Photographing flowers and bees—and particularly bees on flowers—is part hobby, part therapy for islander Cindy Dorman. After she suffered a mild traumatic brain injury in a car accident in 2013, Dorman attended a seminar on mindfulness at the Dayaalu Center, taught by Dr. Cezanne Allen, to help calm her senses. The mindfulness-based stress reduction practice helps Dorman, a former internist, to peacefully refocus her mind by directing her to notice delicate details, such as those found on flowers. Dorman hones her photography skills at capturing the bees and blooms by observing the flowers around her home at Grow or while strolling in town with her dog, Chewy. “Sometimes I’ll follow one of the slower bees around until I get the right shot,” said Dorman. “I wasn’t always the most patient person, but you have to be to do this.” Dorman noted that this particular flower is an echinacea, a plant known for its healing properties. We think that’s the bee’s knees.
