Puja Dhyan Parsons
Former CEO, Co-Founder
Growing Spaces
Puja co-founded Growing Spaces in 1989 with her husband Udgar and served as the company's CEO for nearly three decades. Her posts here are from that period.
She studied psychology and philosophy at Westminster College in Utah, did graduate work in clinical and Jungian psychology at San Jose State, and led five nonprofit organizations over the course of her career, with work spanning music and art therapy, the healing arts, aikido, and sustainable living. She and Udgar sold Growing Spaces in 2018 and spent the next five years traveling, gardening their Pagosa Springs domes, and writing. Puja was working on a book when she passed away on February 17, 2023, at 76.Puja co-founded Growing Spaces in 1989 with her husband Udgar and served as the company's CEO for nearly three decades. Her posts here are from that period.
Articles by Puja Dhyan Parsons
Reflections on Retirement
May 13, 2020
Udgar and I founded Growing Spaces in 1989. The process of selling it was like looking for the right partner to pass on the baton in an exciting marathon. Preparing for that moment took extra energy. Our team had become our community as we developed the agility together to master all the moving parts of an evolving company. After retiring, we decided to travel in order to mark the change and to distance ourselves from our results-driven habits.
Holiday Solstice 2017
December 22, 2017
As I think about my experience shopping yesterday, as everyone prepares for the holidays in our town, I am struck by the Holiday energy, thoughts about ending 2017, and affirming what will be healthy for the New Year. The offer of a “21 Day Pilates Holiday Slimdown” reminds me of the urge to improve in…
Notes from Puja: Reflections During Strawberry Moon
June 24, 2016
She just flew up to the window as if to say “Are you Awake now?” I am slowly getting there. Attempting to summarize my thoughts, my woodpecker friend evokes the question by testing various surfaces on our log cabin home. What to say? I’m in a reflective mood. In this record heat, all I can…
Return of the Light: Back to the Garden
March 23, 2016
As I consider the “Return of the Light” as signified by the Spring Equinox, Easter and even the Lunar Eclipse this week, I have to say… “It is welcome!” I have been very moved by the troubles we see and hear about globally, as we enter the next season. Growing Spaces® mission “to help personal…
Winter Solstice: The Turning Of The Light
December 16, 2015
The Winter Solstice: A time to celebrate, a time of re-affirmation, and a time of courage. In the Northern Hemisphere, the December Solstice is the Winter Solstice, and the shortest day of the year. Although winter is the season of dormancy, darkness and cold, the December Solstice marks the “turning of the Sun.” The days slowly get…
Season’s Greetings
December 17, 2014
Season’s greetings! What is this season? A time of turning…turning toward snow boots and scrapers and bundling up to scrape snow off the solar panels and help Udgar mount the plow. The smell of wood smoke nurtures my sense of gratitude for our Rocky Mountain home and the outdoor life we get to live. This…
Living in Gratitude this Season
November 24, 2014
As I begin this Newsletter greeting, I was just watching wild turkeys outside our window scratching for food. I always feel wonder that they return every year and surround our cabin with their good energy, reminding me of the pilgrims and Native American’s offering gratitude. I am preparing a surprise turkey dinner for a friend and…
June in My Growing Dome
June 25, 2014
Yesterday, while focusing on recovery from my dental surgery and the long week of organizing and working with our stellar team, I knew I just wanted to GARDEN in my Growing Dome. I was out in my Growing Dome for about 5 hours, preparing old baskets for new plants, amending the soil and mixing up…
Celebrate Everything – Growing Spaces Values
February 7, 2014
When we started Growing Spaces LLC in 1989, our effort was to build a socially responsible business based on the values and practices we are living. One of them was the idea to “Celebrate Everything.” For me that means the attempt to shift inside, and see the potentials in every experience as well as to…
New Moon, New Year, New Beginnings
January 15, 2014
I have just settled in by the fire, on our coldest day on record in two decades in the USA, according to N.O.A.A. Weather Service online. With the wind chill, my relatives in Minnesota are experiencing 60 degrees below zero today! Lucky for us, it is only 5 degrees below zero in Pagosa Springs, but…
How We Built a Socially Responsible Company and What Inspired Us
December 10, 2013
Why are we a Socially Responsible Company? Like so many environmentally aware people, I was really affected by the reality of the unusual super-storms of the past few weeks as the hurricane in the Philippines and the recent tornadoes here in the United States, took away lives, homes, and livelihoods. The Climate Reality project states…
Accessing Our Inner Wisdom in Business
August 27, 2013
A few years ago I was privileged to be on a panel of CEOs at our annual SW Colorado Women’s Business Conference and asked “How do women do business differently than men?” Although the moment called a response from the three of us that invited us all to recognize that we all possess masculine and…
