PARK CITY, Utah — Mindful Summit County, a nonprofit mindfulness organization, is set to take its summer programming outdoors, combining meditation, yoga, and creative practice to offer an opportunity for participants to connect with nature and cultivate mindfulness in living landscapes.
The centerpiece of the season will be the weekly Mindfulness in the Garden sessions, which run from June 1 through August 31. Held every Sunday at 9 a.m. at Summit Community Gardens, each one-hour class will include a 30-minute talk on mindful awareness followed by 30 minutes of guided community meditation. Co-founder Rebecca Brenner explained that these sessions provide a chance to steady attention in an open, outdoor setting before the start of the week. “Noticing breath and sound in nature helps ground our focus,” she said. Fellow co-founder Randi Jo Greenberg added, “The simplicity of the structure ensures that everyone can practice the same skills of observing and returning their attention.”
For those seeking a deeper experience, First Monday Mini-Mindfulness Retreats will take place from 6–8 p.m. on June 2, July 7, August 4, and September 1 at Sage Mountain Sanctuary. Brenner highlighted that even two hours can create a meaningful shift in awareness, saying, “It’s enough time to feel how awareness expands when the pace slows down.” Greenberg also emphasized the unique opportunity to practice near rescued animals, which brings the concept of interconnectedness and active compassion to life.
In mid-summer, Walking and Writing Into the Living World, a special event at the Kimball Art Center on July 12 at 6 p.m., will explore writing as a form of embodied attention. After a walking meditation, poets Brenner and Nan Seymour will read from their works and discuss how language can arise from direct perception rather than analysis. “Writing after mindful walking shows how language can rise from direct perception, not analysis,” Brenner said. A Q&A session will follow, with books including Brenner’s memoir-in-verse, Paper House, and Seymour’s collective praise poem, irreplaceable, available for purchase.
Greenberg will also lead Mindful Movement classes throughout the summer. Family Mindful Yoga will be held from 9:30–10:30 a.m. on June 7, July 12, and August 2 at Summit Community Gardens. Greenberg noted that linking breath with simple poses helps both kids and adults reconnect with their bodies. Additionally, Adult Mindful Yoga will be offered on Sundays at the Basin Recreation Fieldhouse, with sessions running from 2:45–3:45 p.m. and 4–5 p.m. “Slow movement paired with deliberate exhalation allows the nervous system to reset for the week ahead,” Greenberg said.
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