The subtle (Yoga) practice of tending to your garden
A lot is growing right now.
What have you been tending to inside your self, your life?
What is growing that you didn’t plant for yourself?
Sometimes we purposefully plant seeds - or goals, intentions, promises to ourselves + each other.
Sometimes, projects, relationships, jobs and beautiful native plants grow organically - seemingly out of nowhere - in our lives and gardens. Consciously or not, we may create an opportune environment for collaboration!
Even though we didn’t foresee them or even intend to grow them, sometimes, we choose to keep them. To prune them, water them, develop our relationship with them + nourish them as if we had started them from seed.
A lot is growing right now. Metaphorically and literally.
And if we don’t consciously check in and take a look around, we might not notice how quickly everything is growing - including those plants that are invasive or those projects or relationships that are all-consuming.
Sometimes we need to uproot,
transplant,
prune,
stake,
support,
hydrate,
nourish parts of our garden.
Some plants need a little more TLC and attention than others.
Other times, we need to weed them out. And toss them in the compost pile/pail to turn them into energy, nutrients to create something else.
These things take time.
And when we don’t take care of our garden, our overgrown weeds might creep into someone else’s space. Whoops, eeek, sorry! 😬
In other words, when we take the time to tend to ourselves, it is not selfish. In fact, it can be quite the contrary. When we tend to ourselves, we are caring for our lil piece of the entire ecosystem that we share.
You don’t need my invitation to tend to your inner garden ~ it is there for you, blossoming and growing for you to reflect upon and enjoy in your own way.
But here is some not-so-subtle cheerleading to do whatever it is that allows for you to see it, experience it, enjoy it - and maybe spend some time tending to it.
We will tend to our inner gardens tomorrow + every Saturday at Three Queens Yoga from 9-10am EST in Basics - a class designed for those beginning or getting back into a Yoga practice.
We go over the basics of Yogasana (the physical practice), as well as many of the subtler practices.
Heck, you can practice right now, while tending to your garden!
If actual gardening is not your thing, spend some time reflecting, journaling, doodling, cooking, tidying up - and add a little bit of:
Svadhyaya (self-study/reflection),
Satya (telling our selves the truth, not lying to ourselves about what our garden needs to grow and what we need to keep out to keep it healthy),
Saucha (sorting through, organizing + weeding out),
Aparigraha (releasing what has served its purpose/allowing it to be recycled/repurposed),
Brahmacharya (consciously directing our energy/attention to what we want to see grow - in our selves / our world),
Asteya (feeling confident that what we have growing is enough, not taking up more space than is ours by letting our weeds grow out of control, leaving enough resources for everyone, sharing our abundance, fruits + flowers generously)
Santosha (sitting back and enjoying your growing garden, even/especially when it’s not “perfect”. There is always more work to be done. There is always tomorrow.)
Tapas (showing up fully even when it’s difficult and hot out - and trying our best),
Ahimsa (doing all of this in a careful, compassionate, sustainable way),
Ishvara Pranidhana (dedicating ourselves to showing up for each other, our shared ecosystem, something greater than just ourselves)
Pranayama (breathing in what you need, breathing out what your plants need)
Pratyahara (tuning in to the messages from your garden/ecosystem - they don’t always speak in words!)
Dharana (directing yourself back, gently, again and again to the task at hand - like you would guide a tiny puppy away from eating grass)
Dhyana (channeling your attention in + out, just like the breath + remaining present)
Samadhi (“losing yourself” in your garden - ever got to that point in your practice or project where you lost sense of space/time and feel completely absorbed by the act of love via whatever it is that you are doing? 😉)
.... And the list goes on!
This is simply my interpretation of my practice right now. I invite you to research other contemplative, embodied Yoga practices, compare translations, spellings, and interpretations from different philosophical lineages - and then define them for yourself! Again and again for the sake of the practice - and your growth.
What are your favorite ways to tend to your garden?
Your pollination is welcome + requested!
💞 Sending you sunshine, support, song singing + love - what a growing garden needs. Don’t forget to hydrate!💞