Garden Meditation: Health and Healing Space

As many that do engage in active meditation and reflection well know, a personal meditation garden filled with various plant varieties serves as the perfect location for recharging and rejuvenating the mind, body and spirit. Research has revealed a link between nature and personal well-being. A recent study by the Center for Health Systems and Design at Texas A&M University found that “viewing natural scenes or elements fosters stress recovery by evoking positive feelings, reducing negative emotions, effectively holding attention/interest and blocking or reducing stressful thoughts. When viewing vegetation as opposed to urban scenes, test subjects exhibited lower alpha rates, which are associated with being wakefully relaxed.”

            Gardener’s Outpost, a garden center in Columbia created by owners Randall and Carol Isherwood, is a great place to find a large variety of plants and flowers perfectly suited for building the ideal meditation garden space. The Isherwoods cultivated the guiding principles used in the development of the unique garden center based upon their shared values and moral sense of responsibility expressed through tithing to the Earth by way of planting and Earth-friendly stewardship. They utilize natural and organic techniques that create beauty through the symbiotic, interconnected relationships in nature.

Some of the ideal plants and flowers for a meditation place include:

•          Lavender: Has a fresh and light fragrance. Soothing … not overwhelming.

•          Moon vine: Has large heart-shaped leaves. Covers areas in mass and can soften textures, like fences, for a sense of security and privacy. Blooms are white and have a glowing, mesmerizing effect in the evening.

•          Lush fern: Warm and inviting vegetation that grows lush and full.

•          Hostas: Large, lush leaves create a semitropical oasis; great for calming and inducing relaxation.

•          Elephant ears: Offers a tropical, calm oasis look. Calms and draws one in.

•          Japanese maples: Visually light and airy and simple. Opens one’s mental space; leaves open the conscience.

•          White and purple irises: The fragrance is awakening and vibrant. Have a “lifting effect”; raise one’s vibration due to the way they grow straight up out of the ground.

•          Clematis: Visually stimulating, soothing and relaxing, with a pop of color.

•          Mondo grass: Invites relaxation. Naturally wet in appearance, it is a wonderful hydration source.

            The garden meditation experience can also be enhanced by other items, such as smooth rocks, bamboo wind chimes and gentle water fountains—all to be found at Gardener’s Outpost. The Isherwoods are eager and ready to help Midlands area residents create a personally customized garden meditation space that helps them to relax, recharge, restore and rejuvenate!

Gardener’s Outpost is located at 709 Woodrow St., Columbia. For more information, call 803-252-0041 or visit GardenersOutpost.com.