Lessons from the Garden: Being with Berries
Heartfulness eMagazine|February 2020
ALANDA GREENE is picking blackcurrants in her garden. Reflecting on the nature of these tiny fruit helps her see the importance of valuing everyone and everything, of being in tune with Nature, of interconnectedness, and of Mitakuye Oyasin.
ALANDA GREENE
Lessons from the Garden: Being with Berries

The cycle of seasons has circled again to the blackcurrant bushes where berries have turned from green to bronze to glossy blue-black. And again, in this steady and rhythmic process of picking, these berries offer understandings. My mind quiets enough to be receptive to insights. My tendency is to move along quickly with tasks. The garden cares little for my inclinations about efficiency and speed. It requires that I adjust to its rhythm. It is much wiser than me.

This morning, with a twig broom, I swept the stone patio and was reminded of Zen monks tending the gardens around temples in Japan. I used to think the slow care with which they swept was about their practice, like the walking meditation where each moment is attended to in awareness. The sweeping probably is about this, but today I understand that they also sweep slowly because this kind of sweeping just doesn’t work if done quickly. When I try, which I did repeatedly today, feeling time pressure and wanting to get this patio cleaned and get on with other things that need doing; when I try this way, the pine needles, the dried catkins, the cones, the papery leaves just get stuck in the cracks and in the broom. The debris that covers the gravelly parts gets mixed with bits of gravel itself, which is not what I want. Sweeping slowly and lightly allows the ends of the twigs to nudge the bits of litter along without carrying a lot of what needs to remain.

This story is from the February 2020 edition of Heartfulness eMagazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the February 2020 edition of Heartfulness eMagazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM HEARTFULNESS EMAGAZINEView All
WHO SHOULD I BE?
Heartfulness eMagazine

WHO SHOULD I BE?

SARA BUBBER brings us a story based on the famous Japanese tale \"The Stonecutter,\" followed by a fun coloring activity from the story.

time-read
2 mins  |
March 2024
Being Funny
Heartfulness eMagazine

Being Funny

BO JOHNSON is interviewed by SURAJ SEHGAL about being a stand-up comedian, the humanity behind humor, and the nerves around how it will be received. He also reminds us why we need humor more than ever before.

time-read
7 mins  |
March 2024
Salt: A Culinary Staple with a Rich History in India
Heartfulness eMagazine

Salt: A Culinary Staple with a Rich History in India

SRAVAN BANDA is a Ph.D. scholar in Biophilia and Wetlands, and Commodore KAMLESH KUMAR is CMD of Hindustan Salts Ltd. Here, they share the history of one of the most important condiments we use in our food-salt!

time-read
3 mins  |
March 2024
Connecting with Life
Heartfulness eMagazine

Connecting with Life

VASCO GASPAR asks us to explore how we can become truly alive. Like Einstein, he invites us to remove the delusion of separateness and connect with the whole. He challenges us to move from \"ego to eco,\" and gives us the tools to manifest the world of the Heart.

time-read
3 mins  |
March 2024
A Note on Love
Heartfulness eMagazine

A Note on Love

TEJESHWAR SINGH shares his perspective on the nature and nuances of love.

time-read
3 mins  |
March 2024
LIVING VOICE
Heartfulness eMagazine

LIVING VOICE

MERETE NØRGAARD is in dialogue with EMILIE MOGENSEN. Through her company, Living Voice (www.livingvoice.dk), Merete works with leaders and communicators, helping them become better speakers, strengthen their voices, and achieve authentic leadership. Her book, The Magic of the Voice, is a guide to understanding the voice as an instrument and a muscle to be trained.

time-read
9 mins  |
March 2024
Faster and Shallower
Heartfulness eMagazine

Faster and Shallower

DR. ICHAK ADIZES explores how the speed and depth of our activities impact the quality of the work we do and the lives we lead. What message do you take from his thoughts, and what do you feel?

time-read
2 mins  |
March 2024
HOW YOGA REGENERATES US
Heartfulness eMagazine

HOW YOGA REGENERATES US

SAT BIR SINGH KHALSA is interviewed by VICTOR KANNAN about research and the applications of yoga in modern life. Dr. Khalsa has been an instructor of Kundalini Yoga since 1973, and conducted research on yoga since 2001 on insomnia, chronic stress, anxiety-related disorders, and in workplace and public school settings. He is medical editor of the Harvard Medical School Special Report, Introduction to Yoga, and chief editor of the medical textbook, The Principles and Practice of Yoga in Health Care.

time-read
7 mins  |
March 2024
The Secret to Change: TAKE IT MINUTE BY MINUTE
Heartfulness eMagazine

The Secret to Change: TAKE IT MINUTE BY MINUTE

MAMATA SUBRAMANYAM reflects on her own processes of change, and realizes that there is an easier way to move forward-one that doesn't involve self-recrimination and instant gratification. She explores incremental change, minute by minute, embracing the messy process that goes with it, and sets herself a brighter vision for how to live her life.

time-read
4 mins  |
March 2024
A DIY Guide to Well-Being
Heartfulness eMagazine

A DIY Guide to Well-Being

ICHHA BHAN is a counselor and life coach with an interest in positive change, resilience, and transformation. By helping people connect with their authentic selves and unlock their potential, she is on a mission to empower and inspire others on their wellness journey.

time-read
3 mins  |
March 2024