Meditation: ever increasing awareness 1

Posted on October 20, 2026 by Donna Mitchell-Moniak

Sitting with a mindfulness of the physical body can give rise to increasing awareness in a variety of ways:

  • appreciation of the body. It truly is amazing!
  • a vibrational awareness of the body. One begins to feel the body as a scintillating, vibrational organ, pulsing in the world.
  • one might become more aware of the chakras and other features of the esoteric anatomy
  • with a genuine focus on the body, one’s mind grounds, settles, softens and opens
  • one becomes aware of the many-ness within this seeming unitary-ness of the incarnated form
  • and other benefits as well.

As mentioned in previous meditations, becoming aware of how unaware one has been -about anything- is so important. Certainly, one’s body is usually counted among the “usually not noticed” unless there is pain or injury. The body just keeps going and is taken for granted. Thus, mindfulness of the body in the body can be a powerful meditation practice for all the above listed reasons and many more.

Enjoy the meditation!

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Meditation: preliminary practice 2

Posted on October 15, 2026 by Donna Mitchell-Moniak

One might ask, “why is a meditation focusing on the physical body a preliminary practice to a retreat on the nature of mind?”  My brief response begins this meditation session; then onward into being present “to the body in the body”. Amazing!

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Meditation: preliminary practice 1

Posted on October 13, 2026 by Donna Mitchell-Moniak

A meditation retreat is happening Fri-Mon. Here is the preliminary practice.

These are the steps:

The practice (do this at least once a day before the retreat)

Sitting well will support you in opening to the nature of mind. Do what you can to provide this kindness and wisdom to yourself.

– Once sitting, make three big breaths, each with a forceful exhale. Shake your upper body a bit, as we have done many times. Then settle into your body: feel your butt on the cushion, your backbone rising up from your sacrum; feel your ribs, your shoulders, your neck, ears, eyes, hair. Do not rush. Be present to “the body in the body.”

– While doing all of the above, one facet after another came to the foreground of your mind and experience. Slowly, that faded as the next facet or focus came to the fore. Just sit with that fact born of your settling experience (from choosing a chair or cushion, to breathing forcefully, and so forth)

– At some point, your breathing will naturally become foreground. Be that. Be with that. Relax and vibrantly Be -breathing.

Remain: vibrant. rest-full. simple. (thoughts are clouds in the sky)

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Meditation: two: innocence, deep radiance and receive, radiate

Posted on October 10, 2026 by Donna Mitchell-Moniak

Today’s meditation (Saturday) deepened into a wordless radiance, a pure-ness.

Thursday’s meditation engaged breathing, sublime Oneness, and the constancy of receiving and radiating.

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Garden fun 13: complete the season with Mint!

Posted on October 8, 2026 by Donna Mitchell-Moniak

Mint is super easy to grow; in a pot or in a designated space. In the ground, it is a perennial, will self spread, can be enjoyed fresh through the season, and then dried for winter tea.

Mint is a tried and true medicinal herb, in addition to a yummy, mind-settling tea. Its primary use is for tummy upset, which often results from improper food combining and/or over-indulgence. A cup of mint tea will not only refresh the palate, but will usually reduce gas. However, mint is not a curative if the cause of bloating is poor eating habits. That cure is one’s self.

Mint requires a good five to six hours of sunlight; will grow in most soil bases, requires medium watering, yet will tolerate low-medium watering. Because it will spread, a designated mint bed is a wise idea.

Pick it fresh through the season. Add sprigs to cold or hot water and drink. Rub the fresh sprigs in your hands to open the leaves and release their oils first. Use mint leaves as a cuisine ingredient. Then, as the season completes, harvest non-flowering stems of leaves, tie them with cotton twine, and hang them in a window that is not baking in the sun. In a week, the stems are dry and ready to strip. Do so outside ‘cuz little pieces of leaf will be generated. I store mine in a canister where the hot-pot is. Enjoy! Be healthy!

And, some of the last tomato beauties!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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