mindfulness

Add Mindfulness to Your Garden Toolkit

Botanica, Gardening for the Mind, Body and Spirit

Stark County Master Gardener Volunteer Program, Saturday, September 27, 2025

Keynote: Life Lessons from the Garden for Mind, Body and Spirit. Discover how gardening nurtures not only flowers and food, but also a healthy, joyful life. Understand how the science of the brain, mindfulness and sensory experiences support overall wellness.

outdoor sign for Botanica event

flowers in vase

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Handout: Life Lessons from the Garden for Mind, Body & Spirit Handout

PowerPoint: Gardening for Mind, Body, and Spirit Presentation

 

 

 

 

Additional Resources from presentation:

References from presentation:

In addition to the resources listed above, a few more references that were used for this presentation

Boggs, J. (2025). Our All-American Lotus. Buckeye Yard and Garden Online. https://bygl.osu.edu/index.php/node/2535

Community Gardens plant seeds for healthy nutrition, healthy life. (2024). Ohio Department of Health. https://odh.ohio.gov/media-center/feature-stories/march-is-national-nutrition-month

Eight Surprising health benefits of gardening. UNC Health Talk. (2020). https://healthtalk.unchealthcare.org/health-benefits-of-gardening/

Fisch, Verena. (2023). Beyond the human – Garden communities in community gardens. Social Work & Society. 21. https://ejournals.bib.uni-wuppertal.de/index.php/sws/article/view/840

Gries, A. (2021). The miracle of the lotus flower. https://awakeningshealth.com/2021/09/08/the-miracle-of-the-lotus-flower/

Smart Gardening: Integrated pest management in vegetable gardens, Michigan State University Extension, https://www.canr.msu.edu/home_gardening/uploads/files/IPMgarden-2020-web.pdf

Stanton, L. (2024). Seeking awe in nature. https://u.osu.edu/livehealthyosu/2024/05/15/seeking-awe-in-nature/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

World Labyrinth Day

 

World Labyrinth Day (WLD) is an annual event sponsored by The Labyrinth Society (TLS). Every year on the first Saturday in May thousands of people around the world participate in this moving meditation for world peace.

They encourage us to join people around the world in this moving meditation for world peace and celebration of the labyrinth experience! We will be offering a local, temporary labyrinth to walk in 2025 in collaboration with the annual Toledo Plant Exchange. (For more information on Toledo Plant Exchange, visit their Facebook page)

Date: World Labyrinth Day, Saturday, May 3rd, 2025

Lucas County Location: Lucas County Fair Grounds, 1406 Key Street, Maumee, Ohio, 43537. (Use the main gate entrance. The plant exchange and informational booths will be inside the green Arts & Crafts Building. Weather permitting, the temporary labyrinth will be outside of the building).

Time: the labyrinth will be in place from 8:30 – 11:00am.  Specific times for the Toledo Plant Exchange (see image below)

  • 8:30 – 10:00am Plant Drop Off
  • 9:00 – 9:50am Informational Booths (One of the informational booths/table will be about WLD)
  • 10:00 – 11:00am Plant Distribution (event may end early if all plants are gone)

The Plant Exchange will be complete that morning so if anyone is interested in walking a labyrinth at 1:00pm as part of the WLD tradition, we recommend a beautiful, permanent labyrinth, just across the Maumee River at the Norma Stark Memory Garden and Labyrinth in Perrysburg, Ohio.

New to labyrinths? Read Life is a Journey. So is a Labyrinth, 2023 blog by Patrice.

Labyrinth Handout with handheld finger labyrinth

The Labyrinth Society (also linked above) is a great resource to learn about labyrinths as well as to use their  World-Wide Labyrinth Locator where you can search over 6,500 labyrinths in 90 different countries around the world!

 

Mindfulness Practices for Group Leaders and Your Group

As a leader, you can discover your own favorite mindfulness routine!

