Brooklyn-based gardener and meditation leader urges city dwellers to slow down and reconnect through mindful, everyday practices

BROOKLYN, NY / ACCESS Newswire / July 16, 2025 / Shaulene Wright, a respected figure in New York's mindfulness and urban gardening community, is raising awareness around the growing mental health crisis facing urban populations and calling on individuals to reclaim moments of stillness in their daily lives. Wright, known for her rooftop garden gatherings and calm, grounded presence, blends Buddhist teachings with hands-on urban gardening to help others reconnect to themselves, their communities, and their environment.

"Weeds come up. Bugs eat things. That's just life," Wright says. "You learn to work with it instead of trying to control everything. That mindset doesn't just help in the garden-it helps in your own mind too."

Wright's message comes at a time when city life is more fast-paced and overwhelming than ever. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), 77% of U.S. workers reported experiencing burnout in 2023. And while New York City offers opportunity, it also places intense pressure on its residents.

"We're not made to live at 100 miles an hour," Wright says. "People are hungry for silence-not emptiness, but space to breathe and think."

Shaulene's weekly rooftop garden circles offer just that. Community members gather not to talk strategy or hustle goals, but to sit quietly among plants and observe their own thoughts. "Sometimes we talk," she says. "Sometimes we don't. But either way, people leave lighter."

She's not asking people to sign up for a program or subscribe to a method. Instead, she wants people to build their own tiny practices of care-no matter how small the space or how busy the schedule.

Gardening and Mindfulness as Mental Health Tools

Research supports Wright's approach. A 2022 study in Environmental Science & Technology found that just 20 minutes of contact with nature significantly lowers cortisol levels, the hormone linked to stress. Meanwhile, mindfulness-based practices have been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and even chronic pain.

"Gardening is mindfulness," Wright says. "You're noticing. You're pausing. You're paying attention. That's where peace begins."

Her method is rooted in lived experience-not in formal institutions. "I didn't start this as a business," she says. "It started as a habit to help me feel grounded. It just grew."

Today, more than a dozen neighbours regularly stop by her rooftop space, which doubles as a community garden and quiet refuge. Some have gone on to create their own gardens. Others simply use the time to unplug, reflect, and reset.

A Call to Action: Grow Stillness, Not Just Plants

Shaulene Wright isn't launching a product. She's inviting people to do something simple and radical: pause.

Here's how anyone can start:

• Start small: Grow a plant in a pot, a windowsill, or a recycled jar. Water it slowly. Watch it daily.

• Take five minutes of silence each day: No phone. No plan. Just sit.

• Visit a local green space: A park. A rooftop. Even a tree on your street corner.

• Create a space in your home for quiet: A cushion. A candle. A notebook. Nothing fancy.

"Leadership doesn't have to be loud," Wright says. "Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is create space-first for yourself, then for others."

In a time of burnout, overload, and constant input, Wright's message is clear: growth starts with stillness. And anyone can begin right where they are.

Contact:
Shaulene Wright
Email: shaulenewright@emaildn.com
Location: Brooklyn, NY

Read the full Interview here.

Sources:

• American Psychological Association, 2023 Stress in America Report

• Environmental Science & Technology, "The Nature Fix: How 20 Minutes in Nature Impacts Cortisol" (2022)

• Shaulene Wright Is Growing More Than Just a Garden, 2025

SOURCE: Shaulene Wright