“Grief can be the garden of compassion.” Rumi Four months ago today, my mom passed away. Consequently, she died exactly three years later, to the day, from my father. I am eternally grateful I could be by her side as she left her physical existence. At 88 years old, her body was fragile and herContinue reading “A Legacy in Loving”
Tag Archives: nature heals
Beauty
“Beauty awakens the soul to act.” Dante Alighieri Beauty is boundless in nature. From the countless clusters of stars that create the constellations scattered across the dark sky to the multitude of meaningful, microscopic members that mingle and maneuver through the massive, magical world under our feet. Beauty is almost an effortless feeling or emotionContinue reading “Beauty”
Synthesizing in Stillness
“Sit, be still, and listen.” Rumi Stillness is the absence of motion, inactivity, or inaction. For some, it is nearly an insurmountable state of being. To be still with our whole body takes effort – settling our physical self, suspending our thoughts, and slowing our breath. When we practice stillness in nature, it nourishes ourContinue reading “Synthesizing in Stillness”
Sown in Solitude
“Solitude is the soil in which genius is planted, creativity grows, and legends bloom; faith in oneself is the rain that cultivates a hero to endure the storm, and bare the genesis of a new world, a new forest.” Mike Norton Solitude is a simple place where we can connect more deeply to selfContinue reading “Sown in Solitude”
The Soothsayer of Silence
“Listen to the silence. It has so much to say.” Rumi This essay is an updated copy of an essay that I posted here a few years ago. Within the sacred sphere of the fairy ring, silence, stillness, and solitude are the outward ways of being that connect our whole bodies, our breath and ourContinue reading “The Soothsayer of Silence”
Magic
“The world is magical. Magic is simply what’s off our human scale…at the moment.” Vera Nazarian Nature is magic. She provides us with a vast variety of landscapes and opportunities in which to immerse and restore ourselves. Her remedies are limitless. A daily dose of the outdoors saturates our senses and encourages emotions like joy,Continue reading “Magic”
Cultivating Connection: The Fairy Circle Model
“The Universe is a communion of subjects, not a collection of objects.” Brian Swimme and Thomas Berry, The Universe Story A fairy circle, or fairy ring, is a scientifically sound structure, but magical, nonetheless. Just the presence of the colorful caps of mushrooms supported by sturdy stalks scattered across the dark forest floor, creating aContinue reading “Cultivating Connection: The Fairy Circle Model”
Rosemary
“Nostalgia is a file that removes the rough edges from the good old days.” Doug Larson Rosemary is the final plant in the series Pondering the Plants of the Winter Solstice. Rosemary is an easily recognizable, pungent herb often infused into our seasonal savory dishes. Its aromatic aura aids in memory and recall. It rousesContinue reading “Rosemary”
Birch
..”When in that quiet aisle my feet have trod I have found peace among the silver trees,…” Andrew Greeley Although not all birch bark is white, in the winter season we often see the bark from the white or silver birch species wired into wreaths. The bark is perceptible as thin, papery plates of peelingContinue reading “Birch”
Oak
“This oak tree and I , we’re made of the same stuff.” Carl Sagan As part of the Pondering the Plants of the Winter Solstice, I am reposting this essay that I wrote in 2021. It is published here on my blog page and in the Plants and Poetry Journal anthology, Plant People: An AnthologyContinue reading “Oak”