A Tranquil Meditation Garden

About a year and a half ago, I met a lovely woman in town by the name of Pat Caputo. Pat is the owner and founder of Whimsiquills.com, a company that provides quilling supplies to people worldwide. In fact, Pat’s been called the Mother of Quilling in North America because of her dedication to building her business as a service to others and of course because of her beautiful creations.

It was during our initial meeting and video interview that I learned that over the course of more than a dozen years, Pat had been creating a meditation garden in her backyard. It all began one year when her husband suffered some back problems and complications associated with them, and she wanted a clear a space in the woods in her back yard to practice Tai Chi.

Over the years, little by little, Pat relocated pine trees and rocks from other areas of the woods and she brought in new plants like a bamboo tree, a twisted pine, plants from friends, and clippings from the yard that happily planted roots in their new home under the forest canopy. She even created a mossy carpet by planting plugs of moss that spread and covered the forest floor. These days, Pat sits out on the bamboo bench with her dogs and reads or enjoys a cup of tea. You can see her garden in the video below:

At one of the entrances to the garden, Pat built a fishpond with several fish, including a coy that’s survived through many winters in its home and that has grown quite large. The pond was once a breakfast stop for a Blue Heron; however, now, a replica stands watch at a number of locations to keep the large birds from stopping by for a meal.

The sound of the water traveling into a smaller pond inside the garden to a smaller pond where a resident frog likes to hang out adds a soothing quality to the tranquil surroundings. I strongly believe in the healing power of the energetic life force generated by the Earth and the trees and they provide the most beneficial atmosphere to escape from the stress of everyday life and decompress. This is why I wanted to share Pat’s garden with you–and so did she. Because it’s a place to quiet and cleanse the mind, calm the body, and rejuvenate the spirit.

It’s so important for each of us to find our own version of Pat’s meditation garden where we can regularly hide out. For me, it's sitting on the back porch, either early in the morning, or later in the day when it's shaded, with an inspirational book. For you, it may be napping in a hammock, reading a book at a local park, a walk, or strolling along quiet beach. Whatever it is, it’s equally as important as a healthy diet to staying healthy, strong, focused, and calm.

What is this place for you?

Lessons From an Inchworm

Yesterday, I mentioned that one of the things that I am grateful for are my quiet mornings in the backyard. With the nice weather here, I am finding more and more that I will take the opportunity to spend time there, even with my computer to do work. Just sitting under the tree alone helps me feel more connected to nature and makes doing anything more enjoyable. But what is it about nature that inspires me? Is it the colors, the sounds, the tranquility, the beauty? Certainly all of those things come to mind and have a calming yet positive influence over me. But I’ve also come to realize it’s the abundance of energy as well. By discovering some of the organisms present, even in the backyard, I’ve concluded that the energy in nature exerts enormous influence. It’s infinite: there are birds of all kinds, squirrels, chipmunks. Bugs galore, many that I’ve just recently discovered here, including this adorable inchworm (more on the millimeter scale) that made its way down my computer screen and onto the keyboard.

I was fascinated by its determination. And then there are the plants and trees and the infinite number of microorganisms found in and above the soil. In fact, in Bernard Dixon’s book, Power Unseen, How Microbes Rule the World, he says that “The powerful work of microbes in the soil is essential to the existence of life itself...life as we know it would simply not be possible without their assistance.” So, too, there is a staggering amount of activity and life happening around us that we can’t even see. All of it, though, I believe is in the form of pure, positive energy, without attitude, without baggage. With a simple purpose. Life’s only pursuit in nature is to thrive and proliferate and when we submerge ourselves in that atmosphere (with a continuous supply of fresh oxygen produced from trees and plants), we can’t help but feel energized and refreshed. It helps to clear my head to make room for new ideas and at the same time lift my spirits. Its contribution is unconditional. It never fails because it knows no other way and it is undeterred from the influences of you or me. So whenever possible, take a break from behind the four walls. Sit, read, meditate, walk or even try doing some work in nature. You’ll be grateful for the benefits.