Hello Reader
This past week’s warm weather made the change into fall feel easy, and I took full advantage—mostly outside. It was also perfect weather for the retreat that I co-created with some friends who all work in various modalities that heal body and mind.
I started off with a guided forest-bathing experience in the woods behind my house. Within minutes, everyone settled; a few sensory invitations did the rest. We noticed how nature reflected exactly where we were. Then we lay on the moss by the pond for a guided group hypnosis—quiet, steady, effective.
After lunch, we headed to the beach for a release practice, using small magnets to help clear patterns we were ready to drop. We took turns to help clear each other's ‘blocks’.
We ended the day with Yoga Nidra to integrate.
Everyone left lighter, calmer and more present. Nature keeps us honest.
something to look at
Have you heard of the Chelsea Flower Show in London, England?
Since 1913, the Royal Horticultural Society—the UK's leading gardening charity—has hosted this event every May.
And last year, a forest-bathing garden won Best in Show!
First-time exhibitor Ula Maria designed it for Muscular Dystrophy UK: a birch-grove feel with dappled light, a central water rill, 40+ trees, and banks of foxglove, cranesbill, snowy woodrush, and wild strawberries.
She built wide, accessible paths after patients shared how hard it is to reach real woodlands. The aim is simple: nature immersion to support mental health.
See more in the Guardian article HERE.
now this is interesting...
What if we could mimic what happens in nature and turn our trash into usable materials?
Mycocycle (one of the Biomimicry Institute's 2022 Ray of Hope Prize finalists) is doing just that.
Mycocycle is harnessing fungi's ability to decompose materials to convert harmful materials into harmless ones so they can detoxify construction debris, asphalt, and other forms of waste.
an invitation
An Invitation This invitation can be done any time of day, and on a monthly or quarterly basis as the seasons change.
- Step outside - on your balcony, your front stoop, in a garden or park. If you cannot go outdoors, stand indoors looking out of a window.
- Set an alarm on your phone for 5 minutes.
- Notice one clear sign of the season.
- Name where you are, what’s shifting, and how you’re connected.
Now you can get on with your day.
a poem
One of Vietnamese Buddhist monk and Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh’s '10 letters to mother earth'
Dear Mother Earth,
The human species is but one of your many children. Unfortunately, many of us have been blinded by greed, pride, and delusion, and only a few of us have been able to recognize you as our Mother. Not realizing this, we have done you great harm, compromising both your health and your beauty. Our deluded minds push us to exploit you and create more and more discord, putting you and all your forms of life under stress and strain. Looking deeply, we also recognize that you have enough patience, endurance and energy to embrace and transform all the damage we have caused, even if it takes you hundreds of millions of years.
When greed and pride overtake our basic survival needs, the result is always violence and unnecessary devastation. We know that whenever one species develops too rapidly, exceeding its natural limit, there is great loss and damage, and the lives of other species are endangered. For equilibrium to be restored, causes and conditions naturally arise to bring about the destruction and annihilation of that species. Often these causes and conditions originate from within the destructive species itself. We have learned that when we perpetrate violence toward our own and other species, we are violent toward ourselves. When we know how to protect all beings, we are protecting ourselves.
We understand that all things are impermanent and without a separate self-nature. You and Father Sun, like everything else in the cosmos, are constantly changing, and you are only made of non-you elements. That is why we know that, in the ultimate dimension, you transcend birth and death, being and nonbeing. Nonetheless, we need to protect you and restore balance, so that you can continue for a long time in this beautiful and precious form, not just for our children and their children but for five hundred million years and beyond. We want to protect you so you can remain a glorious jewel within our solar system for eons to come.
We know that you want us to live in such a way that in each moment of our daily lives we can cherish life and generate the energies of mindfulness, peace, solidity, compassion, and love. We vow to fulfill your wish and respond to your love. We have the deep conviction that generating these wholesome energies, we will help reduce the suffering on Earth and contribute to alleviating the suffering caused by violence, war, hunger, and illness. In alleviating our suffering, we alleviate yours.
Dear Mother, there have been times when we suffered greatly as a result of natural disasters. We know that whenever we suffer, you suffer through us. The floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis aren’t punishments or manifestations of your anger, but are phenomena that must occur on occasion, so that balance can be restored. The same is true of a shooting star. For balance in nature to be achieved, at times some species have to endure loss. In those moments, we have turned to you, dear Mother, and asked whether or not we could count on you, on your stability and compassion. You didn’t answer us right away. Then, beholding us with great compassion, you replied, “Yes, of course, you can count on your Mother. I will always be there for you.” But then you said, “Dear children, you must ask yourselves, can your Mother Earth count on you?”
Dear Mother, today, we offer you our solemn reply, “Yes, Mother, you can count on us.”
From Love Letter to the Earth by Thich Nhat Hanh (2013). By permission of Parallax Press, the publishing house of the Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism.
what's next?
I'm offering a FREE 5-day Tiny Challenge to Reconnect with Nature & Bring Its Wisdom into Your Daily Life
This 5-day challenge helps you develop simple, meaningful nature rituals that reduce stress, enhance clarity, and bring balance to your life. Each day features a short lesson, an easy activity, and a reflection prompt.
📍 Format: Daily emails + a private group (online) for everyone in the community
🎥 Live Component: 15-minute daily check-ins with me via live video
📝 Daily Action: A small, guided nature practice (5–15 minutes in or outdoors)
💬 Community Support: You and other participants can share insights in the group for accountability
Who's in?
Reply to this email and I'll send you the details to join in...we'll start on September 29th.
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questions?
I hope this newsletter offers you another perspective, peaks your curiosity, and, most importantly, reminds you that you are not alone on this life path.
If you have any questions, please reply to this email.
With deep roots and wide-open branches,
Maria
Maria Verdicchio | Infinite Roots
hello@infiniteroots.ca
Nature-led strategies to live well
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