Turn to the Sun

December 18, 2023
Gowan, a stress management coach, debuts with an insubstantial guide to practicing mindfulness by connecting with nature. Reflecting on her relationship with the natural world, Gowan recounts delighting in the gardens her parents grew around their home in central New York State and appreciating the small verdant patches (“tree-lined streets, flower boxes, and community gardens”) near her current home in New York City. Meditations peppered throughout encourage readers to envision themselves walking through a “sunny plant shop filled with restorative energy,” stepping away from one’s desk to go outside, and bringing home a houseplant left on the curb. Unfortunately, the advice is repetitive, largely consisting of variations on stop and smell the flowers. For instance, she posits that “being mindful of nature is a rewarding act of consciousness” and that “nature lives and thrives in the present moment, and we can too,” without elaborating why or what that means. The exercises are similarly thin; one encourages readers to cultivate a relationship with nature by “press your hand on the bark of a tree.” Several others contain barely distinguishable exhortations to breathe while looking at “what nature surrounds you.” This slight outing doesn’t have much to offer.