Join us for a Sunset Contemplative Meditation and Walk in honor of World AIDS Day. This event will be one of many offered by SPOKE ART, Inc as part of a 24 hr vigil at the Boston Center for the Arts to raise awareness and end HIV stigma.

Come early and  view the National AIDS Memorial Quilt and participate in one of the hourly activities that offer opportunities for reflection, remembrance, expressions of hope, love and solidarity.

At 3:30 we will gather for a  brief talk and meditation on themes of transience, beauty, the interplay of light and shadow and  the cyclical nature of life. We will create space to notice whatever is arising for you in the moment, to take time to be present for yourself and your feelings, to turn towards them rather than away. Peace, steadiness, perseverance, or strength may be waiting right there, beneath all that feels to be just the opposite. 

At 4 pm we will begin our 30-45 minute walk as the sun is setting over the city. You will be invited to open to the fleeting beauty and ethereal quality of the celestial spectacle unfolding at dusk.

Monthly Sunday morning nature immersion walks at the Broadmoor, Massachusetts Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary, Natick, MA

Please join us for a 3.5-hour mindful, morning walk along the extensive trails of the Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary where we will immerse ourselves in ever changing ecosystems of salt marsh, sandy barrier beach and pine woodlands.
Be prepared to feel the surprise and sense of wonder that each bend in the trails reveal. This is the home to over 300 species of birds, woodland animals and kettle pond and sea creatures. Each mindful step affords a glimpse into the majesty that lies within the smallest of plant life and the vast expansiveness of the horizon. Our mindful practices will support exploration of both inner and outer landscapes with a focus on the elements of fire, water, air and earth that inextricably connect these landscapes to one another and to ourselves.
The walk will be timed to low tide in Wellfleet Bay. Please dress for the weather and for walking and exploring these ecosystems. Sturdy, closed toed shoes that you don't mind getting wet - you may remove them when walking the beach but will need them for the woodlands and boardwalks. Sun hat, sunscreen and bug protection are all essential.
And...Plenty of water for hydration and snacks for replenishment.
This walk will be held unless there is significant rain, lightening, or wind

Join us for a morning of kayaking on a scenic stretch of the Charles River. We will meet at the historic boathouse in Newton and paddle past islands and quiet coves towards Waltham.

A guide from PaddleBoston will accompany us and help us locate the best spots along the river to stop and gather our kayaks together for on-river mindfulness practices.


Limited to 10 participants.

Fee will cover the cost of kayak rental and guide service.

As we walk along the Charles River’s Elm Bank we will explore our own human sensory systems and how they influence our perceptions, while also attuning to the animal world around us and how each of its species may perceive us as we enter into its environment. To do so we will use the concept of Umwelt, the perceptual world view unique to each species. What would it be like to be a tick, attuning to body heat , touch of hair or the odor emanating from skin or a robin responding to the pull of the magnetic field or a spider sensing the vibrations in its web for survival?
Be prepared to walk, crawl, lie down and feel the warmth of the earth, the coolness of the water and the sweet sounds and scents wafting in the air around you.

RELEASE, REALIGN, RESTORE
Three R's of Resilience: Mindful Practices to Nourish Body, Mind, & Spirit Workshop

The Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance (MOVA) Training Academy (MTA) was developed to meet the emerging needs of direct service providers in the victim services field in Massachusetts. MOVA envisions this academy will unite criminal legal and community advocates across the Commonwealth and provide knowledge that supports trauma informed, culturally responsive, and equitable services that reflect the diverse communities they serve. As a result, the voices and experiences of victims and survivors will be further heard, valued, and amplified across systems.

I am excited to partner with the Cambridge Health Alliance Employee Wellbeing Department this spring! They have requested a series of three 2 hour Mindfulness in Nature walks to be held in locations in close proximity to their health centers in Cambridge, Somerville and Malden.

Our locations include:
Middlesex Fells, Stoneham
Mt Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge
Fresh Pond Reservation, Cambridge


The Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) Employee Wellbeing department strives to create "a workplace where everyone thrives." Our program has 6 core components that strengthen employee well-being: Mental & Emotional Health, Financial Health, Protection from Harm, Connection & Community, Physical Health, and Opportunity for Growth. We aim to care of our healthcare workforce so that they can take the best care of our patients and communities.

