Garden of the Heart: July 20 - 26

Last weekend, I led a mini-meditation retreat for a group of friends contemplating retirement and how to approach the last third of life. We are all highly accomplished professionals, respected in our various fields. We talked about mission, purpose, and goals. We had read books, attended seminars, and met with financial planners. But the most valuable insight came from Tim, our guest yoga teacher. He suggested maybe life doesn't work this way at all. Rather than creating an action plan, maybe life is more like a garden. Our main task in life is to prepare the conditions for growth. If we tend to our hearts, then the results will follow naturally. I don't know how to fix a broken world but I can always soften the ground of my heart, water it with compassion, and sow seeds of kindness.

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Practice

Tend to the garden of your heart. We literally need the same 5 elements as plants to grow.

1. Sunlight: for most people 5 to 10 minutes of sun, especially in the morning, promotes a wealth of benefits: make Vitamin D, better sleep cycles, contribute to weight loss, and foster emotional well-being. Read more: https://www.mindfulnessstudies.com/sitting-sun-meditation/
   

2. Water: drink between 3/4 gallons of water (women) and a gallon (men) for improved skin health, increased energy levels, better digestion, and potentially aiding in weight management. Hydration also supports various bodily functions like joint lubrication, temperature regulation, and cognitive function. Just being by bodies of water is shown to decrease stress and elevate mood. Read more: https://www.bluezones.com/2025/01/how-time-spent-near-water-enhances-our-health/
   

3. Air: Just breathe and know you are breathing. This is sound advice for mindfulness. Spend time in nature, forest bathe, exchange conditioned air for the real thing whenever you can. Read more: The Health Benefits of Fresh Air - Physio Falmouth Plus; Why a walk in the woods really does help your body and your soul
   

4. Nutrients: Eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables to reduce cholesterol, lower blood pressure, improve bone strength, decrease risk of stomach cancer, and optimize gut health. Offer gratitude for the earth, our mother, and all the ways she feeds us, shelters us, and provides the very essence of our physical bodies. Read more: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/phytonutrients-paint-your-plate-with-the-colors-of-the-rainbow-2019042516501
   

5. Space: Often I start guided meditations by instructing folks to feel their feet on the earth. As advanced as we are as a species, why do so easily forget we are part of nature? We might not have roots coming from the soles of our feet but we are every bit connected to this planet as the trees. Paying attention to and caring for the earth is really the same thing as self-care.

   Read more: https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/04/nurtured-nature

You've probably noticed by now, I'm a big fan of nature. Here are two books that opened my eyes to see the world in new ways:

• Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

• The Light Eaters by Zoe Schlanger