sound is all around us, throughout our day. We encounter sounds that may be sweet or soothing, and occasionally, sounds that we might not want to hear. However, sounds provide information and help us navigate in, and connect with, our larger world. A growing… Continue Reading “Mindfulness in nature – savoring sound”
For this second guided exercise in the Mindfulness in Nature brief video series, bring a small piece of food (fruit, etc) and experience of the adventure of eating mindfully. Enjoy!
In this brief mindfulness exercise, choose an object from nature (indoors or outside). Enjoy the opportunity to focus with intention, curiosity, and compassion – all skills that translate into significant mind/body health benefits, over time.
This past weekend I spent an hour or so deep-cleaning my bedroom, removing clutter, and exploring ways to bring more nature indoors. Although I’m immensely grateful to have a wooded view outside of our bedroom windows, recently I’ve realized that I need to turn… Continue Reading “Nature can help us sleep: bringing biophilic design into our bedrooms”
Happy Earth Day! So many of our friends are sharing resources today and here’s just a few that I’ve visited: Free streaming of Love Thy Nature documentary (link courtesy of Nature Sacred) The Oregon Metro-area Master Gardener resource center Grow Portland Oregon Tilth The… Continue Reading “Earth Day resources”