At Chef Good, any excuse will do to get out in nature (we suggest William Rickett’s Sanctuary) and why not mix that with a spot of meditation? May 3 is Garden Meditation Day, slightly obscure we know. So, let’s talk about the great things meditation does for our body and mind as well as some of the benefits of getting your caboose out the door and into the wild (or at least the back garden).
Why meditate?
There are a bunch of well documented and researched reasons you should get your meditation on. We’ve collected a few of them to share with you:
- Improves concentration
- Helps reduce depression and anxiety
- Increases happiness
- Reduces stress
- Can help break addictions
- Slows the process of ageing
- Great for immune and cardiovascular health
Why wouldn’t you start meditating with all of these amazing benefits up for grabs?
Step into the wild
To amp up these perks, even more, it’s a great idea to take your meditation practice out of doors, into nature.
Appalachian Trail thru-hiker, Zach Davis, tells us that there are many scientifically-backed benefits to getting outdoors including:
- Vitamin D
- Eye Health
- Improved Sleep
- Clean Air
- Grounding
- Exercise
- Psychological Health
Zach even notes, “meditating outdoors can further increase these [psychological health] benefits”.
You can read his full article here.
Meditation X Nature
Lacing up those hiking boots already? That’s great! But you don’t have to look far to find your own little patch of nature.
Stepping into your own backyard will still give you those nature vibes. Sitting in meditation surrounded by lush plants and feeling the gentle swish of a breeze is the perfect way to start your day (especially on Garden Meditation Day!). If you’re living in an apartment with no yard, try bringing nature indoors with plants especially suited to the filtered light of the indoors. Even a bunch of fresh flowers can brighten your space and provide a focus point for your meditation.
We’d love to know how you’re celebrating Garden Meditation Day – let us know by tagging us in a photo of your garden (houseplant, local park, nature reserve, national park… whatever!) on Instagram. We’re @chefgood.
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