August 2026 Newsletter
~Mindfulness~
Welcome!
Welcome to our second Nature’s Path Wellness newsletter!
This month, we’re focusing on mindfulness—what it actually is, how it can help, and a few simple ways to practice it in everyday life. Mindfulness can sometimes feel like one more thing we’re supposed to be doing, but it really begins with something much simpler: slowing down enough to notice what’s happening around us and inside us.
In this newsletter, you’ll find our beginner’s guide to mindfulness, a five-senses mindfulness walk, this month’s featured resource, updates from Nature’s Path, and opportunities to connect with our practitioners and upcoming events.
Thanks so much for being here!
Beginner’s Guide to Mindfulness
Learn in the simple guide what mindfulness is, what it isn’t, and easy ways to start practicing.
Click the button below to read the full blog post.
Get to know Tanesha!
What do you do?
I'm a Whole Person Coach who helps caregivers, educators, and other service-driven people reconnect with themselves before burnout becomes their normal. Whole Person Coaching recognizes that every part of who we are is connected, so together we explore not just what's happening on the surface, but the patterns, values, and needs underneath. Through coaching, workshops, and retreats, I help people create sustainable change that feels authentic and lasting.
Why do you do it?
I believe the way we care for ourselves shapes the way we experience our lives. Too many people spend years taking care of everyone else while putting themselves last. I love creating a space where people can slow down, reconnect with themselves, and discover that lasting change often begins with small, intentional steps.
What drew you to this work?
For more than 20 years, I've supported people with developmental disabilities, and one of the things I loved most about that work was helping people build lives that reflected their own goals, values, and definition of fulfillment. Coaching felt like a natural extension of that. In both roles, my job isn't to tell people what they should do. It's to ask thoughtful questions, listen deeply, and help them discover what they truly want and how to move toward it. I believe people are the experts on their own lives, and it's a privilege to walk alongside them as they create a life that feels authentic and meaningful.
What's one thing you wish people knew?
You don't have to wait until you're completely burned out to deserve support. We often think we need to keep pushing until we hit a breaking point, but lasting change begins much sooner, with small moments of slowing down, paying attention, and choosing yourself. Those little choices have a way of changing everything.
What are you currently learning?
I'm currently learning Spanish! It's something I've wanted to do for a long time, especially because my husband and I love to travel. It's been a fun reminder of what it feels like to be a beginner again and that growth doesn't happen overnight. A little consistency each day really does add up.
Favorite self-care practice?
Getting outside. Whether it's hiking, camping, running, or simply sitting quietly by the river with my dog, nature has a way of helping me come back to myself. It's where I feel most grounded and most present.
Fun personal question: What are you passionate about outside of coaching?
Right now, I'm training for my first marathon! It's teaching me many of the same lessons I explore with my clients: consistency over perfection, trusting the process, and celebrating progress along the way.
Practice this Month
Five Senses Mindfulness Walk
For this month’s practice, take a short walk and use your five senses to bring your attention back to the present moment.
You don’t need to go anywhere special. Walk around your neighborhood, through a park, around your workplace, or even through your own home. Try to move a little more slowly than usual and notice:
Five things you can see. Pay attention to colors, shapes, movement, light, or small details you might normally pass by.
Four things you can feel. Notice the ground beneath your feet, the temperature of the air, your clothing against your skin, or the movement of your body.
Three things you can hear. Listen for sounds nearby and farther away without deciding whether they are pleasant or annoying.
Two things you can smell. You might notice plants, food, rain, pavement, or simply the air around you.
One thing you can taste. Notice any taste already in your mouth, take a sip of water, or pay attention to the feeling of the air as you breathe.
Your mind will probably wander while you do this. That’s completely normal. Each time you notice it happening, gently bring your attention back to your senses and the place where you are.
Continue Building Your Skills
If you enjoyed this month's practice, you'll find many more guided exercises, educational videos, worksheets, and practical tools inside our Rooted at Nature's Path memberships. Each month focuses on a new wellness topic and is designed to help you build skills that support lasting growth, one step at a time.
Featured Resource: Wherever You Go, There You Are
Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn is a great introduction to mindfulness because it doesn’t make the practice feel complicated or out of reach. The chapters are short and easy to read, and the book focuses on bringing mindfulness into ordinary moments rather than trying to completely change your life or become an expert at meditation.
This isn’t really a step-by-step workbook. It’s more of a book to read slowly, a little at a time, and think about as you go. Some parts are more reflective and philosophical, while others give you simple ways to begin practicing.
We chose it as this month’s featured resource because it fits so well with the idea that mindfulness doesn’t require a quiet mind, a lot of free time, or a perfect routine. You can start exactly where you are.
Click here to purchase from one of our favorite local bookstores, Powell’s:
On the Horizon
We will have a table at the The Psilocybin Experience: Our Collective Journey. This will be a full day exploring practice, policy, and outcomes across Oregon’s psilocybin services program, ending with the Portland premiere of the JOURNEYS documentary. Jenna will be speaking and Vesper Andes will be performing a sound bath as well. Come say hi! Get tickets to the event here: https://ayeterra.com/psilocybin-workshop-portland/
Ongoing
Workshops
Wellness Weekly is our accessible, community-centered workshop series created to make quality wellness education available to everyone. For just $15, each one-hour workshop explores a different topic through practical learning, meaningful discussion, and simple tools you can begin using right away. Whether you're looking to build new skills, gain fresh perspectives, or connect with others on a similar path, we'd love to have you join us.
Click here to view upcoming workshops and reserve your spot today!
Beginning in October 2026
Self-Care Saturdays are our monthly community wellness events, designed to give you the opportunity to explore a variety of healing practices in one welcoming afternoon. Beginning in October, join us on the first Saturday of every month for just $25, and experience 2–4 mini workshops led by Nature's Path Wellness practitioners. It's an affordable way to discover new approaches to wellness, connect with our community, and find the services and practices that resonate with you.
Click here to view upcoming Self-Care Saturdays and reserve your spot today!