
Stephanie Morrissette
Stephanie is an avid naturalist and a Library Assistant in the Adult Services Department at CDPL.
UPDATE: This event has been canceled due to forecasted weather.
Winter is silent. Winter is reflective. Winter is peaceful, quiet, and calm. It is an underutilized time of year when nature’s beauty can still be very much appreciated. If you would like to take some time to appreciate this beauty, join our library naturalist for a Winter Wellness Hike this Saturday, January 18, at 10 am. We will meet at the new Brickyard Nature Park, located at 759 Concord Rd, to hike through the woods and enjoy all that winter has to offer. Whether it’s birds, trees, tracks, or scats, winter divulges its secrets to those who look and listen.
Wellness extends beyond our physical bodies and includes both our psyche, or emotional self, and our wild and creative spirit. Keeping things in balance sometimes takes practice, but soon, new habits will form, and our wellness becomes mindfulness in our daily lives. If you are not one for bundling up in colder weather and hiking around in the mud or snow and would prefer to be warm and snuggly with a good book, we have many titles on various aspects of wellness and mindfulness activities, including self-help books.
To hone your mindfulness practice, we have several good books you can dive into, including “Five Good Minutes of Mindfulness: Reduce Stress, Reset, and Find Peace Right Now” by Jeffrey Blantley (158.1 Bra), “Gutsy: Mindfulness for Every Day Bravery” by Leah Katz (158.1 Kat), and “The Mindful Woman: Gentle Practices for Restoring Calm, Finding Hope, & Opening Your Heart” by Sue Thoele (155.333 Tho). We also have “The Cottage Fairy Companion: A Cottagecore Guide to Slow Living, Connecting to Nature, and Becoming Enchanted Again” by Paola Merrell (306.481 Mer). You don’t even need a cottage to gain benefit from the book—it is created for both country and city dwellers.
Other recommendation for this practice are, “Present Moment, Wonderful Moment: Mindfulness Verses for Daily Living” (294.3443 Nha) and “The Blooming of a Lotus: Essential Guided Meditations for Mindfulness, Healing, and Transformation” by Nhat Thich (294.3 Nha). Seeking more happiness? Check out “The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living” by Meik Wiking (646.7 Wik). This title is a great, warm read to put you in the mindset to relax, enjoy life, and take it as it comes.
If you are looking for more balance and wellness in your life, explore “The Nature Cure: A Doctor’s Guide to Natural Medicine” by Andreas Michalsen (615.535 Mic), which discusses yoga, meditation, and mindfulness for physical, mental, and emotional balance. Try “Real Self-Care: A Transformative Program for Redefining Wellness (Crystals, Cleanses, and Bubble Baths Not Included)” by Pooja Lakshmin (613 Lak) for simple strategies for keeping calm and carrying on! What about one simple action to make a big difference? “52 Ways to Walk: The Surprising Science of Walking for Wellness and Joy, One Week at a Time” by Annabel Streets (613.7176 Str) gives great insight into how daily walking is also mindfulness in motion. Finally, “Seasonal Self-Care Rituals: Eat, Breathe, Move, and Sleep Better-According to Your Dosha” by Susan Weis-Bholen (615.538 Wei) will help you become more in tune with your inner self, and how best to care for yourself.
If you are unable join us for a winter weather walk in the park, books can take us places our feet cannot! If you are able to join us for the hike, please meet us at the Brickyard Nature Park, located at 759 Concord Rd. Registration is not required, but all participants must sign an on-site waiver before the program. The hike will be approximately one-hour long. All ages are welcome to join us, but minors must be accompanied by an adult. The program will be canceled if the temperature is under 20 degrees or there is inclement weather causing a safety concern. For more information, contact the Crawfordsville District Public Library Adult Services Department at 765-362-2242, visit our website, or check our social media.
We would like to thank the Crawfordsville Parks and Recreation Department and the Crawfordsville District Public Library Board for making this program possible for the community.