This is the third in a series of three Mindful Walks in Nature commissoned by the Cambridge Health Alliance Employee Wellbeing Department.

Beginning Monday, May 13, 2024, I will be offering weekly nature-based mindfulness practices at Fresh Pond Reservation to start your day.

Throughout May, we will hold these practices at Black's Nook, a small pond adjacent to Fresh Pond which is a protected wildlife sanctuary and coveted bird watching location.

Specific locations may vary month to month but will be held within Fresh Pond Reservation. No registration is necessary but please come dressed for the weather and bring a meditation cushion and/or a yoga mat. Each session will have a brief introduction, 20-30 minute sit or walk and time for reflections.

This is a commissioned 2 hour nature-based mindfulness workshop at the Arnold Arboretum for MASS AWIS.
MASS AWIS is the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Association for Women in Science. (AWIS), a non-profit organization hose mission is to support women in all scientific fields and to achieve equity and full participation for women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). By breaking down barriers and creating opportunities, AWIS strives to ensure that women in these fields can achieve their full potential. They organize events to create stronger bonds within their community as well as to improve skill sets collectively either for academia or industry in diverse fields.

This walk , the first in a series of three walks, commissioned by the CHA Employee Wellbeing Department for its employees will take place at The Middlesex Fells in Stoneham, Ma.

Earth day is a reminder of the importance of environmental conservation and sustainability, encouraging us to come together and take action for a healthier planet and brighter future. We hope that these activities align us with this purpose.

Please join us in honoring Earth Day through mindful activities designed to elicit exploration of both our inner and outer landscapes and the ecosystems in which we live.

In partnership with SPOKE, a South Boston based arts and social action organization dedicated to the transformative power of art to effect change, we will experience, together, the art exhibit, "Ecology Begins With..."

From here we will begin our mindful walk to Castle Island, a penninsula in South Boston on the shore of Boston Harbor. Our path takes us through the Thomas Butler Memorial Park to the William J Day Blvd that overlooks Boston Harbor's Pleasure Bay.

This two hour walk will take us along the Neponset River as it winds through a transposition of urban and wetland landscapes.
Be prepared to feel the surprise and sense of wonder that each bend in the river reveals.

These words from the Vietnamese Monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, will guide us along our journey of exploration of both inner and outer landscapes:

"We frequently walk with the sole purpose of getting from one place to another. But where are we in between? With every step, we can feel the miracle of walking on solid ground. We can arrive in the present moment with each step"

Join us for a three hour mindfulness in nature walk along trails meandering among pitch pine and scrub oak and along barrier dunes. We will crisscross red maple swamps and fields of marsh grass, sage green Hudsonia, and dune lichen. Each mindful step reveals majesty in both the smallest of plant life and the vastness of the horizon. We will be on the outlook for signs of spot deer, foxes, savannah sparrows and sharp-shinned hawks. Life abounds all around us

As in each walk, we will intersperse mindful practices along the the way.

Fee: $10 admission for non-members of the Trustees of Reservations

$5 for members

Advanced ticket reservations is recommended but not necessary.

Every other Thursday evening this February we will discover many of the lands and landscapes within the galleries of Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts. Our mindful walks will take us through the French countryside brought vividly to life by the Plein Air artists of the 19th century, we will discover the dialectic between the calm and the tempest of life during China’s Song Dynasty and walk reverently through the ruins of ancient Egypt.

Each walk will begin at the Huntington entrance where we will gather together, orient ourselves to the evening and collect our museum chairs. Within the gallery chosen for the evening we will use the artwork and sculpture as inspiration for our mindfulness practices.

Admission is free for members. For non-members the entrance fee is $27 to be paid at time of admission. The MFA does offer discounts to students, veterans and active military personnel. There may be other options as well so if interested, please contact the MFA in advance.

Register for each walk separately through the Appalachian Mountain Club.

