May 3rd is Garden Meditation Day

Greetings Readers! 

May 3rd is Garden Meditation Day! In this week’s blog, we will be discussing how merging gardening and meditation can decrease stress levels, help with physical health, and help with mental health. Before we get started here are this week’s affirmations: 

  1. Today is a good day, to have a good day.  
  2. I create happiness and opportunities wherever I go. 
  3. Every day is a fresh start with a new beginning to make my own. 
  4. I am in charge of how I feel, and I choose to be positive today. 

In January we encouraged all of you to start a garden of your own. We shared 6 easy start-up tips to begin your own garden. If you need a refresher or want to check it out look back at  January 2022 CARE blog post. If you joined in on creating a garden here is how you can utilize that space to practice some mediation tips! If you don’t have a garden yet, no worries feel free to cruise through a local park, or visit your local garden, if you know someone with a garden pay a visit and enjoy the benefits. Below are some physical, emotional, and mental health benefits  from garden meditation: 

  • Exposure to vitamin D

  • Mood-boosters 

  • Aerobic exercise

  • Combat loneliness

  • Healthy eating

Meditation doesn’t always have to take place cross-legged on the floor in a dark room. Working in the garden, tending to the plants and flowers, or resting quietly on a bench all count as meditation because they are restorative to the soul and a refreshing way to embrace nature. Mental Health is as important as physical health. The CARE Coalition is passionate about mental and wishes to provide resources on mindfulness and mental health! Check out our Soothing  Place on our website!

Check out these local gardens for inspiration: 

  1. Desert Botanical Garden- 1201 N Galvin Pkwy, Phoenix, AZ 85008 (Open from 8am-9pm)
  2. Glendale Xeriscape Garden- 5959 W Brown St, Glendale, AZ 85302 (Open from 9am-5pm)
  3. The Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix- 1125 N 3rd Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85003 (Open  from 9am-4pm)

Here’s how YOU can be a Prevention Partner: 

  • Visit CARE’s Soothing Place tab on our website to dig deeper into mental health and find more information and resources.
  • Share a picture to our social medial platforms about what your day looked like in a  garden while meditating.