Happify Video: Why Mindfulness Is a Superpower: An Animation. Narrated by Dan Harris, Animation by Katy Davis, (less than 3 minutes) December 2015

If you are new to mindfulness our would like to try some new exercises, visit this blog for links to free, online guided practices that are all 10 minutes or less. A Day of Mini Mindfulness Practices:  go.osu.edu/dailymindfulness

If you liked the Mindful S.T.O.P. or 5-3-1, you might like some additional Mindful Numbers and Acronyms

If you would like to read more, Introduction to Mindfulness (2025) is an OSU Extension Factsheet.

As a leader, you can discover your own favorite mindfulness routine. You can also teach these to your group. Mindfulness Practices for Individuals and Groups Handout with basic descriptions of seven mindful practices.

For questions about mindfulness lessons in Lucas County, please contact Patrice Powers-Barker, CFLE, Family and Consumer Sciences  powers-barker.1@osu.edu 

References:

Bergstrom, C. (2017). Three Senses Mindfulness Activity for Kids, Teens and Grown-ups. https://blissfulkids.com/three-senses-mindfulness-activity-kids-teens-grown-ups/

Duncan, L. G., Coatsworth, J. D., & Greenberg, M. T. (2009). A model of mindful parenting: implications AR5for parent-child relationships and prevention research. Clinical child and family psychology review, 12(3), 255–270. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-009-0046-3

Fuller, J. L., & Fitter, E. A. (2020). Mindful Parenting: A Behavioral Tool for Parent Well-Being. Behavior analysis in practice, 13(4), 767–771. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-020-00447-6

Kumpfer, K., Brown, J. (2011). Strengthening Families Program, Handouts and Worksheets. https://strengtheningfamiliesprogram.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/All-SFP_ENGLISH_Handouts_2020-10.pdf   (1-8)

Powers-Barker, P. (2025). Cultivating loving-kindness. Live Smart Ohio. Ohio State University Extension. https://livesmartohio.osu.edu/category/family-and-relationships/

Powers-Barker, P. (2023). Life is a journey. So is a labyrinth. Live Smart Ohio. Ohio State University Extension. https://livesmartohio.osu.edu/mind-and-body/powers-barker-1osu-edu/life-is-a-journey-so-is-a-labyrinth/ 

Self-Compassion Break, Greater Good in Action, Berkeley, https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/self_compassion_break

 

 

 

 

 

Mindful Parenting

child's bubble on the end of a bubble wandMindful Parenting is the “parents’ abilities to pay attention to their child and their parenting in a way that is intentional, present centered, and nonjudgmental” (Coatsworth et. al, 2018, p513).

If you have questions about a Mindful Parenting lesson in Lucas County, please email Patrice powers-barker.1@osu.edu

From Lucas County Mindful Parenting Lesson:

Recommended Handouts:

Good Articles for Specific Ages of Children:

Important Reference: (There are many great journal articles on Mindful Parenting but this one from 2009, shares a  model that has been used and studied for many additional, current publications).

Duncan, L., Coatsworth, J., and Greenberg, M. (2009). A model of mindful parenting: Implications for parent-child relationships and prevention research. Clinical child and family psychology review, 12(3), 255-270. doi: 10.1007/s10567-009-0046-3. PMID: 19412664; PMCID: PMC2730447.

References:

Living in the Moment and Creating a Hopeful Future

Fall 2022: The Stay Calm and Well  Series brought to you by the Office of the Chief Wellness Officer is kicking off a year of Hopes, Dreams and Connection. Part VI of this series will help you reconnect to your purpose, people, places and experiences around you and identify what inspires you.

The fifth webinar in the series is on Tuesday, October 4th, 2022, Living in the Moment and Creating a Hopeful Future by Patrice Powers-Barker, OSU Extension, Lucas County.

