The Mindful Garden by Rebecca Gomes
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a garden? What kind of images are conjured up? Perhaps, even emotions are stirred because of the garden you watched your grandma tend to when you were a child. Whether we have grown up with a garden or not, they evoke something in us that seems to draw us to them.
I have never considered myself to have a green thumb, even though I have been studying herbs since 1996. But taking care of plants was very intimidating to me. I was afraid…like afraid to pick up a baby type of fear! I just knew I would “drop it” or give it too much of this or too little of that. And I felt this way because, well, I DID tend to give too much or too little, resulting in another dead plant. I lost confidence and was satisfied to use store bought herbs for my teas and tinctures. But then as my life shifted and I moved to Germany, it was about 150 square meters of land in the back of my house that changed my perspective on everything! Here was a space that screamed for attention.
Before my husband purchased this house it had been empty for quite a while. The backyard was a jungle! One couldn’t see that now, but the work that had to be put into cleanup and recovery! Talk about blood, sweat, and tears! But you know what, it was not the only thing that was screaming for attention. My life had taken some surprising turns, and I found myself in my early forties facing changes that I wasn’t prepared for. My body was changing, I was far from my family and all things familiar, and for a time I felt quite lost. I didn’t know what to do with myself. And it was during these challenges that we began to shape our garden. Planting seeds in the hope that something beautiful would grow…. Just like life…planting seeds and hoping for the best.
I am not a professional herbalist and claim no authority in giving medical advice. But I want to share what I have learned from the lessons my garden has given me. And encourage others to see their gardens as a place to not only grow your own medicine and food, but also a place to pray, to celebrate, to grieve, to learn how to take better care of ourselves and our families.
So, what do I have in store for you? Keeping in the same spirit as Mindfully Carly, where we learn how to be more mindful in our daily life. At the Mindful Garden we will be relating to the environment itself. What can we learn from the hard work and discipline it takes to keep a garden? What can we learn from the animal life that thrives around it? How can we tune in to the energies of the garden and make it a sacred space? We will talk about how keeping a garden, no matter the size or style, can bring health and balance, both physically and spiritually.
