Tending the Garden of the Mind

 Tending the Garden of the Mind

Written by Dani Mortimer, BSiHS, PIM Admin

Our well-being is like a garden.

All of its elements, including physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual, are inextricably connected. The soil, the water, the sun, and the air work together to provide the conditions for life.

Just as we tend a garden, we must tend to ourselves. With a gentle push we plant our seeds in the soil. We relish in the sunlight as we absorb its nutrients. We give thanks to the clouds and rain so they may shade our hot leaves and soak our roots.

This metaphor encapsulates the holistic approach of integrative care. We are not fragmented beings. We are not broken. We are a whole, intricate system of life. We are each our own unique landscape.

YOU are your own gardener. You may choose which weeds to pluck, which seeds to plant and nourish. You may learn your own weather patterns and even begin to anticipate them! Are clouds appearing in your mind? Is a storm coming? Maybe it is time to fasten the shutters and shelter inside for a while. 

You are your own expert. We are simply here to walk beside you and support you through this healing journey. We are here to help you discover your own personal balance.

Below we invite you to consider some of the elements of your garden and ways you may begin to restore balance within your own unique landscape.

1. Nourish Your Soil

The soil is where it all begins. I like to think of it as the “fertile void,” the space where all creation can germinate. The space where you can plant any seed you desire. The soil has unlimited potential, and as a gardener, we can provide it with the nutrients it needs to grow life.

Some of these nutrients are needed for our minds and bodies to function properly. Our Philadelphia Integrative Medicine providers can order tests to determine which nutrients you may be deficient in, and that is when supplementation can help. If you’ve watched any documentaries on our food system recently, you are probably aware that the soil in which our food is grown is often nutrient depleted. This means our food contains less nutrients than it did in the past. If you are able, you may consider purchasing organic foods (which often have less pesticides) or even go to your local farmer’s market. Many farmer’s markets are now accepting EBT cards as well. 

When our brains and bodies have the nutrients they need, then we have the ability to grow and thrive.

Nourishing your soil does not only include physical nutrients, there is a fertile void within the heart, soul, and mind as well. There is a powerful space from which feelings and ideas sprout. To nourish the soil of your mind, it can be helpful to find a quiet space to connect with the source of this energy. If you have ever felt a spontaneous sensation of love, peace, forgiveness, or hope, try to remember that feeling and imagine where it came from. Feel where this energy appears in your body. It may be helpful at first to follow a guided meditation.

You can think of this peaceful source energy as the rich earth in which to plant your most beautiful ideas (or maybe the seed is there already, you just give it the space to sprout!)

2. The Sun and the Clouds

I don’t think any of us underestimate the power of the sun. We know just how important it is for ourselves and the organisms around us. Just as the plants absorb sunlight for food, our own bodies need sunlight for Vitamin D synthesis. When we bask in the sunlight we often feel a warm peace and sense of contentment. Seedlings also follow the sunlight to know which direction to grow in and plants (think sunflowers) will even track the sun across the sky.

But what about the cloudy days? I think we all can agree that sometimes our minds don’t feel like a clear, sunny sky. But the clouds are important too! They carry the rain which waters our roots and give us respite from the hot sun. Not every day has to be sunny, sometimes we can learn to find peace in the clouds and the rain.

3. Weeding the Garden

While I personally don’t think any plant is a weed (even dandelions are full of powerful medicinal components), I do appreciate the analogy of weeding the garden of the mind.

There may be some things we’ve planted long ago that grew and took over, and while they may have been beautiful or useful before, maybe they are no longer needed. Certain defense mechanisms can protect us when we are in stressful situations and it can be hard to leave them behind, even when we are finally in a safe space. Taking inventory of what’s in our gardens, what should be removed, and what should be kept is an essential part of being a gardener and allows us to create a space which reflects our personal goals and aesthetics. 

Maybe there’s a tomato plant that grew large, but you found out you have a sensitivity to nightshades! Time to pull it up and plant something else that feels nourishing to you. Maybe there’s a seed you planted (an idea or creation) that you want to continue to strengthen. By pulling up weeds around it (like anxious thoughts, doubts, hesitations) you can actually give it more space to grow.

4. Water your Roots

Plants live as much underground as they do above. Their roots are often as big as their branches. There are many times, especially in our society today, where we get caught up in the branches. The successes, the careers, the outward appearances we show to the world. When we focus only on what’s above ground and neglect the foundation on which we stand, then it is easy to topple.

Not that toppling is bad so to say, for it allows us to break down and start new. The Hindu goddess Kali teaches us this as goddess of destruction, another word for change.

But when we want to stand firmly, grounded in peace, we must water our roots.  This may look like spending time with family, taking an epsom salt bath, doing grounding yoga poses, exercising, practicing shinrin-roku (forest bathing), or spending time with a therapist to release emotional blockages and build healthy mental and emotional practices. There are many different types of therapies and each person has their own unique needs. Take some time to sit in silence and listen to what your heart tells you is right for you.

5. Allowing Space and Time

While some changes in nature are swift, like a hurricane or fire, many of nature’s processes need ample space and time. And in the aftermath of some strong force of nature, be it environmental or emotional, there is a steady progression of re-building that takes place. It does not happen all at once. 

There can be perceived pressure, be it from peers, family, or society, to fill all our “empty” space with something “productive.” Other cultures know the importance of siestas, a space that is meant for rejuvenation, a space to simply be. 

This can be as simple as enjoying your morning cup of coffee. Don’t catch up on emails while you drink it, just sit with it and give yourself space to enjoy. And know that the changes you make in your life need time. A tree does not bear fruit right after it's planted. Everything happens in its own season, at its own time. 

You will find that “empty” space is not empty at all. It may even feel more full than the things you thought were productive. 

 Remember…

You are the gardener of your Self and your life. You are not an illness. You are not broken. There is nothing you need to “fix.” You are in relationship with the soil, the water, the sun, and the air. You thrive within the vastness of space and time. And if you ever need a hand to support you in this journey, we are here for you.

PIM wants to hear from you! We want to partner with you and to know you. Did this article touch you in any way? Share your thoughts in the comments below or on our Facebook and Instagram.

At Philadelphia Integrative Medicine, we address mood and hormonal balance, optimum daily energy, thyroid health, gastrointestinal conditions, bone health and much more. Allow us to help you rediscover your health. Schedule a 20-minute free consultation with Lynda Sherland, CRNP, FNP-C or Veronica Porterfield, PA-C today. All Philadelphia Integrative Medicine providers are accepting new patients, including Georgia Tetlow, MD, ABOIM, ABPMR, IFMCP. Not quite ready to schedule and have questions? Easily get in touch with us today.

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