Step into the Garden of Mindfulness
Welcome to the Garden of Mindfulness!
Hello Mindfulness Community, I hope that you are all having a lovely day. It's been a long while since I've posted an icebreaker activity and I've been wanting to share something creative for everyone to join in with.
What is the Garden of Mindfulness? This is your own personal headspace, somewhere you can relax and feel completely at peace. Gardening can be linked to mindfulness as many people find it can be a great way to connect with the world around us, reducing our stress and anxiety as well as making a positive impact on the planet - and ourselves!
I thought that today we could think about what we would like in our own Gardens of Mindfulness: identify three key features that you would include in your garden, and tell us what they symbolise/mean to you!
I'm really looking forward to reading about what you'd have in your gardens! I've posted an example of what I'd choose below. Take care everyone :)
@peppermintlove
In my Garden of Mindfulness, I would have:
1) A koi pond. I've always found them to be a symbol of zen and tranquility, and I can imagine that it would be so relaxing to watch them swim around while practicing a breathing exercise.
2) White pebbles. I associate the colour white with peace and I think having them in my garden would be a calming addition!
3) A vegetable garden. Growing my own vegetables is something I love to do and I find that I'm in such a focused and positive state of mind when I'm taking care of my plants.
@peppermintlove oooo pretty garden
@KarrotCake
Thank you karrot! ❤
Tagging the community to join in:
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If it were a decorative garden, besides the plants I would like to include:
Boulders
A fire pit or a fire spot
Water
If it were a practical garden I would focus on the latin american recipe:
Grow corn, on the corn stems grows the beans, at the bottom grow the watermellons (or the same familly; squashes, pumpkind, cucumbers).
It is so frustrating when we have to limit to three things only😊😶
Very nice thread🤗ty
@freshFlower6438
Hiya, thank you for posting today!
Your garden sounds awesome :) I love the idea of having a fire pit, I can imagine it being lovely and warm to sit around, especially in the winter if you've got some hot chocolate nearby!
That's really cool, the Latin American recipe. Thank you for sharing it ❤
@peppermintlove
I also thank you for taking time to notice it. I thought about carving a fire pit in one of the boulders.
Also if space is small, few people think of using mirrors outdoors in the garden when they will give a magical effect.
There are sooo many things you can do with a garden...Maybe one day in life i will have my own.
@peppermintlove
In my garden
peppermint tea to help me mellow out
carrots to keep my eyes healthy so I can see clearly
peas because they enrich the soil and take nitrogen from air so they are environmentally friendly
@soulsings
Hi Soul, thank you for posting!
Peppermint tea is an excellent choice ❤ You've been really mindful about what you'd like to have in your garden, choosing things that will lead to a healthy lifestyle.
@peppermintlove
in my garden i would like to have a nice comfy chair or rather a hammock where i can sit or lay and just enjoy the breeze!
another feature would be some birds flying around. i really enjoy just watching birds from my balcony at home, it makes me feel relaxed for a bit!
my last feature would be no big background noises such as no one talking loudly on the phone or no one screaming and just some moments of focusing on the bird chirping and the wind and no human or technical noises. We are surrounded by sounds all the time!
@AveryLove
Avery! Thank you for posting today ❤
Your garden sounds so lovely, a comfy chair or hammock sounds absolutely perfect for relaxing :) And I agree, I enjoy watching birds fly around too! Your last feature is very thoughtful, having those noisy disruptions can really be an annoyance and can prevent us from enjoying a mindful experience. Having the time to focus on the pure unfiltered sounds of nature would be great!
@peppermintlove
moon blooming flowers - to remind me that there's time to be mindful and happy and enjoy life around the clock, not only when the sun shines! even when times are down, we can be up!
a comfortable lounge chair so I can sit outside in nature and enjoy the breeze
and a firepit since I love the smell and look of fire!
one extra, a fountain, since I love hearing the sound of moving water! If my place isn't already on the water somewhere!
@onwardforevenmore
Hello there, thank you so much for posting :)
Moon blooming flowers, how beautiful! And what a great message you've described with it ❤
A comfortable lounge chair sounds amazing to get some quality self-care time in. And I too love fire - there's so many sensory aspects that we can be mindful about: by watching the brightly coloured flames, listening to the crackling sounds, smelling that wonderful smoky scent. And the fountain would also be a pretty addition to your garden.
(Please don't mind me, but I like walking through your gardens people, it does me good...everything so nice...)
@freshFlower6438
Me too! It's lovely to read through everyone's descriptions and explore all the mindful gardens :) ❤
Three things I would like to have in my garden:
1. A water fountain because I find it relaxing to listen to the water sounds
2. A comfortable bench to sit on so that I can spend time enjoying my garden
3. Trees and bushes that create a natural privacy screen so that I can spend time alone re-energizing
@exuberantMaple397
Hello, thank you for posting! ❤
I also find it relaxing to listen to the sounds of water, it is so natural and soothing and your bench would be so great to sit down and enjoy your garden :) Great thinking with the trees and bushes too! Your garden would be a great place to practise mindfulness and have some time for yourself.
@peppermintlove wowzers
In my garder:
I loooove color: I so love seeing many different colors and shades of colors. Some colors do bring me joy or comfort. Some makes me go in "awe" as I wonder how they got this flower to look like that. Then my worries or hurts leave me.
Water fall or moving water: Water has always been a calming thing for me all my life. If my skin didn't wrinkle like an oldie I'd live in water. Something about the weightless feeling, or freedom or silence, the noice of running water is soothing
Smooth rocks: I so love to not wear shoes or sandals. I like to run my toes over surfaces outside especially surfaces that are cold. silly huh
@RumpleSteeleSkin
No, not silly, just plain nice😊
@RumpleSteeleSkin
Hey Rumple, thank you for posting! ❤
I am so happy that you've chosen colour as one of your features! I really appreciate colour too, it can generate lots of feelings and I too feel that I am in awe when I look at the detail that flowers have.
It's so relaxing that you've described water like that and I love the term 'weightless'. It makes me feel free and that sounds like the perfect thing for a mindfulness garden. Natural flowing water :)
And that's not silly at all! I would also have some smooth rocks in my garden, noticing the different textures on your toes is a great mindful experience. Thank you for sharing!
@peppermintlove thanks for doing this trip as it was a great reminder to get outside and enjoy nature
Amongst the various colourful plants, I would like to have:
- An automatic irrigation system that keeps the plants alive, healthy, and productive. If they bear food, they'll do so with minimal involvement from myself. That way, I'll have time to enjoy the actual scenery of the garden and not involve myself with its upkeep, since I have little energy for much these days. An alive garden is key to being able to enjoying a garden, after all. 
- A water fountain of some sort for the cool vapour it adds to the air, that rainfall scent it gives, and the soothing sounds it provides. Soothing music would be nice, as well.
- Privacy, whether it be through fencing or plant coverage, and hanging from whatever is providing the privacy - tiny fairy lights everywhere, so that I can enjoy the garden even in the dark.
@Zeraphim
Hi there, thank you for posting :) ❤
You've given a lot of thought to your answers and they are very insightful! The automatic irrigation system sounds super efficient so that you can enjoy your garden for yourself without having to be concerned about the maintenance of everything.
I like the soothing atmosphere with the sounds created by the fountain and the music, it sounds really lovely :) And privacy is important so that you can really enjoy your own space and practise mindfulness.