From the presentation – tools for practicing mindfulness and future visioning:

From the presentation – resources from OSU Extension, Family and Consumer Sciences

From the presentation – Additional Resources:

  • American Association of Family and Consumer (FCS) poster
  • What is Family Science? from National Council on Family Relations
  • PAX Tools, PaxisInstitute
  • Quote: “As someone who has dealt with his fair share of disappointment, I’ve learned the best way to cope with trouble is to approach every situation with eyes wide open; focused and determined” Author, Carlos Wallace

References:

Coping with COVID: Lesson Plans to Promote Mental, Emotional and Social Health (MESH). (2020). Ohio State University. 4-H Healthy Living Design Team.  https://ohio4h.org/books-and-resources/design-team-curriculum/coping-covid-lesson-plans-promote-mental-emotional-and

Coyne LW, Gould ER, Grimaldi M, Wilson KG, Baffuto G, Biglan A. (2020) First Things First: Parent Psychological Flexibility and Self-Compassion During COVID-19.

Kumar, A., Killingsworth, M., and Gilovich, T. (2014, August 21). Waiting for merlot: Anticipatory consumption of experiential and material purchases. Psychological Science.

Lieberman, M., Eisenberger, N., Crockett, M., Tom, S., Pfeifer, S., and Way, B. (2007). Putting feelings into words: Affect labeling disrupts amygdala activity in response to affective stimuli. Psychological Science.

Neff, K., Rude, S., & Kirkpatrick, K. (2007). An examination of self-compassion in relation to positive psychological functioning and personality traits. Journal of Research in Personality. Volume 41: 908-916.

Neupert, S. (2020). Knowledge is power: learning more about COVID-19 can reduce your pandemic stress. North Carolina State University.

Neupert, S. (2020) Quiz: Pandemic stressbusters. Accolades Magazine. North Carolina State University.

Pearman, A.,  Hughes, M.,  Smith, E.,  Neupert, S. (2021). Age differences in risk and resilience factors in COVID-19 related stress. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, Volume 76, Issue 2, February 2021, Pages e38–e44,

Polk, M.G., Smith, E.L., Zhang, L.-R., & Neupert, S.D. (2020). Thinking ahead and staying in the present: Implications for reactivity to daily stressors. Personality and Individual Differences.

Praharso, N., Tear, M/, Cruwys, T. (2017). Stressful life transitions and wellbeing: A comparison of the stress buffering hypothesis and the social identity model of identity change. Psychiatry Research. Volume 247: 265-275

 

Wonder Woman Wednesday – Mindfulness

OSU Leadership Center and Community Development in Medina County Extension hosted Wednesday webinars during March 2022 with the theme of Wonder Woman Wednesday. This page shares the resources from the Wednesday, March 30th session.

Sign up TODAY: Join the OSU Extension Live Healthy Live Well 6-week email challenge. The spring 2022 challenge focuses on the dimension of health and wellness. Look for your county here or sign up with the state option or with Patrice in Lucas County.

Want to learn more about your local Ohio State University Extension? Locate an office here: https://extension.osu.edu/lao

Looking for free mindfulness practices? Try the OSU Wexner Medical Center Mindfulness Practices https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/integrative-complementary-medicine/resources/mindfulness-practices

Considering an app for your mindfulness journey? https://osuhealthplan.com/sites/default/files/2020-09/meditation-apps.pdf

Please don’t delay in seeking additional care for mental wellness. If you have any questions please use:

Set Your Intention for the day 3-Minute Mindful Practice To Start Your Day (2016) by Hillary Wright at Mind Body Green

In week #4 of Wonder Women Wednesday on careers, the presenter shared the J Flowers Health Institute Wellness Wheel Worksheet https://2w5y7415e67d1ns5kb10c0n3-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/jflowershealth.com_wellness_wheel_worksheet-1.pdf

List of books related to mindfulness: https://u.osu.edu/powers-barker.1/2021/12/15/on-the-bookshelf-mindfulness/

Short 3 minute video: Why Mindfulness is a Superpower, narrated by Dan Harris, Animation by Katy Davis  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6T02g5hnT4

