Creating a Meditation Garden

The general idea of creating a meditation garden is to provide you with a space in which you can relax, unwind and escape from the stresses and strains of everyday life for a while. It could be a place where you wish to meditate or it could simply be a tranquil haven for you to just sit in to relax and contemplate.

Meditation gardens can be anything you want them to be as long as they create the desired atmosphere. You’ll have probably come across Japanese Zen gardens and there are varieties of Japanese plants which will grow successfully in the British climate although you should look for advice from an expert if you are considering creating one of these specific types of gardens.

Seating Area

In order to relax in your meditation garden, one of the most important considerations is thinking about a place to sit. You may prefer a bench, a relaxing garden chair that reclines or a longer bench style comfortable swing type chair.

You might even opt for an actual garden swing to recapture the carefree days of your childhood. On the other hand, some people prefer a large natural rock or a large meditation cushion to sit on and there are those who prefer to lie down in a hammock instead.

Water Feature

When considering a meditation garden, most people will want to incorporate some kind of water feature into it. This might be a pond – lots of people find watching Koi carp gently swim around very therapeutic.

On the other hand, you might choose a fountain or even a bird bath. Meditation gardens are all about appealing to the senses and the sound of trickling water is very relaxing and blocks out extraneous noise making for a more conducive atmosphere for meditation. Make sure that your water feature is situated quite close to your seating area to experience the full benefit.

Plants

There are lots of different flowers which are fragrantly scented to create the right ambience. As mentioned previously, the sensory elements – in this case, smell – are an integral component of creating the right mood for meditation. Flowers such as jasmine and gardenias are known for their strong perfume but don’t go overboard with different scents that clash as that may become overpowering.

Statue Feature

Some people like to include some kind of statue feature as a focal point of their meditation in their peaceful garden. This could be a religious figure, such as a Buddha statue or you might prefer a statue of your favourite animal, for example.

Other Considerations

How you ultimately create your meditation garden will be a matter of personal taste. Other things you might incorporate could include building a small pathway lined with rocks from your seating position to your pond, for example, if you like to go barefoot.

Some people like to contrast sunny areas with shade to create different types of mood settings. Adjoining fences can be an eyesore so you could grow ivy or some other kinds of climbing plant to surround yourself with lush greenery.

Wind chimes don’t appeal to everybody but you might find them soothing. Then there are those who like to attract gentle birds to the mix to reflect another example of being ‘at one’ with nature so a bird bath or feeder might be additional items you may wish to consider.

Basically, it all comes down to what pleases you. Ultimately, you’ll be designing your meditation garden as a place to relax so you probably won’t want to incorporate plants and other features which will require much day to day maintenance.

Instead, base your ideas on creating a sanctuary where you can escape from the pressures of life for a while and think of it as a haven in which to relax and re-energise yourself.