Birds and Mindfulness

<p>Birds and mindfulness is the topic of today's episode. You might remember me telling you about planting various flowers around my house and how having plants around me adds to the mindfulness in my life. Well, back in May, I made a new flower bed just for Black-Eyed Susans. Every time I look out our big window into the backyard, I see the beautiful bright yellow-orange flowers. Well this episode isn’t about flowers, it’s about birds, but they are closely related, at least in my mind.</p> <p>When I got married, I discovered my new in-laws were avid bird-watchers. When my wife and I would visit my mother-in-law and sister-in-law, we’d be deep in conversation, and suddenly everyone would run to the window to see a specific kind of bird that had appeared at the bird feeder. The conversation would be immediately redirected. This was all new for me.</p> <p>In the past, my wife’s aunt June would watch and count birds for certain organizations, I think, <a href='https://www.birdlife.org/'>BirdLife International</a> or <a href='https://www.birdcount.org/'>Birdcount.org</a>. I was always amazed that she knew about and could identify dozens and probably hundreds of different birds.</p> Listen &amp; Subscribe on: <a href='https://mindfulnessmode.com/ApplePodcast'>iTunes</a> / <a href='https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/mindfulness-mode'>Stitcher</a> / <a href='http://feed.mindfulnessmode.com/'>Podbean</a> / <a href='https://overcast.fm/itunes1032063236/mindfulness-mode-interviews-mindful-tips-with-bruce-langford'>Overcast</a> / <a href='https://open.spotify.com/show/5gwe3XCsyPLcLmCIkF2iS9'>Spotify</a> The Joy From Birds <ul><li>A growing body of scientific evidence also shows that the joy delivered by birds is real. Research<a href='https://www.audubon.org/magazine/winter-2019/birding-benefits-how-nature-improves-our-mental'> increasingly links</a> exposure to nature—and specifically, exposure to birds—with improved well-being. In December, a<a href='https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201204110246.htm'> new study