Descriptions of mindfulness used in the presentation: surfing, puppy and leash, computer with too many tabs open, car in neutral, pause, space

Blog post Spilt Milk – To Cry or Not to Cry – Patrice’s mindfulness journey

OSU Extension, Educational Resources across the lifespan:

If you have any additional questions or want to share about your mindfulness journey, please contact Patrice at powers-barker.1@osu.edu 

References

Bishop, S.R., Lau, M., Shapiro, S., Carlson, L., Anderson, N.D., Carmody, J., Degal, Z.V., Abbey, S., Speca, M., Velting, D., &  Devins, G. (2004) Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 11, 230-241.

Martin, W. (2009). The Parent’s Tao Te Ching: Ancient Advice for Modern Parents. Hachette Book Group. New York: NY

Powers-Barker, P., Carter, S., and Worthington, T. (2019). OSU Extension Publications. https://extensionpubs.osu.edu/mindful-wellness/

Why Mindfulness is a Superpower: An Animation (n.d.). Happify. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6T02g5hnT4

Wickham, J. (2015, February 16). Mindfulness and our mental health. Mayo Clinic Health System. Retrieved from http://mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/mindfulness-and-our-mental-health

On the Bookshelf – Mindfulness

The following books are listed in the OSU Extension Mindful Wellness reference page:

  • Bays, J. C. (2011). How to train a Wild Elephant & Other Adventures in Mindfulness. Boulder, CO: Shambhala Publications, Inc.
  • Kabat-Zinn, J. (2016). Mindfulness for Beginners: Reclaiming the Present Moment―and Your Life. Boulder, CO: Sounds True Inc.
  • Kornfield, J. (2008). Meditation for Beginners. Boulder, CO: Sounds True Inc.
  • Nhat Hanh, T. (2011). Planting Seeds: Practicing Mindfulness With Children. Berkeley, CA: Parallax Press.
  • Ryan, T. (2012). A Mindful Nation: How a Simple Practice Can Help Us Reduce Stress, Improve Performance, and Recapture the American Spirit. Carlsbad, CA: Hay House Inc.
  • Siegel, D. J., (2011) The Whole Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind. New York, NY: Dalacorte Press.
  • Siegel, D. & Bryson, T. (2016). No Drama Discipline: The Whole Brain Way to Calm the Chaos and Nurture Your Child’s Developing Brain. New York, NY: Bantam Books.
  • Sood, A. (2013). The Mayo Clinic Guide to Stress-Free Living.  Boston, MA: Da Capo Press.

Also on the bookshelf:

  • A Still Quiet Place for Athletes: Mindfulness Skills for Achieving Peak Performance & Finding Flow in Sports & Life by Amy Saltzman, MD
  • Mindfulness: A Practical Guide by Mark Williams and Danny Penman
  • Practicing Mindfulness: 75 Essential Meditations to Reduce Stress, Improve Mental Health, and Find Peace in the Everyday by Matthew Socklov
  • Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself by Kristin Neff
  • 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in my Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help that Actually Works – A True Story by Dan Harris
  • The Little Book of Mindfulness: 10 Minutes a Day to Less Stress, More Peace by Dr. Patrizia Collard
  • The Mindfulness Revolution: Leading Psychologists, Scientists, Artists, and Meditation Teachers on the Power of Mindfulness in Daily Life by Barry Boyce
  • Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn

Children’s Books related to mindful themes

  • A Handful of Quiet, Happiness in Four Pebbles by Thich Nhat Hanh and illustrated by Wietske Vriezen
  • A Quiet Place by Douglas Wood and illustrated by Dan Andreasen
  • Breath Like a Bear by Kira Willey and illustrated by Anni Betts
  • Charlotte and the Quiet Place by Deborah Sosin and illustrated by Sarah Woolley
  • Don’t Worry Bear by author and illustrator Greg Foley
  • Here and Now by author Julia Denos and illustrated by E.B. Goodale
  • I Am Peace, A Book of Mindfulness by Susan  Verde and illustrated by Peter Reynolds
  • I Am Enough  by Grace Byers and illustrated by Keturah A. Bobo
  • Jonathan James and the Whatif Monster by author and illustrator Michelle Nelson-Schmidt
  • Mindful Monkey, Happy Panda by Lauren Alderfer and illustrated by Kerry MacLean
  • Most People by Michael Leannah and illustrated by Jennifer E. Morris
  • Puppy Mind by Andrew Jordan Nance and illustrated by Jim Durk
  • The Color Monster by author and illustrator Anna Llena

Book recommendations by others (lists):

Let it Snow! Mindful Winter Activities

If you choose not to find the joy in the snow, you will have less joy in your life but still the same amount of snow. 

It’s wintertime in Ohio – we might have snow, we might have rain or ice or we might have a bright, clear day. This quote by an unknown author is like the Midwest winter version of Jon Kabat-Zinn’s quote about a beautiful day at the ocean: you can’t stop the waves but you can learn to surf.

The only advantage of a remote class or conference is that we can be in a cozy spot and not have to travel to other parts of the state. Let’s make the most of this and make sure to take time for some mindfulness practices.

Here’s a quick summary of the links below for wintertime mindfulness: Although we don’t want you to spend all day in front of a screen, if you’re looking for a break from the seriousness of work, take one and half minutes to enjoy a snow globe or a minute to draw and watch your iceberg float. If you’re staying inside, grab some colored pencils and print a copy of winter coloring pages. If coloring is not your cup of tea, make your plans for mindful eating or a warm cup of tea, cocoa, or coffee. Bundle up and head outdoors for a mindful winter walk.  We wish you comfort and joy all through the year and we also acknowledge that the wintertime can sometimes be difficult. If you need any resources related to SAD (seasonal affective disorder) or other seasonal challenges, please find the best support for your situation.

Use your screen for a quick break

  • If you have one and a half minutes, enjoy a meditation snow globe
  • Draw an iceberg and see how it will float at Iceberger
  • For background music and beautiful scenes, this one-hour, Winter Wonderland scenic relaxation film is perfect to play in the background. It highlights scenes across the globe’s most stunning winter locations. From skiing the Swiss Alps to soaring over the glaciers of Alaska, winter is an enchanting time of year.
  • Emotional Blizzards – Calming the Storm, Destress Monday

Coloring pages

Ninety-two Best Coloring Pages are located at homemade gifts made easy. Here are a few winter pages to get you started.

Outdoors and Nature

Bundle up and head outdoors! Use all your senses as you walk. Use this Live Healthy Live Well blog on Wonder and Wander in Nature this Winter for ideas. For more information on the value of nature in our lives, including articles and infographics visit Nature Matters.

Cup of tea – don’t forget mindful eating and drinking

Comfort and Joy – what brings you comfort or joy? Jot down a list and then Do More of it! This list of Mindfulness Ideas and Activities was collected by the Mindful Wellness team and can be used as an idea-starter for your practice.  If you’d like to follow a recorded mindfulness practice, we recommend the links at the Wexner Medical Center.

SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder

Learn more from Live Healthy Live Well blogs below or visit the website for a list of webinars

Connect for Support

If you find yourself – or a loved one – struggling, please use local support or the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.

You can call the Ohio CareLine at 1-800-720-9616.  Ohio’s CareLine is free, anonymous, open 24/7, and staffed with licensed behavioral health professionals.

 

Additional Resources

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now and Later: Living in the Moment and Planning for the Future

The Mental Health Faith Council, part of NAMI Greater Toledo hosts lunch and learn webinars. Patrice Powers-Barker, OSU Extension, Lucas County will present Now and Later on Thursday, October 28th, 2021.

