Running Parallel

 

Mingled in with this morning’s chill and sun, these delicate mushrooms growing on the property captured my attention, resonating with this John Muir quote. “The sun shines not on us but in us. The rivers flow not past, but through us, thrilling, tingling, vibrating every fiber and cell of the substance of our bodies, making them glide and sing." But enough with the sunshine and wake-up call already; what’s up with this morning’s chill?

Hello, if you aren’t paying attention, now is one of those times to understand your property and its microclimates. We’ve talked about this before and it may seem insignificant to most on this sunny fall day, specifically if you didn’t notice any frosty spots on your grass. But these tiny cold pockets are paramount to understanding where and what to plant. This link on microclimates from Cornell University http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/weather/microcli.html (used in past blog posts on this subject) offers large and small scale examples; plus it is easy for a beginner 101 gardener to comprehend. 

But here’s an interesting parallel. Knowing and understanding your property and its microclimates are similar to the principles one learns in yoga; knowing and listening to your body. Just like your property, if you find an area that has one of these mini-microclimates, you don’t fight it, you don’t resist it. You work with it. Are you still with me here? I realize some minds are still stretching and waking up. 

And BTW – if anyone is looking for a great yoga teacher who helps you understand those microclimates and resistant places in yourself, check out this link http://breathehere.com/Welcome.html. Yoga is a great practice for keeping those gardening muscles stretched and limber, especially for those upcoming winter days!  

P.S. Thanks, Stephanie for your kind words. Always welcome. Namaste! And if you want some past links on microclimates, just type in ‘microclimate’ under the search button to the left hand side of the blog page. 

Image of mushrooms growing in the landscape (most likely poisonous but pretty) by Ann Bilowz

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