May You Plant the Idea
May is the most wonderful time of year for gardeners. Sinking your hands into the warm, rich-smelling earth is a much-anticipated event after a cold, lifeless winter. I never tire of getting my hands dirty when I am working in the garden. It becomes part of me in a magical, meditative way. Time becomes abstract and my mind wanders in all sorts of wonderful directions. It wasn’t until I started learning and practicing different types of meditation, that I realized gardening is a form of meditation for me and probably many others whether they realize it or not. I’ve since taken a non-traditional approach to meditation and encourage people who struggle with meditation to find that one thing that completely immerses them causing them to get swept away and lose track of time. That’s your sweet spot. That is the feeling you want to achieve when you meditate. Even though your mind may be thinking about various things, your hands are busy at work creating and cultivating. Your mind, while engaged in one activity that you enjoy, becomes open to new ideas, solutions, and inspiring motivations. I have a hard time sitting still for any length of time, so if I can multi-task and meditate at the same time, it’s a win-win for me.
Fill Up Your Senses
When I meditate, I prefer to fill up my senses. I use aromatherapy such as burning incense or diffusing essential oils. I get comfortable in my Reiki room and sit in a comfy chair after wrapping myself up in fluffy blankets. I listen to meditative music or sounds of nature and just go where the meditation takes me. When the weather is warmer, I prefer to do this outside where I can feel the sun on my body, hear the birds and the babbling brook, and take in any of the scents of the plants around me. If this sounds like a tiny slice of heaven, you can easily create it for yourself. There is only one rule: there are no rules!
Whatever works for you is what is best. Try not to conform to what other meditators tell you should do or not do. The secret is to not think of it as meditation. Just think of it as a well-deserved time out to connect with your heart and Mother Nature. There is no right or wrong way to do this and don’t get caught up on the amount of time you spend. If all you have is 3 minutes, then immerse yourself in those few minutes. Eventually, your meditations may get longer and deeper if you enjoy it and make it a self-care habit.
By creating a space that feels “home” to you, you will naturally want to surround yourself in it. When I owned my own property, being in my garden was the first and last thing I did each day. It was a sacred time for me and tending to my garden created a sense of tranquility that I have yet to duplicate. Now that I live in an apartment, I have had to downscale my gardens, but I still plant one every year regardless of how small. Vegetable gardens are awesome, but they are a lot of work. If you want to get your hands dirty and create some connections, I suggest planting an herb garden. Start with a small patch of earth that gets ample sunshine or try container gardening if you have a nice spot on your deck or porch. Container gardens can be stunning and practical, so don’t dismiss the idea as cheating. I plant many of my herbs in window boxes or pots and keep them on my porch, so I can tend to them easily.
Herbs For A Reason
Before you say that you don’t know anything about herbs or you don’t use them, think again. Most of us cook with dried herbs every day and even if perchance you don’t, the smell and energetic value of fresh plants are well worth experiencing. I can’t walk by an herb without running my fingers over it and smelling its powerful scent. By adding some flowering herbs, you are bound to create a beautiful spot to gather your thoughts and enjoy some peace.
Herbs aren’t very demanding. If you tend to their needs, they will tend to yours. Since our growing season is so short in New England, I recommend buying mature plants at your local nursery to get the most enjoyment out of the season. Start off with a few culinary herbs such as basil, rosemary, oregano, sage, and lemon thyme. Sprinkle in some lavender, calendula if you can find it, lemon balm, bee balm, mint, and chamomile. Some of these plants are annuals while others are perennials, so keep that in mind when you plant them. You will also need to be mindful of the height differences between them and plant accordingly. You don’t want bee balm, which is a perennial, to be planted in the front of your garden because they grow much higher than the other plants and will creep within three years to make more plants. When I planted my first garden, I planted things with an idea of what it would look like once it matured after a few years but soon realized that it became more of a landing zone for all the variety of plants I bought. Once the plants matured and multiplied, I dug them up and created new gardens. It became known as my gathering garden, which exploded with depth and beautiful colors. The bird, bees, and butterflies love visiting gardens, so that is another added benefit to growing one and a feature that brings an extra bit of joy into my life.
If You Plant Them, They Will Grow
It is worth taking a bit of time to plan your garden. Familiarize yourself with each plant and what care each one needs to stay healthy. Then pick your spot. You may choose different plants altogether or just a few of them. If you take care of them, they will grow. Some will come back and some won’t. Next year you may move things around or make the garden bigger by adding other plants. Just have fun experimenting and learning. If gardening suits your meditative fancy, then you will naturally crave more interaction with the plants and your time with them. You will learn by doing thus creating opportunities to enhance your plant knowledge and all the other ways these plants can serve you and your loved ones.
Now go get those hands dirty and clean out your thoughts!