Description: Although living in the moment and planning for the future might sound like a contradiction, research shows us the value of both. This lunch and learn will highlight the evidence and give practical suggestions for individuals, families and communities to benefit from practicing both mindfulness and planning ahead for success. Patrice will share easy activities that can be used personally, professionally and within families to practice living in the moment and planning for the future.

Goals:

Resources:

 

References:

Coping with COVID: Lesson Plans to Promote Mental, Emotional and Social Health (MESH). (2020). Ohio State University. 4-H Healthy Living Design Team.  https://ohio4h.org/books-and-resources/design-team-curriculum/coping-covid-lesson-plans-promote-mental-emotional-and

Coyne LW, Gould ER, Grimaldi M, Wilson KG, Baffuto G, Biglan A. (2020) First Things First: Parent Psychological Flexibility and Self-Compassion During COVID-19.

Kumar, A., Killingsworth, M., and Gilovich, T. (2014, August 21). Waiting for merlot: Anticipatory consumption of experiential and material purchases. Psychological Science.

Lieberman, M., Eisenberger, N., Crockett, M., Tom, S., Pfeifer, S., and Way, B. (2007). Putting feelings into words: Affect labeling disrupts amygdala activity in response to affective stimuli. Psychological Science.

Neff, K., Rude, S., & Kirkpatrick, K. (2007). An examination of self-compassion in relation to positive psychological functioning and personality traits. Journal of Research in Personality. Volume 41: 908-916.

Neupert, S. (2020). Knowledge is power: learning more about COVID-19 can reduce your pandemic stress. North Carolina State University.

Neupert, S. (2020) Quiz: Pandemic stressbusters. Accolades Magazine. North Carolina State University.

Pearman, A.,  Hughes, M.,  Smith, E.,  Neupert, S. (2021). Age differences in risk and resilience factors in COVID-19 related stress. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, Volume 76, Issue 2, February 2021, Pages e38–e44,

Polk, M.G., Smith, E.L., Zhang, L.-R., & Neupert, S.D. (2020). Thinking ahead and staying in the present: Implications for reactivity to daily stressors. Personality and Individual Differences.

Praharso, N., Tear, M/, Cruwys, T. (2017). Stressful life transitions and wellbeing: A comparison of the stress buffering hypothesis and the social identity model of identity change. Psychiatry Research. Volume 247: 265-275

 

Mindfulness for teams, athletes, coaches – and spectators

“One of the most effective ways to build mental strength is through mindfulness—which is simply being attentive and aware in the present. It sounds so simple, but very few people (athletes included) truly live in the moment. If you’re thinking of a bad play you made earlier in the game or the pressure that will come during crunch time late in the game, you are not being mindful” (Houde, 2018).

Outline for class with high school students and student-athletes: Mindset Update for Athletes

Short Videos:

Article on Golden State Warriors, a 2017 case study in mindfulness, empathy, and cooperation. 

Shared by a colleague: As many of you know, I grew up near Buffalo, and that I am a big sports fan. The Buffalo Sabers is an NHL team and, late in the season, brought in their rookie goalie, and right away, people noted he had a unique TV timeout routine. He doesn’t go to the bench but skates out in front of his net and kneels down.

In post-game interviews, they asked him what he was doing, and he was meditating. Here are two different links to stories about this; he started mediating because of Star Wars.

References:

Cameron, L. (2021). The mindful game of being a Stanley Cup winner. Purpose Blue Mindful Leadership. https://purposeblue.com/the-mindful-game-of-being-a-stanley-cup-winner/#.YT-h5p1Kg2w

Houde, I. (2018). Why Mindfulness Is the Athlete’s Secret Weapon. Stack. https://www.stack.com/a/why-mindfulness-is-your-secret-weapon-for-better-performance/

Saltzman, A. (2020), Still Quiet Place. http://www.stillquietplace.com/

Williams, L. (2018). 10 athletes who meditate. Yogi Press.   https://www.yogi.press/home/10-athletes-who-meditate