Every other Thursday evening this February we will discover many of the lands and landscapes within the galleries of Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts. Our mindful walks will take us through the French Countryside brought vividly to life by the Plein Air artists of the 19th century, we will discover the dialectic between the calm and the tempest of life during China’s Song Dynasty and walk reverently through the ruins of ancient Egypt. Each walk will begin at the entrance where we will gather together, orient ourselves to the evening and collect our museum chairs. Within the gallery chosen for the evening we will use the artwork and sculpture as inspiration for our mindfulness practices.
Admission is free for members. For non-members the entrance fee is $27 to be paid at time of admission. The MFA does offer discounts to students, veterans and active military personnel. There may be other options as well so if interested, please contact the MFA in advance.

Registration is through the Appalachian Mountain Club.

Dates: 2/1/24, 2/15/24 and 2/29/24

Are you longing to feel enlivened by nature and expand beyond the virtual world, revitalizing your senses, body, and heart? Together, with the beauty of Wachusett Meadow’s woodlands, wetlands and meadows, we will access the clarity of the mind, feel the aliveness in the body, and the expansiveness of the heart.

You will learn about the practice of mindfulness — the capacity to be fully present to ourselves and the world around us — and then explore this quality of attention as you enter a contemplative relationship with both your inner and outer nature. You will discover how nature supports cultivating expanded states of joy, wonder, and a loving connection with oneself, others, and the larger web of life.

Longer mindfulness practices will be held in doors and will support our exploration of the natural world around us. To deepen our awareness, a naturalist will join us for one of our walks.

No meditation experience is required simply a willingness to stay curious, attentive and open to being in a new way.

This walk will be attuning to the sights, sounds and felt experience of being in and with nature so participants will be encouraged to refrain from conversation during the walk.

Fee: $20.00 This fee allows us to use the indoor space and benefit from the naturalist’s guidance.

Payment is due at the time of registration. Participation is limited to 10.
Please bring water, a bag lunch and dress appropriately for the weather. More details will follow once registered.

This walk is offered through the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC).Please visit the AMC website to register & learn more.

Celebrate writer and social activist, James Baldwin's centenary with Violence Transformed at the "Face-It" multi-media arts exhibit .The exhibit aims to help audiences face and embrace the challenges in our society, sparking new ways of perceiving the past, present, and future. By sharing powerful imagery in various media, we can awaken to the obstacles hindering social change and discover paths towards resilience, healing, and recovery.

In conjunction with the exhibit we will be offering a unique series of mindfulness practices that begin in the gallery then extend into the outer landscape of Boston’s South End. Rediscover the wonder and complexity of life around us and reflect on how it mirrors our own nature, both its light and shadow

The Drumlin Farm Retreat will offer natural spaces in which to rest and be kind to ourselves. Through the immediacy of nature our senses reawaken to the wonder and beauty that surrounds us. Each mindful practice is designed to nourish our body, mind and spirit. As we settle into the rhythms of the natural world, our bodies relax, our minds quiet and our hearts open.

Participants will be invited to connect with nature as well as turn inward to see how nature is reflected in our own being. Each breath invites us to tap into the joy, belonging and awe that will support us in the work we do.

The reality of the profound connection between self-care and caring for others will be deeply felt and evident.

About the Retreat:

We will spend the day in quiet reflection except for the morning orientation and welcome, small group discussions and question and answer periods. At the close of the day, we will circle around and share reflections.

Typical Flow for the day:

9:00am Arrival, orientation, Logistics

9:30-12:00 Morning Practices

!2:00-1:00 Lunch : reflections & discussion

Our retreat site is the Pond House at Drumlin Farm. We will hold our orientation and lunch in the cabin and only hold mindfulness practices indoors if the weather is inclement. We will walk the many trails at the sanctuary and if there is interest may visit the farm itself. A farm visit would require an additional farm entrance fee.

Please bring enough water for the day, snacks and a bag lunch. More details will follow once registered.

This is a light rain or shine event. Please dress according to the weather forecast.

Mindful Walk @ The Arnold Arboretum. An Appalachian Mountain Club event.