Green Mulch

As usual, the vegetable garden has been out-of-control for several months this summer. It looks more like a jungle than a picture postcard. So, well-armed with intention, i wade into the waist-high greenery and start pulling.

The culprits are not so much weeds, although there are a handful that escaped my attention and are now going to seed. Tomatillos sprawl everywhere. In our short northern season, only a few on each plant are big enough to harvest. So i pull out the plants wholesale, and pile them up in the middle of the garden. Self-seeding arugula has also gone wild, and i tug another one out every 3 or 4 feet.

I pile up all this green stuff onto the tomato bed and voila! Green mulch.

Sitting down to meditate can feel like we are waist-deep in the alligators of the mind. Our mindfulness mulch consists of noticing each thought--not as a distraction to our breath meditation, but as another opportunity for mindfulness. "There you are, Irritation." "I see you, Worry." "There, there, Anxiety." Simply call these gator/hindrances by name.

Proceeding step-by-step, through the garden or through our meditation, we clear a space and take a deep breath. Ahhh.