Whenever you’ve been listening to a great deal of negativity… you need to refresh yourself before you do anything else. – Thich Nhat Hanh. @thichnhathanhquotecollective #thay #negativity #grounding #refresh #mindfulness #thichnhathanh #buddhistquotes #thichnhathanhquotecollective #thichnhathanhquotes

As Thay says above, we need to refresh/be mindful what better place than ..

The Garden of Mindfulness 03.10.20

I have a large bedroom. large enough that I can have a two seater couch and side table as well as Queen Bed and bedside tables. So I spend a fair bit of time in my room..

I have a small verandah outside my bedroom about 3.5m x 1.5 m. A couple of years ago I decided to make small potted garden out there, with my favourite plants – a few varieties of Pothos, Sword ferns, Monstera, Elephant Ears, Geraniums for spot of colour and the odd crystal and statue, hidden amongst the leaves.. I wanted the sword ferns raised to railing height so when I looked out my window I don’t see houses and people’s backyards, I just see a small wannabe rainforest.

I call some of the pots I’ve created ‘living art’ and below is a pic of what I see looking out the window…

I call it the Garden Of Mindfulness, each day because it’s all potted they usually get a small drink by watering can and I sweep the tiles if needed and trim off any browning leaves etc. I am mindful that you must maintain a ‘indoor’ garden so over the years of gardening, I am already being mindful, focusing on maintaining the plants lives etc.

Being 2020 the year of COVID-19 and lockdowns all over the world, Walking Meditation became a bit of an obstacle, so I wasn’t worried, besides my own back garden I also have my Mindfulness Garden to escape to and get that walking in nature (walking Meditation) feel when I really need to feel mindfulness and breathe, I go to m=The Mindfulness Garden for my sojourn into nature without leaving the safety of my home.

I have found it to be a real life saver for me, watching the new leaf of a Monstera unfurl is a moment of mindfulness in itself.. I can simply look out my window and be reminded that I want to be mindful. I am reminded to come back to myself and lose those unwanted feelings of anger, sadness, fear, social loneliness and whatever else affects us during these crazy Coronavirus days.

With the fact the garden on the verandah is so small I still managed with thought and patience to grow a little Mindfulness Sanctuary for myself, a place to retreat and gather self and thoughts and feed the wild birds and cockatoos that come to visit each day. 
Perhaps some of you would benefit from doing the same..