Mindfulness in the Garden - by Zachiah Murray (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Mindfulness in the Garden offers simple mindfulness verses (gathas) composed to connect the mind and body and to bring the reader/gardener's awareness to the details of the present moment as they work in the garden. These gathas are signposts leading to nature, to the present, and ultimately to one's self through the love and understanding they evoke. The gathas offered with each gardening activity serves to water the seeds of mindfulness within us, and to soften and prepare the ground for our ability to be present.

Mindfulness in the Garden values weeds as important messengers seeking to bring into close communion our spiritual nature with that of the environment. It likens spiritual practice to cultivating a garden and inspires each person to accept themselves and start where they are, weeds and all. Through the practice of mindful gardening, we invite not only the thriving of the natural world but also the flowering and beauty of the pure land of our true self to emerge.
Features black and white botanical illustrations throughout.

Foreword by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, author of Present Moment, Wonderful Moment
New Afterword by Mick McEvoy, manager of Plum Village Happy Farm in France

Review Quotes

"Mindfulness in the Garden has been our steadfast companion through that seasonal cycle since its publication in 2012. These pages flow through the natural rhythms of the seasons, rooting mindfulness practices into every phase of the gardening year."
--Mick McEvoy, Plum Village Happy Farm

"Zachiah Murray's deep rooted practice of Mindfulness in the Garden offers grounded encouragement and inspiration for our times."
--Wendy Johnson, Gardening at the Dragon's Gate, At Work in the Wild, and Cultivated World

"Nourish your heart with the beautiful gathas in this book that flow from the joy of the garden."
--Cheryl Wilfong, The Meditative Gardener: Cultivating Mindfulness of Body, Feelings, and Mind

"A lovely book. I will keep it by my bed, on my altar, or in the garden. Mindfulness in the Garden is a gift for anyone who knows the garden as sacred space."
--Elizabeth Murray, Cultivating Sacred Space: Gardening for the Soul

About the Author

Zachiah Laurann Murray is a Registered Landscape Architect who, as a steward to the land and all its inhabitants, encourages us to remember we are made of Earth elements and advocates for the preservation and restoration of the natural environment to ensure future generations a quality of life enriched through their ability to connect with the Earth itself. Zachiah has earned a Master of Divinity, is an Ordained Minister in the Kriya Yoga tradition and a Dharma Teacher in the lineage of Thich Nhat Hanh, and a Shodan in Aikido. They lead meditation in many forms and teach children's Akido classes. They live in Santa Cruz, California.

Mick McEvoy brings more than twenty years of experience in mindfulness, nature connection, and ecological restoration to his role as the head of the permaculture garden and Happy Farm at Plum Village France, the Buddhist monastery founded by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh.