Aldo Gonzalez

My childhood summers were filled with outdoor adventure in the mountains, hills, and creek behind my grandparents’ home in rural New York State. Not all of it was fun, especially being chased by two older brothers toting snakes, crayfish, frogs and insects, who had the intention of scaring me to death.

Despite the countless memories of the teasing and difficulty keep up with older brothers, I nonetheless have a deep connection to those mountains, hills, and slow flowing creek that all hold a special place in my heart. I was truly blessed to have the opportunity to grow up near the ocean in sunny South Florida and spend my summers in the country of Western NY. 

I know from experience that nature can have a profound effect on calming the nervous system and reducing stress. My peaceful place continues to be my mother’s home nestled in the mountains and trees of Ellicottville, New York. Almost immediately upon arriving I can feel the tension drain from my body, as my shoulders drop several inches and all my worries and ruminations seem to just fall away.

I am the least physically active in my family so when everyone else heads out to hike, fish, ski or do the ropes course at a nearby mountain, I am content to sit on the deck listening to nature and taking in the sights and smells of the forest of trees surrounding the home.

I know in my body what nature does for me and instead of just waiting for those rare vacations in nature I am setting an intention to weave into my life some shorter bouts of nature bathing. And in the interest of learning more about the science behind how nature effects humans, I took to reading The Nature Fix, by Florence Williams.

The idea that nature can positively impact us was clearly not new to me, yet the idea of learning a bit about how research has finally caught up with anecdotal evidence I have gathered over the years is appealing to me as a psychologist, as I am always looking for ways to support people in healing and wellness.

In the Nature Fix, the author sets out to various places in the world where researchers have been active in collecting data on the effects of nature on human brains, and exploring the factors that contribute to positive effects.

What is responsible for the changes the researchers are finding? Is it the trees? The fresh air?  The effects of exercise? The absence of technology?  or just simply being on vacation and taking a break from daily routines?

One of the people Florence connected with was Ken Sanders, who recognized a profound shift by day three in groups he took on rafting trips in Utah, subsequently coining the term, The Three Day Effect. He teamed up with David Strayer, a neuroscientist, at the University of Utah to conduct research on what Sanders was observing trip after trip. Some of their conclusions are shared in the book, among so much more remarkable insights gleaned by other researchers across several continents. You can also check out the podcast 3-day effectby Florence if you prefer to listen rather than read. 

Tips from the experts on ways to start getting back into nature.

• Try to go one weekend a month to a natural area
• Visit a park once a week
• Get your hands dirty and garden
• Walk under trees
• Go to the ocean, lake, river, stream, or pond

Stay tuned to learn more about the findings from research as we continue this month to bring our mindfulness practice out into nature and interview some bad ass nature loving guides and share some tips on social media.

If you are a local South Floridian, you can join us at the Delray Community Garden on Friday mornings for an 8:30am guided meditation or you can enroll in our 8 week virtual (for now) mindfulness-based nature program starting June 12^th and offered by the Sacred Treehouse and coming this fall a 12 week Eco-Therapy group specifically focused on supporting healing from trauma.

Sitting outside, sensing the warmth of the sun on my face, the sounds of singing birds, the audible exhalation of Riley, our yellow lab, and taking in my view of all the palm trees and all of a sudden- a bird flies down from the roof top and lands on some of my husbands fishing debris. Yes I looked up and paused to take it all in and I even noticed a great big smile emerge from simply observing this precious creature stretch her wings. I could feel that smile radiate from my lips, to my chest, heart, and all the  way down into my tummy.

May each of you take some time to stretch your wings out in nature.

With Love and Gratitude,
 
Patty and The Sacred Treehouse faculty

Join our facebook group above to learn more and share your experiences with a community of likeminded people walking the path of mindful living.

Need support in overcoming obstacles? Just email me us at [email protected] to set up individualized mindfulness coaching or join our upcoming classes of MBSR or MSC for guided practices in a supportive community.

Go to www.sacredtreehouse.org

Mindfulness in nature can feel like a path home, a way to return to that peaceful place that rests deep within us. Last week we were invited to the Delray Community Garden to lead a mindfulness mediation outdoors in the garden. This donation only class was designed both as a way to raise funds and awareness for the community garden and to bring people together in a safe way to meditate.

It was a brief, yet powerful, experience that stayed with me throughout the day and provided a  grounded and solid sense of strength to navigate one of the most challenging professional days of my life. It brought me into Wise Mind and reminded me of the trust and faith I have in this practice to unleash love and wisdom as a source of guidance and support in challenging times.  

That day in the garden was not only a wish come true to me, it was also a manifestation of many people who support the garden, the Sacred Treehouse, and WiseTribe. We pledged to continue to offer this Friday morning 8:30 am meditation each week and we (The Faculty of the Sacred Treehouse and SCGP) look forward to welcoming you into the garden at the Swinton Community Growing Project.

There is no doubt you will experience a restoration of sorts. For me it restored my faith and hope in a humanity that can reconnect to nature and through nature find the way home, home to our divine nature. 

If you cannot break away or attend a garden meditation, try this guided practice wherever you are and join our Facebook group to share your experience. If you find this return to nature helpful for your mindfulness practice be on the look out and the first to sign up for the Sacred Treehouse 8 week Eco-mindfulness course starting June 12th. More information to follow and for now step outside and enjoy the guided meditation below.

Listen to a Return to Nature: Mindfulness is Nature Meditation

With Love and Gratitude,

Patty and The Sacred Treehouse Faculty

 Need support in overcoming obstacles? Just email me us at [email protected] to set up individualized mindfulness coaching or join our upcoming classes of MBSR or MSC for guided practices in a supportive community.

Go to www.sacredtreehouse.org

I have been called a tree-hugger many times over the years.  And while the intentions of my name-callers may not be complimentary, I take it in with pleasure. Yes, I am a tree hugger, both literally and figuratively. When I am present, truly present in nature, I feel a deep connection with and love for the trees. This same connection and love is also felt for the oceans, rivers, mountains, flowers, plants, animals, and sky. Each time I take a mindful step into nature I am in awe as if it is the first time I am encountering a tree, a leaf, a flower, or a bird. It is as if I am revived — all at once I am freed from physical depletion and spiritual unconsciousness, wide awake now to the nature that surrounds me.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but I needed this kind of revival most recently when I was overcome with despair and despondency … a deep suffering caused by many external stressors beyond my control. Some of these stressors are shared by most of the world at this time. On a more personal level the loss of an old friend through suicide tore my own heart wide open, and shook all others connected to this friend to their cores. Even though time and distance separated us from so many shared occasions of laughter and love, the memories all came rushing back and left me (and hundreds of others) aching. This prompted me to reach out to the remaining “Father’s Club” tribe of men to gather and support one another during this devastating loss. The healing power of connection that we all only wished we could have shared with our friend brought awareness to the silent suffering of many and the need to build connection and hope. It was that evening that our friends planned the kidnapping of my husband and I to the mountains of North Georgia. Both of us surrendered very quickly – and even now I don’t know if it was because I was too exhausted to fight or resist, or that I knew I needed to retreat into nature to heal. 

It was there in the Blue Ridge Mountains that my body and mind started to relax and release all the stress and emotions, and by the end of day two, I began to feel whole again. The smell, the views, the sounds of nature filled each and every moment with a freshness and ignited my beginners mind that continued through the weekend to bring moments of joy, peace, and awe. 

Poets and philosophers for centuries have lauded the benefits of nature, and now neuroscientists are investigating the effects that being in nature has on our brain and body to promote wellbeing, both physically and mentally. And this retreat to the mountains reminded me again of this universal and timeless wisdom, too. I am deeply indebted to our friends for bringing us back to nature, which revived us both in a way that gives me hope and a desire to inspire others to take a deep dive into nature with me this month. 

Now, this does not require a trip to the mountains … you can start where you are, right now! Take a pause from reading and look up and out to what is around you. If you need to stand up, walk outside or perhaps down the street for city dwellers to take a fresh look at what nature is nearby, please give yourself this gift. I invite you to even take 5-10 minutes each day to open to the wonders and beauty of nature. Join us this month as we continue to explore with mindfulness the benefits of being fully present in nature.

With Love and Gratitude,
 
Patty and The Sacred Treehouse faculty
 
  Need support in overcoming obstacles? Just email me us at [email protected] to set up individualized mindfulness coaching or join our upcoming classes of MBSR or MSC for guided practices in a supportive community.

Go to www.sacredtreehouse.org

Since moving a bit of a ways away from my office about six months ago, I have been filling my driving time with various things — phone calls to friends and colleagues, listening to public radio, talking to my kids if they are accompanying me for part of the journey, audio books and even quietly utilizing the extended transition time between home and work to regroup and contemplate what’s ahead. But one of my new favorite things to do while driving is to listen to podcasts, and one that I have particularly enjoyed is The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos.

You may have heard about the wildly popular Yale course taught by Santos called “The Science of Wellbeing” that was made available to the general public for free a little more than a year ago. Since that time, more than 2 million people have taken the course, which focuses on debunking myths about happiness from the perspective of science, and teaches about how to cultivate happiness and improve well-being. I came across the course myself during the early weeks of quarantine, and heard great feedback about it from several clients and friends. The podcast The Happiness Lab was borne out of this class, and over two seasons it tackles issues about the relationship between topics like wealth, achievement and positive thinking, and happiness. Santos interviews various interesting guests as well, including Michael Phelps, Dan Harris and Tara Brach.

While I still have all of Season Two to listen to (yay!) here are a few take-aways from Season One that resonated with me:

1.    My instinct about the power of gratitude has been spot on. Having a regular and consistent gratitude practice is a powerful predictor of happiness, along with connection with others. So I will keep on keepin’ on with practicing being grateful for thing in my life large and small every single day.

2.    Meditation is also one of the keys to unlock happiness. Through concentration and intentional attention, meditation can help us find more happiness as we find ourselves less caught up in distressing stories or emotions.

3.    I am well known among friends and family to be a person who is generally friendly, even to strangers. Santos acknowledges the relationship between friendliness and happiness as well, encouraging us to take the opportunity for connection wherever and whenever we can.

I definitely will be indulging in more episodes on my morning and evening drives, and would love to hear from any of you who have listened to the podcast as well. What were your take-aways? Have you taken the course as well? Do you think Dr. Santos and I are onto something with learning strategies to cultivate happiness and joy?
 

As always, with so much gratitude,

Nikki and the Sacred Treehouse faculty

Click here for link to the Happiness Lab podcast!

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I had the pleasure of talking with a few of my mindfulness teacher friends this past Friday night about joy. And it goes without saying how much fun we had together, sharing our thoughts about what joy means to each of us, and how we cultivate joy through mindfulness. If you didn’t catch the live panel discussion on Facebook on Friday night, you can watch it via the link below, though there are a few things I learned that I’d like to share here. 

First, joy is sacred. If we accept that things are ever-changing, we must also accept that joy comes and goes, sometimes ending before we would like it to. Cherishing those moments of happiness or contentment by tuning in fully, with all of our senses, honors the sacredness and helps us to see the extraordinary in those sometimes ordinary experiences that we may otherwise let pass us by.

Second, connecting with nature can cultivate a deep sense of joy and appreciation. Whether it be time on the beach soaking up the rays and salt-air, a hike in Maine, or just pausing to gaze up at the clouds as they float by, being fully present for these experiences can elicit feelings from comfort to delight to awe. 

Third, intentionally cultivating rituals in our lives can create opportunities for joy. Intentionality is one of the core tenets of mindfulness practice — bringing purposeful and intentional attention to the present moment. Having daily mindful habits (or other personal or family rituals like weekend pancakes shaped like animals!) can create opportunity for moments of joy throughout our lives. 

As you reflect on the panel discussion, maybe ask yourself: what can I do more of to open myself up to joy? Let us know in the comments under the video or feel free to email them to me — I read every single email I get from you!
 

