In the hustle of summer's bounty and buzz, it's easy to forget the importance of pressing pause.
Have you recently given yourself a moment to reset, relax, and reflect? To tune into your breath? To take in your surroundings with each of your senses?
These moments aren't just breaks from the chaos;
they're vital opportunities to reconnect with ourselves.
Whether it's a quiet walk in nature, sitting in stillness, or a few minutes of meditation, allowing ourselves these respites cultivates clarity and more meaningful engagement. This transcends our inner dialogue and becomes fodder for more thoughtful interactions and relationships.
Below you'll find many ways to connect to yourself and to our wider community. We hope to see you at an event and when we do, tell us how you're taking care of your mind and spirit this season! Your stories, ideas, and reflections fuel our work. ✨
A Moment's Meditation
“The Peace of Wild Things” by Wendell Berry
A Poetry Film by Charlotte Ager & Katy Wang
"The Peace of Wild Things"
Wendell Berry
When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
We remain committed to sharing ongoing news about gun violence reduction efforts in Kentucky and throughout the nation-at-large. As such, it is encouraging to share that the U.S. Surgeon General has chosen to draw attention to the matter by declaring gun violence a public health crisis and threat to American communities. Dr. Murthy's forty page document is unprecedented and the first-of-its-kind. The memo outlines the scope and impact of gun violence on both individuals and communities, and includes a significant number of policy recommendations. In 1964, an advisory report such as this launched the health movement to curb smoking; it is credited with saving an estimated 8 million citizens in a half century. Physicians have commented with their hopes that this report can launch similar public health conversations and opportunities for progress.
Metro government creates new urban agriculture program to address food insecurity
Louisville Parks and Recreation are on a mission to curb food insecurity by enhancing the existing network of community gardens and the potential for new gardens. The city's new urban agriculture program seeks to do exactly that. Click through to read the report or watch a brief news segment from WLKY.
Dine & Dialogue – A Most Tolerant Little Town: The Explosive Beginning of School Desegregation
August 15, 2024
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Location: Filson Historical Society
Dinner to follow at Buck's if supper ticket purchased.
In 1956, Clinton High School became the first school in the former Confederacy to attempt court mandated desegregation. What initially seemed like a reluctance to "dredge up the past," writer Rachel Martin soon discovered was a much more explosive history. Join the author at the Filson History Society to learn more about this "moving piece of forgotten civil rights history." Information and registration here.
Shaker Made: Inside Pleasant Hill’s Shaker Village
August 20, 2024
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Location: Filson Historical Society
(In-Person and Zoom Options)
Shaker Made is photographer Carol Peachee’s love letter to the cultural artifacts—the architecture, furniture, and crafts—of one of America’s most notable utopian societies. Peachee has photographed Pleasant Hill for more than four decades. Join for an evening of learning and discovery. Information and registration can be found here.
The Earth & Spirit Center on Newburg Road is hosting a series of FREE meditation workshops throughout August and September. The introductory workshop is designed to give you a basic primer on the theory and practice of mindfulness meditation, as well as to reflect the physical, psychological and spiritual benefits. Review this short introductory video with one of the instructors to learn more. To learn details regarding dates and registration, click here!
Louisville Metro is in the planning process of measuring and developing the public health benefits of the City's tree canopy. Above you'll find several opportunities to provide your feedback and ideas. You can also make your voice heard by filling out the Louisville Urban Forest Master Plan Survey.
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