GARDEN THERAPY
April 15, 2008
In celebration of the long-awaited arrival of spring, I think we should have a little fun in this month's column. So let's forget S.O.S., head on out to the garden and discover the healing powers of dirt!
Gardening is an addiction that catches on fast and holds on tight. But unlike so many other habits out there, gardening is good for us!
Exercise & Fresh Air - Gardening gets us off our butts and outside, where we can enjoy the fresh air and get some much-needed exercise. Consider a few stretches to get ready for your backyard hours . . . Suzanne Martin offers some great gardening stretches in her book, Stretching.
Respite & Relief - Gardening slows us down and offers us respite from the craziness of everyday life. It is hard to deny beauty in your own private paradise where even the weeds bloom for you. Perhaps Leonard Cohen says it best (he wasn't talking about gardens in this song, but he could have been): ". . . and like a blessing come from heaven, for something like a second, I was cured and my heart was at ease."
Confirm Your Faith - For those of faith, the garden is a place to remember and celebrate creation. Who can watch a hummingbird enjoy sugar water, a butterfly alight a coneflower or a robin delight in a birdbath and not feel blessed? It is a pity that so many of us miss this opportunity to commune with nature, right in our own back yard.
Pass on the Love - In our crazy-world where every second seems to be set to a schedule, is there any better way to share a few minutes than to admire a flower with a child? One of the best things about gardening is that it is passed down, with love, from generation to generation. (Nowhere is this better illustrated than in the KinderGarden pages of my favourite magazine, Birds 'n' Blooms.)
Pass on the Beauty - Whether sharing seeds, cuttings, clumps of root or just sage advice, the never-ending generosity of gardeners makes the world a better place. Sharing over the fence, selling plants for charity or contributing to the community garden are just a few ways to pass on the beauty.
Rise to New Challenges - The problems that we tackle in today's world often overwhelm us. The garden offers up challenges that we can actually feel good about facing. Who hasn't come out a better person for battling the perennial garden nemesis, the squirrel? I didn't say you'd solve all the problems (!!) but it is a good thing to have a few less earth shattering dilemmas in your day.
Opportunity to Play - There is an old saying that the concept of gardening is just a grown up's excuse for getting out to play in the dirt. We can all benefit from a little play in our lives. And while you're out there playing, time stands still - which is good for the heart and soul.
EXTRAS FOR OUR ONLINE READERS
My best three sources of gardening tips - save from my own experience - are Birds 'n' Blooms magazine, The Rusty Rake Gardener and Ed Lawrence on CBC Radio (you can learn a lot just by listening; you don't have to call in). Be sure to check them out today!
To make up for being late this month, I have included a bit of a treat for our online readers. To see close-ups of these favourite flower photos, click here.
What is Take Care?
"Health and wellness" is one of those phrases that, while popular, is becoming a bit of a cliché these days. While overused, "health and wellness" is often misunderstood and can have different meanings for different people.
I like to simplify things. So rather than calling this just a "health and wellness column," I have decided to call it, Take Care. I have chosen Take Care because that is what I will be writing about - how you can take care of yourself.
Don't worry. I won't be throwing facts and statistics at you - although I may occasionally share the title of a great book or the link to an awesome website. Neither do I claim to be a great guru with all of life's answers. What I can offer is the experience that I have gained from 43 years as a human being, 20 years in human services and almost a decade of living with chronic illness.
Let's face it; we live in a crazy world these days. We are constantly barraged by the demands on our time, attention and energy. Many of us are working full-time, managing a home, raising children and taking care of our parents … in some cases even our grandparents (or grandchildren…). We never seem to get away from the ringing of cell phones, the beeping of text messages and the growing pile of email messages in our inboxes - not to mention the old fashioned paper way of communicating.
Just when we think we are on top of it all, we decide to do something crazy like take a vacation … and we have to work twice as hard to get ready before we go away and three times as hard to catch up when we get back.
The body isn't made to be under constant stress. Constant stress leads to physical changes in the body and the mind that can contribute to serious illness. So don't tell me you can't afford the time to take care of yourself because I'll tell you that you can't afford NOT to take care.
Think of "Take Care" as a place to start … a place to start thinking about some very basic ways that you can take better care of yourself.
Why not start by visiting our website each month and reading this column?
Take care,
Kristin
About the author
Kristin has two decades of experience in the not-for-profit and social services sector, ten of those years spent running her own business - KDM Program & Management Services. Through KDM, Kristin provides contract, short-term and recurring program and management support to the not-for-profit sector. Services include - but are not limited to - public relations and marketing, website planning and content development, proposal writing, program evaluation and development, and project management and coordination. To reach Kristin, click here.
Copyright
The column, Take Care, and its contents are copyright, Kristin Duare McKinnon, all rights reserved. You may download, display, print and / or reproduce this material in single, unaltered form only - retaining copyright notice and author information - for your personal, non-commercial use. You must not change any of the material or remove any part of the article or notices that follow. For further information or to use the information contained in any Take Care column outside of the parameters indicated here, please contact Kristin.
Disclaimers
The information provided in the Take Care column is of a general nature only and is not intended as a substitute for professional health advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any personal medical and health questions that you may have. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website or any other website.
We have made reasonable efforts to ensure that the information contained in the Take Care column is accurate and up-to-date. To the extent permitted by law, Kristin Duare McKinnon and Community Living Kawartha Lakes accept no liability for any injury, loss or damage caused by reliance on any part of this information.
Please also read our external website disclaimer.