With so much metta,

— Nikki and the Sacred Treehouse faculty

How to Cultivate Joy Panel Discussion

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Joy is what we experience when we feel a wholehearted sense of appreciation, contentment or happiness. We can experience joy in our bodies, as a sensation of warmth or tingling … even a felt sense of opening, exhilaration or ease. Joy can present as a powerful elation or as a quiet delight. When we allow ourselves to be present to the fullness of this moment, with curiosity and open awareness, we create opportunities for joy to arise more often than if we’re on autopilot. And through the attention-grabbing process of savoring, we can increase the frequency or duration of joyful experiences. To this end, I invite you to take an opportunity to join me in a guided savoring practice. Below is the written transcript of the audio that is also attached here. To prepare, you may gather something to eat or drink, like a cup of your favorite soup or a glass of ice-cold lemonade. Then begin your practice, and see what you notice!

Click here to begin the guided meditation

We begin a savoring practice as we do all mindfulness exercises, with the breath. Take a deep breath in. Deep intentional breath. Notice the sensations of the air moving through your nose, hearing the sound of your breath. Now allowing the breath to be just as it is, not trying to change it. Just breathing … allowing the body and mind to settle, and finding some stillness. Noticing now the food you’ve prepared for yourself and that you’ve placed in front of you, taking it in with your eyes. Exploring it with curiosity, noticing its color and other visible qualities. Spend another moment, contemplating the food in front of you. How has it come to the plate? What and who might have been involved? Can you see the sun and rain in your food? What do you notice arise in you when you consider everything it took for this food to be in front of you? Especially when you consider there are many people in the world today who are still hungry. As Thich Naht Hahn reminds us: “As you wait to serve yourself or be served, look at the food and smile to it … It contains sunshine, clouds, the sky, the Earth, the farmer, everything.” Returning now to your breath noticing your breathing for a breath or two. Then breathing in the aroma of this food in front of you. Allowing the fragrance to arrive at your nose, noticing the qualities of the aroma … spicy, nutty, sweet. As you begin to bring the food to your mouth in whatever way is appropriate, notice the changes in your body, and what thoughts or emotions arise. Savor each taste — each sip or bite — tuning into the flavors as you slowly, intentionally, mindfully savor this food. Maybe consider pausing this recording now, as you take an opportunity to continue to mindfully savor your food. Once you are done, bring your attention back to the breath. Coming out of these savoring practices, we often feel a sense of deep gratitude, awe and joy. Savor these experiences too, as you allow your attention to rest on the breath, and on joy, until you are ready to return to your day, hopefully bringing this sense of appreciation and delight into each new moment as it arises.

Do you need support returning to Sangha on Tuesday evenings? Are you out of your mindfulness practice? Join one of our groups during the week, or email us at [email protected] to set up individualized mindfulness coaching to get back in the routine!                      Sending love and kindness,   Nikki and The Sacred Treehouse Faculty

I spent some time with my mom today. It had been a long while. She has Alzheimer’s disease and thankfully still remembers who I am. Though most of the time she doesn’t know where she is, never knows the date, and often thinks she is returning to the home where she raised my sister and I after our visits. In actuality, she has been living in a structured setting for several years.

“Mom seems to be the definition of living in the moment”, I think to myself as she chats away cheerfully with the salon technician who is trimming her notably overgrown nails. Each moment new – each an opportunity to choose, again and again, how to see what is right in front of her, and how to respond. Each moment a chance to find joy in the simple things in life – a kind word, a smile, a simple classic shade of pink polish.

I wonder to myself if this is actually how she experiences life now – without short term memory of the past or future as I overhear her validating the nail technician about how difficult it must be to have grouchy clients. “…Some people can be so demanding. Isn’t it so much simpler to be kind?” she says. And then she chuckles, commenting for the fourth time today about her crooked second toe, looking at me with smiling eyes.

American religious leader Russell Nelson once said, “The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives, and everything to do with the focus of our lives.” What if we all took each moment as all that there is, and used it as a chance to cultivate joy? What if happiness is as simple as allowing our focus to rest upon that which brings us contentment, appreciation and gratitude? Could living more joyfully actually be that simple?

