7:00 am and you are watering the garden. Pulling some weeds, tilling the earth. She is ready.
When you get your hands into soil, things become intuitive. At some point, your fingers begin to work on autopilot, as if you know exactly what you’re doing without even thinking. Because some part of you feels like you’ve been here before. Because you have.
Do you remember?
This is nothing new.
You may work in silence but there is no absolute silence. Nature is very present. In a way as if to announce, “Be still. I am here.” But nature needs no introduction. We see it, we hear it, we feel it.
A squirrel in a tree squeaks and squalls as he tussles among the leaves of a branch, probably searching for a nut to add to his growing pile. Suddenly – swiftly – he is sitting. Perched. Silently staring. Observing what this human is doing in his domain. And the geese fly overhead, calling to one another to get their formation in order, struggling to do so, but almost sounding as if they are laughing about it.
The critters have risen to the surface of the earth, doing their early morning work. Frightening as they may be indoors, they are welcome here. They serve purpose here. The early birds are stalking along the grass and weeds, searching for the early worms. Their brothers, sisters, and distant cousins, a chorus of song in the background. The bees buzz from flower to flower, drunkenly feasting on pollen and nectar.
The sun rises higher.
Every flower, plant, and weed turns to face her, to reach her, to welcome her warmth. To tap into her source.
With arms outstretched to the heavens, feet firmly rooted in soil, a slight wiggle in your finger tips, you dip your head backwards to absorb the sun’s rays, taking a moment to breathe. You feel the crisp air filling your lungs as your chest gently rises. You hold. And then slowly release – allowing the tension from today’s labor to ease from your body. With intention, you bend your spine forward as you reach to meet your toes.
A bow to mother nature and all of her subjects. A salutation to the sun.
This is energy to soak in.
There’s nothing like soaking up the sun and stretching your body in one of your favorite places! I love practicing meditation and yoga in the garden because it increases my awareness and eases the tension built up in my body from the physical work that gardening involves. Garden work is absolutely labor. So it’s important for our bodies to release and reset. I hope you enjoyed this little poem about the ways that gardening helps me to stay in the moment and aware of the intricacies of nature. Below, I’ve shared one of my favorite videos for garden yoga! Check it out and remember to take care of your body and mind just as you do your plants ~ 🌱
Helena's Haven 