Customer Service Place an Ad Become a Carrier Contact Us About Us Mobile Edition E-Mail Updates Report Cancellation Submit Milestone
| Subscribe Now Customer Service Place an Ad Become a Carrier Contact Us About Us Mobile Edition E-Mail Updates Report Cancellation Submit Milestone
|
 |
 |
|
Weather  Calendar Obituaries Classifieds Jobs Autos Homes Rentals Coupons Ad Center Gift Finder |
Bloomington-Normal, Illinois
|
Home News Sports
Free Time Life Money Nation/World Opinion Blogs/Columns Archives Site Map |
| LifeFriday, October 5, 2007 9:32 AM CDT |
 Comments (1) |  E-mail this page |  Print this page |  Enlarge type |  Reduce type |  Search archives |  RSS feeds |  Add to My Yahoo! |
Garden meditation offers spiritual wellness & clarity
It's about the journey, not the weeds. The purpose of a labyrinth is to help erase the distractions of the day, calm you and bring you a sense of clarity. That's one of the lessons the psychotherapist and master gardener hopes to teach when she co-hosts a spiritual wellness retreat Oct. 12-13 at her Bloomington home, where paths lead to 12 themed gardens. But she doesn't expect people to be chatting about her ferns or the water spilling over boulders in the water pond. This is a silent retreat. Visitors can wander the gardens Oct. 13 or sign up for the two-day option, which includes tai chi, journaling, mandala making, relaxation exercises and individual therapy sessions with sand play and energy healing. Usually, Griffith starts her day with a garden meditation, carrying a cup of coffee among the coneflowers and hostas. She's out there even in the winter, and if it snows she trudges across the backyard in cross-country skis. Of course, when her children were still at home, she didn't have time for meditation, she said, but as a retired professor she often finds insight in her own backyard. Margaret Kelly, who will lead the retreat with her, believes nature, with its natural rhythms and ordinary miracles, can help us heal our body, mind and spirit. She lives across from the Miller Park Zoo and finds the trees, birds, even the howling of wolves, calming. "Nature has a way of getting us grounded," she said. "It has a soothing, calming effect. The whole feast for the senses is very peaceful." As a spiritual director, she encourages clients to think about tending the garden of their soul, even letting weeds grow among the flowers. "Not to get carried away with imagery but there's a place for weeds too," she said. "And sometimes we need to let them be until it's time to remove them." Visitors to Griffith's garden will find a few weeds competing with the dill and thyme in the herb garden or joining the ornamental grasses. But she doesn't worry about them, or edging the beds or paths that lead from one garden to the next. "Some people want this neat and clean, and life isn't that way," she said, as the late afternoon sunlight turned sycamore leaves lime green. In her practice, she's often asked about the meaning of life. She encourages meditation, and nature is the perfect place to take a time out, she said, as she walked along a pebbled path lined by nasturtiums. Strolling through her gardens feels like a Sunday afternoon walk in the woods. That's intentional, she said. "You slow down. That's the beauty of it. Sometimes I have to force myself not to trim or deadhead. You're just in the garden." A natural rise in the landscape spurred the idea for a trail that starts with redbuds and dogwoods and ends with Colorado aspens and blue spruce. In each garden, there's a place to rest, whether it's a simple chair or a stone or wooden bench. It seems like all gardens lead to the labyrinth, seven concentric circles protected from the rest of the world by sky-high arborvitae. The retreat will be a silent one. No small talk, no polite conversations. No chiming cell phones. And if it rains? "They can bring their umbrellas," Griffith said, smiling. RetreatWhat: Silent Spiritual Wellness Retreat When: Oct. 12-13 Where: Mariellen Griffith's garden, Bloomington Leaders: Mariellen Griffith, marital and family therapist and energy healer, and Margaret Kelly, spiritual director and reiki practitioner Cost: $25 for Saturday garden meditation only; $145 for two-day retreat, which includes individual therapy sessions Contact: (309) 378-3020 Meditative spacesEven during the fall and winter, gardens can be calming. Here are some tips on how to create a meditative space: • Privacy is important; choose an area with shrubs or trees that provide a screen and reduce noise. • Rectangular areas give a feeling of enclosure and security; circles represent fullness and unity. • Use mulch on pathways; rock is too noisy. • A place to sit is important; include a bench or just a chair. • Add wind chimes. • The best feature may be water, the symbol of life energy. Water offers soothing sounds, shimmering reflections and inspiring creatures like dragonflies. • Choose plants that are fragrant, colorful, soft to the touch and attract wildlife. Simple, bold mass plantings are more comforting than a mix of varieties. Avoid anything with thorns. • Take a journal along and draw or write what your senses are telling you. • Visit during different times of day; start out with a cup of coffee in the morning; go out on a starry night. • If it's raining, visit with your umbrella. • Avoid the temptation to garden while you're there, and allow the plants to dominate. Leave the weeds alone. SOURCES: Mariellen Griffith, McClatchy-Tribune Newspapers, www.pallensmith.com E-mail this story | Print this story | Search archives | RSS Show comments |  Hide comments | Hide comments on all stories |
|
|||||||||
|
 |
|
Top of Page | Home | News | Sports | Free Time | Life | Money | Nation/World | Opinion | Blogs/Columns | Archives | Site Map | RSS
Customer Service | 301 W. Washington St., PO Box 2907, Bloomington, IL 61701-2907 | Ph. 309-829-9000 | 800-747-7323
Copyright © 2009, Pantagraph Publishing Co. and Lee Enterprises. All rights reserved. | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
|
