Summer’s not so far away

With warmer weather just around the corner, our thoughts naturally turn to making summer vacation plans. Here are some stories to help you make the most of this valuable time.

Your summer vacation is valuable time spent recharging your batteries. Who couldn’t use a little help making the most of this precious time?

Travel Presence: Whether you are doing a “staycation” this year in your backyard or going on a trip to a distant place, you can turn your journey into a pilgrimage with a just few simple practices. Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat tell you how.

Focus on Cycling: Alburquerque Bicycle Transportation Examiner Karolyn Hudson has been following a sports psychology program, with Dr. Dana Blackmer, to improve her cycling. In this third lesson, mindfulness becomes a part of the assignment.

Mouthfuls of Mindfulness: Whether you overeat, undereat, or just feel conflicted about how you eat, mindfulness practice, says physician Jan Chozen Bays, can help you rediscover a healthy and joyful relationship with food.

Backyard Mindfulness: Naturalist John Bates shares his ever-growing appreciation of the phenology of the Manitowish River, where he lives. Love of the natural world isn’t just a one-way street, he says. It’s also the path to understanding yourself.

The Value of Adventure: Outdoor adventure can essentially function like an extreme meditation cushion, teaching not only concentration, but also inquiry, compassion, and right action, says adventurer Renée Sharp.

Daughter Time: “The time of childhood is going to go fast,” says Rick Bass, author of Where the Sea Used to Be. “I’m doing what I can to slow it down. There’s still time for me to learn some of what they see and know and feel.”