Rooted in the Practice

My geranium cuttings have roots! After many years and many methods, i have found a rooting method that works. Last month, i put my geranium cuttings in a pint jar filled with a mixture of sand, vermiculite, and a little perlite. I poured in as much water as the jar would hold. That's it. No more water.

A month later, 95% of the cuttings have roots--a lot of roots. None have rotted.

In the past, i have tried Rootone, which is okay, but doesn't yield these kinds of roots. I have tried water; about half the cuttings rot. I have tried plain vermiculite. I have tried dirt.

I feel thrilled to have found a rooting method that really works.

Where do we root ourselves in our meditation practice? We try this teacher or that teacher, this method or that method. When we find a practice where we can root ourselves to the cushion and stay there for a chunk of time, then we know our practice will soon yield results. As Shinzen Young says, "The longer we practice, the deeper we practice."

Are you ready to add one minute to your time on this cushion this week? And don't leave mindfulness on the cushion behind you. Can you root yourself in mindfulness as you go about your day?

Rooted in mindfulness, we will be able to really see a beautiful blooming geranium.

The Right Potting Soil

I've been buying half-price tulip bulbs and planting them in pots. I'm embarrassed to tell you how many.

I've been having a good time making my own potting soil by starting with 1/2 bucket of manure mixed with 2 quarts of vermiculite. Then add an equal amount of potting soil. Then, depending on how it looks, i might add a quart of perlite for water retention.

I'm a bit skittish about potting soil, since last winter i used potting mix out of a bag, and everything i planted withered and died.

The 8-month old manure doesn't smell anymore and gives the potting soil moistness as well as fertility. I always add vermiculite to my potting soil. After last winter's fiasco, i bought perlite for my next round, to double my chances that the potting soil stays moist enough.

We have to be careful where we plant ourselves--in front of the TV, at the movies, or in the lunch room full of catty remarks. Even though the place, the situation, the event may be recommended by many people, we can sometimes find ourselves in situations that wither our good intentions.

The potted tulips are in my garage, right beside where i park my car. I almost trip over them when i get out of the car. This is to remind me to water them once a month this winter, by shoveling some snow on top of them.

May all our best intentions flower. Hopefully in the spring!

Dried Up

The potting soil that i used in January to pot up rooted cuttings was too dry. Almost all the cuttings have dried up and died, which so disappointing that i don't even want to write about it.

Now i'm ready to plant the next round of cuttings, and i'm fretting over a potting soil recipe.

I added about 1/4 vermiculite to the last potting soil, and that was not sufficient to keep the soil damp enough. Now i've bought a bag of perlite, also for water retention, and i'm crossing my fingers that the new mixture will work.

Sometimes our meditation practice dries up. It seems like it's not going anywhere, and we lose interest. How can we retain interest in this practice that we know is good for us?

Some people switch to a different form of meditation. Some people give it up altogether. I rely on my spiritual friends to keep me in the vicinity; at least i sit for 20 minutes every day with them. I'm also signing up for a retreat because retreats usually inspire me.

It can take a bit of creativity to find the "recipe" that's right for you. Add some loving-kindness practice or some gratitude practice to get the juices flowing. Do mindful movement or walking meditation instead of sitting meditation.

The key is to bring mindfulness to this very moment. Even this very unsatisfactory moment.

Photo from livinggreenmag.com