Happy August everyone! I had great fun with last month’s #JulyJoyPhoto Challenge. With all the negative energy swirling around this summer, I have found even greater solace in connecting with nature, if only for a few minutes each day.
Intentional exercises to nurture gratitude offset the stress and toxicity with which our TV, computer, and smartphone screens bombard us 24/7. My two primary gratitude tools are meditation and my camera, both of which help me live more mindfully by appreciating the beauty of the here and now.
Here are my top ten favorite captures from July, in no particular order. (You can see the full series on my Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Google+ pages.)
Zinnia Bud (part of a multi-stage bloom series)
Damselfly on Annabelle Hydrangea
Apollo at Smith Mountain Lake, VA
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on buttonbush
Hardy geranium ‘Roxanne’ stamens
Water lily
Skipper on zinnia
Coming in for a landing…
Taking refuge…
Blue heron at Smith Mountain Lake
***
If you enjoyed today’s post and are not yet a subscriber, please sign up for my email list and receive my free ebook Six Playfully Mindful Strategies to Beat Procrastination and Boost Productivity. You’ll also receive updates on my new book, Blooming into Mindfulness, weekly blog posts, and photography event news. Email is much more reliable than social media in getting information to you in a timely fashion, so sign up to make sure you’re in the loop! (I promise not to share your address or send you spam.)
And if you know someone else who might benefit from an extra dose of calm in their lives, please spread the word! Social media likes and shares are always appreciated.
Finally, if you find typos anywhere on my site, I’d be grateful if you let me know. I hate typos! Contact me so that I can correct the error. Thank you!