Often when I teach, I refer to mindfulness as a simple practice, but not an easy one. And cultivating joy, I imagine, is similar. I know (as a psychologist and as a human being) that sometimes our attention will be pulled away to what is scary, painful or just plan hard. We are wired to notice the negative, and having an accepting awareness of pain in all of its iterations is not just inevitable, but also offers wisdom and a balanced perspective on our lives. Nonetheless, I am here to tell you this – yes, we can foster an ability to experience more joy! With a little bit of willingness and intentional attention, we can find pleasure and happiness even in the most ordinary of moments. And we can train our brains to be attuned to what sparks joy in every moment as it arises.

It really only takes a bit of mindfulness to notice the elegant simplicity of the veining in a leaf on the tree outside. Or to fully embrace your favorite song with your ears, your body and your heart. A delicious meal, a conversation with a friend, a pleasant sensation in your body…these experiences are available to attend to anytime. By stepping out of autopilot and tuning into the full experience of the now, we get a glimpse into what can ultimately turn into a more enduring happiness, should we practice noticing these sweet facets of moments as they arise.

So, for the month of March (which I have fondly been referring to as “March Gladness” for the basketball fans in the room), I invite you to join me here on the Sacred Treehouse 52 Weeks of Mindfulness blog in exploring ways to cultivate joy in our daily lives. By finding the remarkable in what seems unremarkable. By savoring. And by being kind (thanks, Mom).

I invite you to join our Sacred Treehouse community in reflecting on these questions:

1. What brings you joy?
2. What are you doing, or can you do more of, to cultivate joy in your life?
3. What gets in the way of your ability to tune into joyful experiences?

Journal your thoughts as you reflect and share with us as you go through the process. 

Do you need support returning to Sangha on Tuesday evenings? Are you out of your mindfulness practice? Join one of our groups during the week, or email us at [email protected] to set up individualized mindfulness coaching to get back in the routine!

Sending love and kindness,

Nikki and The Sacred Treehouse Faculty

 I feel blessed to share my recent interview and talk with Tara Shapiro and Carissa Chen, the co-founders of the Alana Faith Chen Foundation. They both exemplify love in action and how the painful side of love can fuel us to keep our loved one alive by continuing their mission and purpose. Alana was love in action and lived her life to help others. The quote above was taken from Alana’s writings and teh foundation was created to make her dream come true. Please share this story and recording because it so important to give hope and help to those with mental illness who feel alone, marginalized, and lack access to effective treatment.

The loss of Alana through suicide sent waves of shock and rage through those who loved her. This pain quickly turned to passion to bring Alana’s dream alive and continue to help people, especially LGBTQ+ individuals who are often suffering alone, or worse experiencing religious abuse and the ultimate form of non-acceptance. 

                                   Listen to the full interview HERE

On December 8th, 2019 Alana Faith Chen died by suicide. Alana was a daughter, sister, cousin, niece, and friend to so many. Though she was quiet, she was expressive through her paintings, music, and poetry. She loved the outdoors and playing Ultimate Frisbee in high school and college. From an early age, Alana fell in love with Jesus and the teachings of the Catholic Church. She dedicated many years as a youth group leader, leading bible studies, and helping those experiencing homelessness in Boulder, CO. 

When she was about 14 years old she told a trusted priest at her Catholic Church that she thought she was attracted to women. That priest responded by telling Alana that being gay, impure thoughts, and acting out on those desires was a mortal sin and that she’d go to hell if she became a lesbian. He also told her not to tell her family because they would accept her as a lesbian. At 14 years old, she listened to that priest.

Alana endured 7 years of this miseducation, “pastoral counseling,” conversion therapy, and religious abuse, which resulted in years of severe depression, self-harming and extreme suicide ideation. When Alana’s parents found out, Alana began to get the help she needed through in-patient and out-patient therapies, and several different specialized therapies. Alana applied to get her Master’s in Counseling so she could become a therapist herself one day. While Alana was getting professional help, the religious abuse and psychological torture that Alana experienced for many years was too much to bear. On December 8th, 2019 we lost Alana to suicide.

Alana always said she wanted to write a book about her experience. Her story is meant to be shared, to spark change, and to help anyone suffering by religious abuse and abuse and exclusion of any kind know that they are not alone.

