The Benefits Of Engaging In National Garden Meditation Day

May 3 is National Garden Meditation Day, a holiday dedicated to recognizing the positive impacts of practicing mindfulness meditation while gardening. Spending time outdoors and being present in the moment can have a variety of benefits for mental and physical health. While these beneficial habits can make a difference in your mental health, an online or in-person therapist can offer further strategies to continue on the path to wellness.

What is National Garden Meditation Day?

National Garden Meditation Day is celebrated each year on May 3. The holiday is primarily intended to draw attention to the physical and mental health benefits of two activities that can both be impactful on their own but may have even more positive effects when combined: gardening and meditating. 

Meditative states can have a meaningful impact on various mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety. In addition, meditation can alleviate the symptoms of some physical health conditions as well, including chronic pain, cancer, diabetes, and immune illnesses, and may benefit relationships with friends and family. 

Gardening has also been linked to improved physical and mental health. You can reap the benefits of garden meditation every day by intentionally practicing meditative awareness while gardening. The next time you are out doing work in your garden, take a second to pause and be mindful of what is happening around you. How does the dirt feel under your fingers? What color combinations can you see in your flowers? Can you hear your garden wind chimes ringing in the breeze? Are there birds calling nearby?

Available ways to achieve inner peace by spending time in nature

If you do not have a space of your own for planting seeds and watching them grow, never fear. While there may be several mental health benefits associated with gardening specifically, many of those same benefits can be achieved simply by spending time outside in the fresh air. You do not have to be an experienced gardener to enjoy the relaxing benefits of nature; humans and nature have a long history together, after all!

Nature walks 

You do not necessarily need your own farm or even your own yard to enjoy spending time outside. Even in urban areas, many cities have designated spaces for parks, nature preserves, and botanical gardens. 

Community gardens

Community gardens are typically smaller spaces run by local nonprofits or community organizations. People interested in participating in community gardening can sign up to tend their own small plots or to work together on a larger, co-owned section of a community garden. Community garden plots can be used to grow ornamental plants like flowers, shrubs, and succulents or edible plants like fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

Even though community gardens are usually common spaces, they are often tucked away in quiet areas of a city or town that can be ideal for practicing a little bit of garden meditation. Regardless of whether you are able to use a community garden space for garden meditation, participating in a community garden can offer a number of other benefits:

• Allows for a low-pressure, low-stakes way of meeting and connecting with other people

• Creates a sense of community and belonging, which can be a defensive factor against several mental health disorders, particularly substance use disorders and addiction

• Provides a cost-effective way to gain fresh, locally-grown organic produce, which can often be of higher quality than the produce sold in grocery stores

• Offers an opportunity to incorporate physical activity and exercise into your day

• Provides the chance to learn skills from new people

• Can be environmentally sustainable, as growing food locally can produce less of a carbon footprint than transporting it from farther away

• May promote biodiversity, particularly by providing food and a safe haven for essential creatures like pollinators, including bees, moths, and hummingbirds 

Forest bathing

Although the term “forest bathing” may sound complicated, the activity tends to be quite straightforward. Forest bathing, based on the Japanese concept of shinrin-yoku, generally involves spending time in the natural world in a forest setting. There may be a catch, though: Forest bathing may only be beneficial if you fully immerse yourself in the forest experience, meaning that walking through a forest while you are scrolling on your phone probably will not do you very much good.

For this reason, forest bathing can be seen as distinct from other outdoor activities that may take place in a forest, such as hiking, cross-country skiing, mountain biking, or snowshoeing. Forest bathing usually involves walking at a leisurely pace while dedicating your focus to perceptions of the forest around you via all five of your senses. While forest bathing, you might ask yourself:

• What colors and shapes do I see around me? Do I see any wildlife?

• What sounds do I hear – birds chirping, twigs rustling, insects buzzing?

• What do I smell? Can I smell the pine, cedar, or birch trees, or the scent of nearby water?

• What do I feel? Does the air have a particular temperature on my skin? Is the ground mossy and spongy beneath my feet, or hard and rocky?

• Can I taste the cold in the air?

Mental and physical health benefits of getting fresh air

Whether you are camping, taking a moment for garden meditation, or strolling through your local public park on a nature walk, dedicating time to spend outdoors has historically benefitted mankind, simultaneously contributing to physical and mental well-being in many ways.

Potential physical health benefits

• Improves sleep

• Has a positive impact on balance and coordination

• Strengthens muscles

• Increases exposure to sunlight, which is often associated with higher levels of vitamin D, which may, in turn, be linked to production of serotonin, one of the body’s so-called “feel-good” hormones

• Stimulates the senses

• Increases overall endurance

• Helps the whole body relax 

Potential mental health benefits

• Enhances focus

• Reduces stress

• Alleviates symptoms of depression and boosts overall mood

• Improves memory, concentration, and other cognitive abilities

• Increases creativity

• Promotes a sense of curiosity

• Enhances problem-solving abilities

• Contributes to overall well-being

Taking the benefits of meditation gardens to the next level

Spending time in nature, gardening, and practicing reflection in meditative states can all be helpful ways of alleviating everyday stresses and worries. If you notice a positive change in your mental state after intentionally spending more time outside, you may be interested in building on those benefits by working with a mental health professional.

Benefits of online therapy

Traditional in-person therapy offices can have long waiting rooms and lengthy commutes, which may take up time that could be spent outside in your garden. If you are hoping for a more convenient way to avail of mental health support, online therapy could be a helpful alternative option. Since you can attend online therapy from the location of your choice, you might even connect with your therapist while sitting outdoors.

Effectiveness of online therapy

Researchers have found that there usually aren’t significant differences in efficacy between online and in-person therapy. One recent study found that completing a course of online therapy typically resulted in a number of positive mental health outcomes. If you are hoping to learn more strategies to further the calm found through garden meditation, consider speaking to an online therapist.