A squirrel enjoying breakfast.

No matter what the size, gardens help us to reconnect – with nature, with the earth, with our selves and our higher selves.  I love walking around my patio garden in the mornings, checking on each plant and seeing what is new. There is always something that has changed or that I am just now noticing since the time before.

I enjoy my garden at any time of day, but mornings are my favorite. There’s something about the stillness of the morning that speaks to me and allows me to just BE.  It’s as though I’m the only person around for miles…and I become one with the plants, insects, and other creatures. We feel a gentle breeze together. We hear the birds chirp. We are immortal and exist solely to be what we are as we drink in the first light of daybreak. It is a wonderful time of day!

A mint blossom getting ready to bloom.

Time spent in the garden, or in any place where nature is abundant, can help you strip off the day-to-day world and let you return to the truths of your being. All of a sudden you realize that you aren’t worried about that thing at work, or what Susie said to you last Saturday, or whether you are ever going to lose those last five pounds. You simply are. And what you are is wonderful.

Contemplate the miracle of life as you watch a caterpillar hatch from its egg. Look on with amazement at how a morning glory knows to open at the beginning of the day and close at the end. See if you can follow a trail of ants and figure out where they have come from and where they are going. Some of the simplest discoveries are the most enriching. And along the way, marvel in the fact that you are a part of it all.

Milkweed in bloom.

Although it’s not what most people think of when they hear the word meditation, I find that some of my best meditating and many deep insights come when the rest of my body is focused  on gardening. I think it’s because part of my mind has a task to focus on, which gets it out of the way and allows the rest of me to receive the information. If, like me, you have a mind that seems to run non-stop making sure you are prepared for every single minute of every day lest you forget something or are caught unawares, I suggest you try this technique; I think you will find it very rewarding! As an added benefit, once your mind becomes accustomed to feeling relaxed in your garden, it starts relaxing at other times as well. A very handy thing indeed!

The photos here are some of my most recent discoveries in my garden. I hope you enjoy them!

Colby Hall
Trinity Energy Progression Facilitator