Go to Alana Faith Chen Foundationfor more information on how you can help or how to receive help. 

Sending love and kindness,

Patty and The Sacred Treehouse Faculty

Just email us at [email protected] to set up individualized mindfulness coaching. 

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    I am loving, Real Love, by Sharon Salzberg where she guides readers on a deeper understanding of love through direct experience and challenges both cultural myths and individual preconceived beliefs on love in relationships. Despite learning many of the ideas, concepts, and research findings she shares in this book through other mindfulness teachers and as a DBT trained therapist, I find this book refreshing, hopeful, and easy to both read and directly apply to daily life. 
 
     Sharon Salzberg, is an internationally renowned mindfulness meditation teacher best known for spreading lovingkindness practices throughout western cultures. I have immersed myself this month in both her Real Love: The Art of Mindful Connectionand Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Kindnessbooks as a support for taking on the Sacred Treehouse 100-day Challenge of Loving kindness Practice. For me, I have a found it easy to start this practice the moment I wake up each morning by bringing attention to the two furry babies snuggled in my bed. I just start with them each morning and then allow other beings to come to my mind naturally and I usually end by extending these wishes to be SAFE, HEALTHY, HAPPY, and FREE to all beings everywhere. 
 
     One of my favorite exercises in the book is bringing mindfulness to relationships by setting an intention to be open to the present moment, with curiosity to truly “SEE” the beings the universe brings our way. That’s right! Even the ones who may seem IN OUR WAY.  I love this and I often share one of my favorite “self-challenges” I use to move closer to people who are difficult, who reject me, or when I experience aversion or judgment toward someone. This is really an opportunity for awakening to my own conditioned beliefs and habits and to move opposite to them. Rather than reinforcing my automatic thoughts and feelings- I choose to move toward them with curiosity, first directed inward at my own reactions and then I shine a brighter, wiser light on them to bring awareness to what I may have missed by closing down upon experiencing the automatic judgments or emotional reactions.
 
     Here is an abbreviated version of the exercise in her book to try if you like challenges:
 

1. Begin to notice your interactions with people in your daily life. Notice if your intentions vary depending on the person you are engaging with and if your expectations, assumptions, or judgments impact the interactions. 
2. With each mindful interaction try to notice something surprising or try a new way of interacting and notice what arises.
3. Even with familiar people bring curiosity to conversations by asking open ended questions.
4. Consider including any difficult people you encounter into your daily lovingkindness practice.

Sending love and kindness,
 
Patty and The Sacred Treehouse Faculty
 
Need support in overcoming obstacles?

Just email us at [email protected] to set up individualized mindfulness coaching. 

Living with your heart wide open may not feel safe or wise in each moment of daily life. However, this month I would like to invite you to take the STH (Sacred Treehouse) challenge to practice opening the heart every day, for 100 days. That’s right -100 days of LOVINGKINDNESS practice.

The practice of opening the heart can help us restore the ability to open when safe, especially if the heart is closed or guarded from the inevitable wounding of the heart that happens in this human life or worse may be  closed as a protection from early trauma.

WARNING: Opening the heart can be painful! You may notice that I express some warnings when I invite people to explore or deepen a practice and it is to help those who are not currently part of a community or Sangha to proceed carefully. In this case if your heart is closed as a protection you may experience some of the pain that is there as you start o open and connect with the heart. This is not indication of doing it wrong or not being helpful-in fact it is part of the process of opening the heart to all that is here. To feel love, joy, and compassion we must open up again and feel it ALL.

If you need support return to Sangha on Tuesday evenings, or are you out of your mindfulness practice? If you are an MBSR grad you may attend the next  full day silent retreat- February 28th 10am-4 pm.by signing up here:         

                                        MBSR Full Day Retreat

Want to take the 100 DAY CHALLENGE? Here are recordings to get you started.

  Patty Shutt’s Guided: Lovingkindness 

 Chris Germer

Sending love and kindness,

Patty and The Sacred Treehouse Faculty

Need support in overcoming obstacles?

Just email us at [email protected] to set up individualized mindfulness coaching.