Meditation Garden — Create a Rejuvenating Oasis
A meditation garden can be an oasis from the hectic world in which we live. Gardening in itself can be an act of meditation. When done in a relaxing, peaceful setting, it is a great way to occupy the mind. As you work away in the garden, it also gives you time to think. Instead of engaging your thoughts, why not merely observe them? Perhaps your subconscious mind will show you something about yourself. Often worries, thoughts of the next meal, going back to work, and other future events preoccupy our minds. You can allow these thoughts to go as you continue your gardening.
You may find that after a while, the mind becomes a little quieter. When that happens, it’s a much-needed rest for your mind! Usually, it may feel like it’s running all day and night non-stop.
What is a Meditation Garden?
A meditation garden is a serene and peaceful place that you can create for yourself or your family. There are no definitive guidelines in designing it. Although it’s best to include as many natural elements as possible, also, a well-groomed area can be uplifting to the mind. It doesn’t have to be designed too orderly with straight lines and evenly divided—look to nature for inspiration!
Consider adding various aromatic flowers to your garden. One of my favourites is lilac. You could also grow wild strawberries, which can be wonderfully fragrant, and they are a food source for small animals.
Don’t forget the birds. Watching birds visit the bird feeder can also be a calming activity—especially hearing their beautiful songs. An excellent shrub to attract birds is sea buckthorn. It produces attractive orange berries that can remain on the tree into winter. Birds love to eat them, and they are very nutritious for humans too, although they are quite better and are best used to make jams or jellies.
Herbs for Meditation
If you love gardening and meditation, why not combine the two? A herb garden is an excellent culinary resource, but it can also be great for our minds.
Herbs for meditation are generally ones that produce a calming effect on our minds and bodies. Some herbs have sedative qualities and act as mild tranquillizers, while others may promote improved cognitive function. This helps facilitate us in achieving a deep, relaxing, meditative state. Generally, the herbs would be used to make tea and be drunk before starting a meditation session. It’s best to avoid caffeine or other overly stimulating herbs.
Tea for Meditation
By selecting the right herbs, we can use tea for meditation. All of the herbs listed here are easy to find at stores. One of my personal favourites to use is Tulsi.
- Holy basil (Tulsi) – Known as a meditation herb, it is widely used in India. Ancient Indian texts say it brings goodness, virtue, and joy.
- Chamomile – Produces a calming effect making it an excellent tea for meditation. It also acts as a mild tranquillizer and reduces anxiety—a great nightcap to take before bed.
- Sage – This is aptly named as it is used to stimulate the brain. It enhances cognitive function and memory. Sage tea relaxes the mind and also serves as a muscle relaxer.
- Thyme – Helps to ease headaches and muscle tension. Thyme has a stimulating effect on the brain. Thyme contains a compound called carvacrol, which can act as a natural tranquillizer. Thyme has a tonic effect on the entire nervous system.
Getting Started with Meditation
Meditation is a great way to reduce stress levels and have a more focused mind. It can also help us to appreciate our gardening practice better.
Meditation is a mental practice that is used to improve three main principles of your mind: awareness, concentration, observation. Using any of these aspects can be a form of meditation. They all have at least one thing in common: to concentrate, become more observant or increase our awareness; we need to have a clear mind. What is Meditation — Joel Durant.
If you’re interested in learning to meditate, you can check out the blog Astral Contemplation: Simple Meditation Techniques.