This article first appeared in Health Home magazine.
For gardeners, there is no doubt that communing with nature is a profound endeavor. For some, this activity on the ground means tending to a flower or a vegetable patch in the garden. For others, joining a community garden has the dual benefits of growing food for their livelihood as well as learning green skills with other gardeners.
No matter how dirty your hands get, research shows that being around plants has a positive effect on mental health and emotional well-being, and can reduce anxiety and depression.
For gardening writer Rachel Clare, spending time walking around her bedroom in Henderson, Oakland, benefits her mental health as well as her physical well-being. "I am obsessed with flowers and I grow herbs and vegetables," she says. "I like to go organic, but it's expensive, so I focus on growing foods that we like to eat and spray often, like celery and strawberries. We keep bees, so avoid using synthetic chemicals. I like that to reduce plastic waste by growing my own vegetables.Sustainability is very important to us.And three years ago we built a greenhouse with recycled windows to grow seedlings.It's my special place and I love it!
green expectations
Studies have shown that natural places can induce feelings of happiness; there is evidence that simply showing images of nature can improve mood. "We all need a little green time, especially kids growing up in a world full of gadgets," says Rachel. Rachel says that gardening is good for everyone. "Putting your hands in the dirt increases serotonin levels due to exposure to a soil bacterium called Mycobacterium vacca, which triggers the release of this feel-good chemical in our brain," the studies show.
home gym
Who doesn't love a little sudden exhaustion? "That's another great benefit," says Rachel. "You bend and stretch and use a lot of different muscles to move your body." Pulling compost bins, weeding, planting, and digging can be full-body exercises that build stamina, burn calories, and keep you flexible.
medical benefit
Rachel says: “Gardening reconnects us with the natural world, and I think being outside is wonderful therapy because it engages all the senses. Many of us suffer from natural deficiency syndrome. We are part of nature and I think people forget that. Try sitting in the garden and just look at what's around you: listen to the birds, watch the leaves fall, rub a piece of lavender between your fingers.
wood vibration
Although Rachel admits that meditation is difficult - "My mind is so busy!" - And although she doesn't talk to plants, she is described as an intelligent plant. "I know it sounds like a total hippie, but I really feel the energy of the plants," she says. "You're alive! I feel calm when I watch the trees move in the wind and move by themselves. I think it's a form of meditation for me." His advice to the novice gardener is simple: "Try it! Grow what you love and don't want to put down, start pulling weeds, and the next thing you know two hours have passed. Gardening is so much fun."
