Creating A Meditation Garden – Do you find it difficult to channel your inner zen? Peace and tranquility may seem to be in short supply these days, but gardening improves mental health and provides a great break from the relentless news cycles and stressful state of the world. While any chance to put your hands in the ground can improve your mood, one form of gardening aims to restore your balance and encourage you to embark on a journey towards enlightenment: Zen gardens.
Originally created by Japanese Buddhist monks as places for meditation, Zen gardens are spaces of peace and tranquility. Calming, natural scenes filled with symbolism invite reflection and contemplation. While Western gardens excite the senses with vibrant colors, colors, textures and decorative elements, Zen gardens provide a calming atmosphere that allows for a journey of self-discovery.
Creating A Meditation Garden
In fact, Zen Buddhists believe that contemplation and mediation are tools in the quest for self-knowledge. Zen Master Gardeners design spaces that clear the mind, creating the ideal environment for reflection and embracing the path to enlightenment.
How To Design A Peaceful Meditation Garden
While Japanese gardens feature beautiful plants, winding paths, and beautiful water features, the traditional Zen garden, known as Karesansui, is a minimalist, dry landscape consisting of natural elements—rocks, gravel, sand, and wood—with few plants and without water. Zen gardens eschew man-made objects, instead using natural elements to create a beautiful, light-reflecting space. Typically a Zen garden is surrounded by a wall, fence or hedge, providing a private space away from the distractions of the outside world.
Rocks, gravel, sand and minimal plants are placed throughout the space to tell a story using the 7 core principles of Zen design:
The stones represent the enduring elements of nature and the desire for eternity. The gravel and sand scattered in patterns resemble water: the wavy patterns imitate the flow of rivers, and the lines surrounding large rocks cause ripples in the water. Patterns painted on sand or gravel represent the season or mood. The real art of raking gravel or sand is part of the meditative process and helps improve mental concentration. A metal rake with fine teeth is used for smoothing sand or gravel, while a rake with wide teeth is used for drawing patterns. Straight lines reflect serenity, guiding the eye through the landscape, while wavy lines create flow through the garden. Using a rake you can create complex structures.
The patterns in a Zen garden create an ever-changing scene that is visually appealing. Early morning and evening sun brings out textures and patterns, while moonlight gives the garden an ethereal look. Moonlight meditation in a Zen garden can bring back sweet dreams.
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Zen Buddhism requires that every task be done with love. It is believed that love and care put into, for example, raking gravel or clearing away fallen leaves will create a calm and welcoming atmosphere in the garden and the gardener.
While most gardeners can’t wait to fill their gardens with vibrant flowers and gorgeous foliage, Zen gardening uses plants more selectively and sparingly. A lone, shiny, weeping cherry tree to admire and contemplate as it changes with the seasons, or a natural ground cover of moss, are the plants you love most in a Zen garden. In fact, the Saihoji Moss Garden contains over 40 different mosses, creating an atmosphere of peace and tranquility. Small-leaved azaleas tolerate severe pruning, making them popular in Zen gardens because they form cloud-like mounds. Groups of evergreen shrubs are often pruned to resemble the outline of a group of trees.
Every element of a Zen garden tells a story. In fact, symbolism is used to visually remind the average person of their place in the universe. The numbers 3, 5 and 7 are considered auspicious by Japanese gardeners, and stones are often grouped into auspicious groups. Ryoanji is famous for its composition of 15 stones in a 7:5:3 ratio, which is believed to represent the Buddhist tale of a tigress carrying her cubs across the water.
Along with numbers, symbolism permeates all elements of a Zen garden. Stones placed vertically represent the sky, while stones with break lines pointing horizontally represent the earth. The stones placed diagonally symbolize humanity.
Zen Garden Ideas To Create A Calming And Tranquil Landscape
Sand or gravel represents an empty mind, which then turns into whirlpools, reminiscent of water swirling around rocks and islands, or forming waves to represent rivers. While water is a vital element in Japanese gardens, in a dry Zen garden it is symbolized by gravel, which imitates the energy of real water. The location of the “rivers” is important because traditionally dry rivers flow from east to south to west.
Although each plant is used selectively, it is chosen carefully as it is a symbolic addition to the garden. Pines are one of the most revered trees. Beloved for their bark that resembles dragon scales, pine trees symbolize longevity. In fact, pine trees, plum trees and peaches are known as the Trees of Life. Plum blossoms symbolize the beginning of the Japanese New Year, representing the quiet strength to survive the winter. Acers are often included in Zen gardens, representing the fresh spirit of spring as well as the richness of the shortening days of autumn. A stunning Japanese maple with lacy leaves makes a wonderful addition to a Zen garden.
If you think you don’t have room for a Zen garden, think again. A side yard, small patio, or a nice corner of the back garden would be the perfect place to create your sanctuary. The space doesn’t have to be big: in fact, starting small can make the space more manageable and enjoyable as you learn more about creating a thoughtful space. The goal is to relax, unwind, refresh and rejuvenate in a Zen garden rather than worrying about weeds.
Ah…don’t you feel better after spending time in the calming, reflective space of your new Zen garden?
How To Set Up An Outdoor Meditation Space — Alo Moves
“This post on Zen gardening is provided as an educational/inspirational service to the National Garden Bureau and our members. Please credit and give credit to the National Garden Bureau and the author member when using all or part of this article.”
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Katherine (Kathy) Pittman is a decor and plant expert. She has over five years of experience in the lifestyle, fashion and beauty industries. Previously, she was the executive assistant to the editor-in-chief of O, The Oprah Magazine. Her work has appeared in Byrdie, O, The Oprah Magazine, OprahMag.com and other publications.
Have you ever felt that it is impossible to find a moment of peace, even if you are in your own home? You are not alone. Connecting with nature is a wonderful way to find calm in the chaos of your life, but for those of us who live in big cities, finding a relaxing green space isn’t always easy.
How To Create A Meditation Garden
A meditation garden is a great way to connect with nature and be in a calm, quiet environment. If you meditate or pray, a garden can be a safe and relaxing place where you can de-stress and focus on your practice while surrounded by beautiful greenery.
Although meditation gardens are similar to traditional Japanese Zen gardens, they have some differences. Zen gardens tend to focus more on the principles of simplicity, naturalness, and asceticism to aid in the practice of meditation. Meditation gardens are obviously used for the same purpose, but they focus more on what a person wants than on these three principles.
If you are interested in creating your own meditation garden, even if you live in a small space or don’t have your own outdoor area. The key is to create a safe, relaxing space for yourself where you can connect with nature and relieve stress. Here are 10 ideas for creating your own meditation garden.
If you’re lucky enough to have a larger outdoor space, consider making your meditation garden multifunctional. This space features comfortable seating, relaxing water features and gorgeous greenery, as well as a grill for cooking and other gatherings.
How To Create An Outdoor Meditation Space
Not everyone has an outdoor space to work in, but most of us have a nook in our living space where we can go to relax and hang out with our favorite houseplants. Add a comfy chair and pillows to the space, fill it with plants, and take a few minutes each morning or evening to soak it all up.
Plants and trees may not be green all year round, but they still add a little life to the front of your home, even if they are leafless. By adding a simple garden seating and cushions to a corner of your lawn, you can create a comfortable and quiet space to enjoy the changing foliage and fresh air as the seasons change.
If you can, attach a set of string lights to your favorite tree in your yard to provide soft lighting at sunset. Cafe lights are a little brighter than string lights, but they are not as harsh as spotlights or other lights that are attached to the outside of your home. Plus, these soft chairs are the perfect place to sit.