Paying Attention to Your Soul’s Garden - By Christie Flynn
February 12, 2023
I have loved gardening since I was a child. I always loved to help my mother plant flowers along our fences along with our vegetable garden. I grew up watching and helping my mother make meals from scratch. We didn't have a lot of money growing up and so we supplemented with a home garden.
Over the years I have I continued to plant gardens outside my home or create small vignettes of various plants in every room in the house. I love orchids, succulents of all kinds. I have a weekly routine to water them, usually with ice cubes, feed them when they need it and change the soil as they grow. Plants ground me. Plants care for the energy and air in the home. Tending to our garden, not just plants, the spiritual garden is important. Figuring out what that means for each individual is different. Resources, tools, friends, hobbies, support from professionals, music, nature, meditation, healthy eating, boundaries, education, books, writing, painting, singing, playing the piano, yoga, tai chi, reiki (for myself and from others), water, the lake, ocean, sunshine, trips away, so many things that can offer support to the spirit and soul.
Today, I'll focus on plants....
Plants are wonderful spiritual teachers. When we pay attention to their special needs, they respond by growing and bringing beauty and life-giving oxygen into our presence. Plants silently make us aware of their needs by wilting, yellowing, browning or failing to thrive. They need sunshine or indirect sunshine to perk up, and ideal soil and water too. Equally silent, but often less obvious, our soul needs can go unnoticed for long periods of time. If the needs of our spiritual self are ignored for too long, drought conditions occur, leaving us feeling dried up and lifeless.
Luckily, both spirits and flowers are very resilient and respond beautifully to a little nurturance. Recently, I was wrapped up in my work and forgot that a few of my plants were browning, or wilting. I noticed them. At some level I thoughtfully apologized and gave them attention with love – watering, fertilizing, or adjusting the light level by moving to direct or indirect light. I urged them to revive. Laughing to myself, I share that I too talk to my plants openly and internally. Miraculously, they did. Given a little attention and tender loving care, our spirits are just as forgiving and equally as anxious to re-green, grow and bloom as were my plants and flowers.
What does your soul garden look like? Are the plants and flowers green and happy? If not, what will quench their thirst? What attention do they crave? What tiny little step can you take right now? What part of your spirit can you tend to know?
When you listen attentively, allowing your thoughts to travel, and ideas to ‘pop in’ you’ll figure out a few ways to serve your soul’s needs. It’s very important, however, that we don’t try to do too much at once or we may set ourselves up for failure and become discouraged. When we consistently show one small seed, water a single vase, and till a square inch of soil, the entire garden reaps the benefit. Taking little soul seconds – one small prayer, few-minute meditation, or a short burst of gratitude while appreciating nature, helps immeasurably to revive our thirsty spirits.
We don’t have to join a convent or live in a cave or go to a distant land to attend to our souls, although I admit that it sounds appealing sometimes. Luckily, our souls flower and grow when nurtured among the busy hours of our days.
I pay attention to the needs of my spirit.
I make time to nourish my soul’s needs.
And, you do this when you're going through a tough time. Take a moment to think about
what you can do. Go back and re-read the questions at the beginning.
What are your favorite plants? If you don't have any. The easiest ones to start with is an aloe plant, snake plant, or lucky bamboo.
Much love,
Christie
christie@christieflynn.com
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