Tapestry of Life Newsletter -

April, 2024

The Power of Tending

Till your inner landscape and your outer landscape will flourish.

Gina Greenlee

Dear Friends,

Tending and Nurturing

As we welcome the season of new beginnings and growth, I've been pondering the powerful and beautiful practice of tending and nurturing. I can almost guarantee that when you read the words "tending" and "nurturing," your mind immediately begins to tally the many things you tend to and nurture in your daily life. This may include family, friends, work responsibilities, cherished animal companions, community, home chores (and this time of year, especially our yards and gardens), and hopefully, your health. Yet, amidst all these important things, we often overlook the tending to and nurturing of our inner landscape.

Exploring the Inner Landscape

Recently, in a conversation with someone, they asked, "Can you help me better understand what an inner landscape means?" What a great question! I resonate with how the late Celtic writer, poet, and theologian John O'Donohue explained it, "The inner landscape is "the invisible world" that is constantly intertwining with what we know and see. From reading quite a bit of his work, O'Donohue often commented that despite our vast technologies, our real knowledge is minimal - and that is only within "the inner landscape" with which we are each blessed can true knowing take place. You can imagine the inner landscape as a complex weave that includes our thoughts, emotions, beliefs, memories, desires, and subconscious patterns that shape our inner world. In this space, we experience all our emotions and feelings, including fears, joys, hopes, sorrows, love, etc. It is where the running monologue of our narratives takes place and our self-perceptions develop - all of which greatly influence our behavior and experiences. As we explore within, we benefit from offering ourselves non-judgment and compassion and being patient - gently remembering that this exploration is a lifelong journey - as life is never static and constantly changing. Click here for an article that explores many aspects of mindfulness.

Now, let's delve deeper into the importance of nurturing our inner landscape through a familiar lens—gardening.

Please check out Cuppa with Clare to read more.

Stay well and stay connected!!

In peace and love,

Clare xxx

Click here for SoundCloud. Because snow is forecast here in NH, it seemed like the perfect time for flower gazing meditation. Maybe if we all meditate together, the snow will go elsewhere;)

Cuppa With Clare: Tending Our Outer Garden a Mirror for the Inner Garden

Those of you who are familiar with my writings know that I often draw inspiration from nature. She is such a beautiful, wise teacher who patiently, throughout each season, abundantly offers us simple yet profound lessons. One of my favorite nature images, which has helped me and some of the individuals I work with tend to the inner landscape, is to imagine the mind as a beautiful, lush garden.

When doing this, I remember the lessons that tending the small garden at my home has taught me. A garden is a complex, connected environment, just as we are - and the steps in creating and caring for a garden in nature can be a mirror in how to care for, nurture, and tend to our inner garden and create an inner sanctuary. In doing this, we create a lush environment that supports us and creates resiliency through all ‘weather of life’ from the bright, sunny days to the most torrential storms.

I humbly offer these steps if you are new to gardening or mindfulness. You may even want to consider one of these possibilities: joining our free Wednesday Wellness meditation offering, joining me for one of my mindfulness meditation classes (see below for details), or when the snow finally stops flying;) You are always welcome to join me and sit quietly in my small garden - she is a beautiful and wise teacher. I humbly share these steps with you -



Spend time each day in your garden, observing and listening to its needs.

Set intentions for your garden, envisioning the feelings you wish to cultivate.

Nourish and water your garden with the seeds of gratitude, kindness, and resilience while gently releasing weeds of doubt, anger, and worry.

As our awareness grows and we open to the many emotions, thoughts, and sensations that are part of our inner landscape, offering nonjudgment, curiosity, and compassion is a beautiful way to support ourselves. Doing so encourages us to cultivate and create inner gardens that bloom with patience, kindness, hope, joy, peace, stillness, gratitude, and love.

May we remember that tending our inner gardens, much like tending a garden in nature, involves experiencing all the seasons of life—cycles of growth, change, and renewal. It is a lifelong journey, offering endless opportunities for growth and transformation. With time, we notice we have created an inner sanctuary, a dwelling space that we can return to at any time - whenever we need a little rejuvenation and renewal.

Much love, xxx

Upcoming Classes and Events:

Reiki 1 Class - Coming to Yoga From The Heart in April. Stay tuned. Dates are still TBD.

Reiki II Class - Saturday, April 20th. Click here for details.

Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center:

Saturday, May 11th - Woman's Day Relax and Renew. Click here for details.

The Laconia Public Library:

Guided Imagery and Mindful Journaling Class:

Friday: 4-week series 5/3, 5/10, 5/17 and 5/24. From 11- 12:30.

5-Week Beginner Mindfulness Meditation Class

Monday: 6/3, 6/10. 6/17, 6/24, and 7/1 from 10 - 11:15.

You can sign up online or in person at the library.

Free Community Offerings:

The location for each of these offerings is Yoga From the Heart www.yogafromtheheartnh.com

Canal St., Laconia. Thank you for your generosity, Sheryl Gauthier!

Wellness Wednesday

Mindfulness Meditation and other self-care practices to return to calm and balance.

Click here.

Monday Matters of The Heart

Next gathering on Monday, April 8th, 2024

Nurture the Heart, Nourish the World.

This month's topic: Guest speaker Paula Ferenc. The Way...Explore Your Sacred Journey

Click here.

Reiki Share

The last Sunday of every month is from 12 to 1:00 p.m. The next gathering is on April 28th. Click here.

Take a Reiki Break

Join us for our Reiki clinic, which is open to the public and will take place on the last Sunday of every month from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. The next one is on April 28th. Whether new to Reiki or already familiar with its benefits, this is a fantastic opportunity to experience the healing practice firsthand.

Click here.