It’s Earth Day
May 17, 2013
It’s Earth Day, and this is being celebrated in many places around the globe (see Earthday.org ). In our own small town, the people of vision were out on a cold day in their booths giving away small trees to celebrate Earth Day. There were many examples of innovation and many contributions to the awareness…
Our Dirt Work Leads to a Food Revolution
April 17, 2013
Celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver endorses the Growing Dome Greenhouse while visiting Navajo Nation in Arizona
Dancing with Stress, Managing Overwhelm
February 20, 2013
What IF I could live in such balance that the energy needed for my everyday commitments was an OVERFLOW out of the peace and natural enthusiasm I carry within me? What if I could re-set myself, when I was thrown off balance? And make recovery an art form? This has been my developing goal since…
A Dream to Award Good Food to All
January 23, 2013
I write on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the day of our President’s second inauguration. Many synchronicities stir me as I consider this time January 21, 2013 and what it means to me. In his speech, fifty years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King reminded us of the power of “having a dream” that is,…
Happy Holidays …
December 13, 2012
This is the time of year that my inner child delights in the music, Christmas lights and spirit of giving. My excitement is an appreciation for the turning inward of the shorter days, the relief of cozying our home and coming inside for more reflection. A reverence for inwardness symbolized by the Solstice, as well…
Becoming a Green Business
December 1, 2012
In the November – December 2012 issue of the southwest Colorado EPIC Magazine, the co-owner and CEO of Growing Spaces, Puja Dhyan Parsons, contributed an article on “Becoming a Green Business”. Puja’s “how to” isn’t in the traditional way you would think. The article was originally published in the November-December 2012 issue of Epic Magazine…
Making the Most of the Slow Money Rocky Mountain Regional Gathering
September 11, 2012
On September 1st, 2012 a team of six people from the Growing Spaces community, including owners Puja and Udgar Parsons, attended the Slow Money Regional Gathering in Carbondale, CO. After attending last year’s national gathering in San Fransisco, CA, Puja and Udgar were so excited to be a part of a gathering closer to home….
A Worthy Journey: Putting youth gardening into perspective
September 19, 2011
As we celebrate the interest from children and young adults in growing organic food, we want to point to major influences over the last few years. I thank the efforts of Jamie Oliver, Will Allan, and Michelle Obama and many Moms and Dads who are convinced that learning “where food comes from” is the beginning…
An Inspirational Culture of Life
July 19, 2011
Paul Renner of Gabrielle Cousins Living Foods program in Arizona pays a visit to Growing Spaces Greenhouses
Pagosa’s Geothermal Greenhouse Project Bringing Us Home
June 17, 2011
In a world grappling with economic challenges and environmental concerns, Pagosa's Geothermal Greenhouse Project stands as a testament to community resilience and sustainable living. Embracing the 'going local' movement, this initiative is not just about cultivating plants; it's about cultivating hope and kinship within the community. Drawing parallels with the Eden Project and the transformative vision of the Aspen Institute, this project symbolizes a shift towards a sustainable, eco-friendly future. Join us as we explore how this project is shaping Pagosa Springs into an eco-destination, celebrating human ingenuity and a sustainable way of life.
Jamie Oliver’s Passion, Our Gratitude
May 23, 2011
Rewinding to 2010, Growing Spaces embarked on an inspiring journey, aligning with Jamie Oliver's mission to transform global nutrition. Our collaboration reached a pinnacle during Oliver's American Road Trip, where we donated a Growing Dome to the Navajo Nation, fostering sustainable living and native plant wisdom. Oliver's dedication to educating on healthy eating resonates with our ethos. His efforts, from cost-effective meals for world leaders to tackling obesity in America, echo our commitment to 'choosing life' through sustainable practices. As Oliver's influence continues to spark change, we invite you to explore his vision for a healthier world and our shared dedication to a sustainable, nutrition-focused future.
Creating a New Business Culture
April 4, 2011
I am writing after the Japanese Tsunami, the upset in Madison, the revolution in Egypt, and many other newsworthy events. It is a time of questioning and a time of “upset” I am sure, to most of us and we all have to integrate new fears, like the potential for Nuclear Fall-Out from the power…
Shumei Natural Agriculture & Growing Spaces
October 11, 2010
“The principle of Natural Agriculture is an overriding respect and concern for Nature,” stated Mokichi Okada in his book A Great Agricultural Revolution. This respect leads to minimum intervention in the growing processes. While many modern agricultural practices are based on a belief in the need to control and manipulate the growing process, Natural Agriculture…