The Art Of Mindful Gardening

The Art of Mindful Gardening explores the activity of gardening as an exercise for both body and mind. Ark Redwood, head gardener at Chalice Well, one of Britain’s most sacred gardens, guides you through the changing seasons, expanding your knowledge of how to be conscious of the living and providing expert insight on meditating in your natural environment. This book will be essential reading for those looking to add a mindful dimension to the experience of gardening.

Through writing exercises, inspirational quotes, and simple tutorials, this guided journal for gardeners helps users transform terms like "living in the moment," "meditation," and "mindfulness" from mere buzzwords into helpful everyday practices that will help them de-stress, reconnect, and handle whatever challenges the day brings. Meditations for Gardeners provides the user with a series of simple journaling prompts designed to nurture a positive, calming framework to approach the day. Each of the writing prompts provides is grounded in nature and the garden, offering the user space to examine one's garden and one's self and to ponder some of the basic tenets of mindfulness. The journal can be completed at whatever pace the user prefers to work at (daily, weekly, etc) and features inspirational quotes sprinkled throughout, as well as introductory material on the practice of mindfulness and a list of resources for further reading.

"The beautiful new book from Salon bibliotherapist Ella Berthoud ... explores how reading mindfully enhances our lives and asks, if reading is our daily nourishment, how best should it be consumed?" - Damian Barr The healing power of reading has been renowned since Aristotle; focus, flow and enlightenment can all be discovered through this universal act. The Art of Mindful Reading embraces the joy of absorbing words on a page, encouraging a state of mind as deeply therapeutic and vital to our wellbeing as breathing. Bibliotherapist Ella Berthoud asks if reading is our daily nourishment how best should it be consumed? How should you read mindfully? And why will reading mindfully help you to read better? She explores how reading mindfully can shape the person you are, give you your moral backbone, and teaches empathy with others. Through meditative exercises, engaging anecdote, and expert insight, she reveals the enriching potential of reading for mindfulness.

"In The Art of Mindful Birdwatching, Claire Thompson elegantly weaves a narrative full of her own delightfully documented encounters with birds in amongst sage guidance on using mindfulness to help readers become deeply aware of the present moment. Following Claire's clearly described exercises has the potential to lead one from mere identification to making deeply insightful observations into the life of birds." – British Trust of Ornithology Through personal anecdote and expert insight, Claire Thompson of BirdLife International invites us on a mindful journey through gardens, cities, open country, forests, coasts and mountains to enjoy and learn from the magnificent beauty and diversity of the avian world. Who has never gazed enviously at a bird soaring through the sky? Or delighted in the uplifting tunes of nature’s songsters? Birds can do wonders for our hearts and minds – if we simply pay them attention. With The Art of Mindful Birdwatching, Claire Thompson reveals how the practice of mindfulness enriches our birdwatching experiences – and explores how birds are, in turn, the ideal inspiration for the practice of mindfulness. Enjoy the magnificent diversity of colours, songs, flight patterns and behaviours displayed by birds while reaping the benefits of mindfulness: Increased concentration Increased creativity Increased vitality Reduced stress and anxiety Better overall physical and emotional well-being Better sleep Bird flight is a symbol of freedom to soar through life without constraint, and mindfulness similarly enables us to invite freedom and happiness into our own lives. Find even more ways to practice mindfulness with the Mindfulness series: Mindfulness in Sound, Mindfulness & the Art of Drawing, Mindfulness in Knitting, Mindfulness & the Journey of Bereavement, Mindfulness of Work, Art of Mindful Singing, Art of Mindful Crafting, Mindfulness and Compassion, Mindfulness for Black Dogs & Blue Days, Mindfulness for Unraveling Anxiety, Practice of Mindful Yoga, The Mindful Man, Mindfulness and the Natural World and more.

"This gorgeously-illustrated book makes the link between getting out in the garden, and the enrichment that can come as a result." PlantBased mag "Clea sows a series of meditation techniques about tending the earth wholeheartedly, and shows you how to embrace gardening as a spiritually-enriching hobby to help reconnect you to nature." - Soul & Spirit mag "It promises to lift your soil and your soul! We love."- Woman's Own*BOOK OF THE WEEK* "Clea Danaan is on a gentle mission to help more people fall in love with the Earth." - NFU Countryside "We adore her beautiful little book, Mindful Thoughts for Gardeners, which will inspire you to reconnect with nature, help you live consciously through your planting, and accept unavoidable gardening pitfalls!" - Green Parent Embracing gardening as a spiritually enriching activity lovingly reconnects us to nature everyday—this beautifully illustrated little book reminds us how to do it. Rooting each blossoming thought in deep ecology and conscious living, we unearth the power inherent in mindfully lifting the soil; it lifts our souls as well. Mindful Thoughts for Gardeners sows a series of meditations about tending the Earth wholeheartedly. Author Clea Danaan explores the interconnectedness of nature in this carefully-crafted small volume that any green-fingered grower will want to dig into.

Mindfulness in Gardening explores the activity of gardening as an exercise for both body and mind. Ark Redwood, a professional gardener for over 30 years and currently head gardener at Chalice Well, one of Britain’s most sacred gardens, guides you through the changing seasons, expanding your knowledge of how to be conscious of the living and providing expert insight on meditating in your natural environment. Practical exercises are included for readers to imitate in their own garden. This book is essential reading for those looking to add a mindful dimension to the experience of gardening and understand the benefits this provides.

“Turn your outdoor bathing into an enriching meditation with this exploration into the emotional benefits of swimming in nature.” —Health & Fitness The Mindful Art of Wild Swimming explores how swimming in rivers, lakes, and seas is the very epitome of conscious living. Zen-seeker Tessa Wardley reconnects the physical and spiritual cycles of life to the changing seasons and flow of wild waters worldwide and leads the reader on to a mindful journey through the natural world. Combining expert insight and personal anecdote, she shares with sparkling clarity why our relationship with open water is so fundamental to pure wellbeing, and reveals how wild swimming can be the ultimate Zen meditation. “Tessa Wardley is a keen and knowledgeable guide” —Times Literary Supplement