philosophy 101

Julie what an interesting thing you said - "watching the magic in the garden itself makes it much easier to find fascination in the possibility in magic in other forms." That is exactly what my garden represents to me. Magic and possibility. Thank you for that thought.

Lovely thread and a timely one for me to find.

It was only two days ago that I took a deep breath and saw a beauty that had been hiding from me.

I have lived on this rural parcel for 32 years and over that time, I have gardened w/ an obsession that PNW folks would understand. As my life evolved, and often in directions I didn't understand or appreciated, my love affair with my garden fell into some kind of black hole. I no longer rush out in the morning to see what has happened since I put everything to bed the night before.

So what was the beauty of two days ago?

As I was doing my requisite mowing on the riding machine, I was able to momentarily let go of the long list of regrets and admonitions about what I have neglected for so many years now, and my eyes could see the beauty of what is here. The rhodies, the dogwood, the beauty bush - all in magnificent splendor. They have survived where so many other things have not.

Equally, Mother Nature has been working 24/7 even as I act as if I am retired from gardening. Her efforts are to be cherished, as well. Life IS good.

Thank you.

I have fairys in my garden. I have mischievous summer fairys that hide my tools and play tricks on me. I have beautiful sparkly winter fairys that sing with the wind and leave messages in the snow for me. I don't have any fairy doors though.

This message was edited Jun 12, 2009 11:24 AM

Dahlia I love your description of your fairies. I am watching for signs of fairies in my garden but so far, nothing.

Wannadanc, it sounds as though you have been through a trauma, and your garden was not as 'cared-for' because there your head was too full of survival stuff. I've been there, too.

There is talk about rocks and stones on another thread. It seems everyone loves rocks and stones - a powerful attraction to another old thing. We like to feel the cool smoothness of some stones, and the massive weight of big rocks. We love the narrow old village streets of Europe, with their ancient tall buildings. We search out old ruins. What is it about 'old' that attracts us?

My collection of rocks is all the heart shaped ones I find. I have given one to each of my family for their gardens.

That's cool, Patricia. I think Sofer does the same thing for his passed dog, Sophie. He puts them in her garden.

What a great thread to find just before work! I love the discussion on trees. I have a theory about big old trees being high consciousness beings who help absorb all the negativity humanity has to offer and transform it into life-giving oxygen, raising the vibration around it. I think that's why places with trees feel more peaceful and why areas with large trees experience less crime. Our large fir trees are very old and make a huge mess, but I would hate to lose them.

Garden lessons: patience, learn to live with disappointment, some things are worth waiting for even though their beauty may be fleeting, and all things in moderation. I'm learning the last one now as I pull out plants to give others more room to grow to their fullest. I probably could have learned that last lesson from Soferdig a long time ago, but I prefer to learn things the hard way.

To listen to trees you don't have to speak entish, although it's cool to do so, right? Just open up and listen. It helps to put your arms around them.

"Learn to live with disappointment" - a great lesson. So much easier with plants than people.

I like the thought of trees turning negative energy into positive. Trees add so much to our lives. And yes, I have been known to hug trees. There is definitely something there, but how does all that happen if trees don't have brains? Or do they?

I went to a workshop for science teachers interested in bringing their classes to an overnight outdoor education experience and one of the exercises we did was : one of a pair was blindfolded, the other led the first to a tree, blindfolded one got to 'know' the tree, then was led back to starting point, we took off the blindfolds and were instructed to find our 'tree'. It was amazing!! Trying to use all our senses to locate 'our' tree.

Pixy, Very well said! I am unfortunately still working at learning the "all things in moderation" part myself.

Jan, that sounds like a very interesting excercise!

It seems to me that different trees have different "auras". Some speak to me of wisdom, some of strength, some of grace, and some of rebellion. Each has it's own "personality", so yes, there is something there.

It's not about brains, Portland. It's, as Julie says, about the auras, or the energy the tree emits. Everything has that, even inanimate objects. The tree as a living thing, though, has a higher level of consciousness. The energy has a purpose even if the tree has no brain the way we do.

I once took a class where we meditated using a specific tree to see what the knowlege the tree could give us. I chose a very old cedar tree. I was amazed at all the things it 'told' me about how the forest works energetically, why some trees live longer than others, the sacrificial nature of trees and how to use what they have to offer in terms of wood and still retain the high vibration of the living tree, etc. I've never thought of trees in the same way since then.

Julie, I am still learning the moderation part, too. It's the hardest lesson for me. I can live with disappointment better than I used to because I always have something that turns out well, even if most things do not or if I kill something or let it get overshadowed by something else.

I forgot one other lesson from the garden: humility. I am always humbled by the power of mother nature to correct me when I get out of line in terms of zone denial.

I am thinking....

Okay, then, several pennies for your thoughts!

To provoke thought for those of you who have not been exposed to the concept of auras . . .

http://whisperingwood.homestead.com/Auras.html

Here's another way to teach yourself to notice them: Have a friend hold their hand against a blank wall, fingers spread apart. With a pencil, put a dot between two of the fingers. Then stand back and stare at the dot without blinking. Let your eyes relax and go fuzzy, don't try too hard. It's like looking at one of those posters that were popular about 20 years ago that looked like nothing unless you let your eyes relax, then the picture popped out at you. Soon you will see a fine white line of light around the fingers. That's the closest part of the energetic field.
You can also have a friend sit against a blank wall and stare just above the friend's head. Begin noticing what is in the peripheral vision at the sides of the head and above the shoulders.
Most people will see something, then blink and go 'huh?' and it's gone. Just keep practicing.

melissa I can't even begin to tell you how many classes I've taken and how many hours I've spent looking for auras. I just don't see them unless it's by accident or unless the person has a very big aura. I can feel them though so I know they're there!! I was privileged to take an energy healing class fro. the fa.ed Rosalyn Bruyere. The energy that co.es off of her is palpable. We actually had lights flicker several times the first time I saw her speak at the new meydenbauer Center in Bellevue. http://www.rosalynlbruyere.org/index.html

I believe it. My sister was teaching a class in energy healing and together the group was so strong that we shattered a big heavy plate glass shelf that was part of an etegere in the room we were using. We were all standing in a circle meditating and it simply exploded next to us for no apparent reason. It was completely bizarre. Lucky no one was hurt.

If you've tried that hard to see them, probably you are trying to see them all at once rather than just focusing on the part closest to the body. Sometimes I see them and don't realize I am seeing them until I notice, if you know what I mean. I was at the Asian Art Museum in Seattle listening to some musicians playing and suddenly I realized that one of the musicians had a brown aura. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I had not been 'trying' to see it at all, just sitting listening and watching them play. When I tried to see it, I noticed it again and then I realized what it meant: the guy was on pot. So he was high while he was playing. It showed up as brown in the aura.

I've heard of Rosalyn Bruyere but I'm not familiar with the kind of energy work she does. I combine psychotherapy with energy work through the chakra system, sort of Reiki for the emotional body. It moves people along much faster than traditional models. I've been a therapist for 20 years, so I believe I can say that with some confidence.

That's great pix. I'm sure you know.

Yep. I soytenly do! :)

Years ago I was driving to work (over an hour each way) and flipping through radio stations and happened upon Carolyn Myss. I was fascinated with the discussion and that was the first time I had heard about chakras. But, I have been thinking about The Tree, and how the love of trees, which seems to be almost universal, translates to the love some of us have for gardening. Why do some gardens look lush and happy and soothing, but others, not so much. I was in the kitchen making a strawberry pie (with gluten free crust) and admiring the berries I was washing. Those of us who cook a lot know very well that when you are doing it with a love for the ingredients and the process, it all turns out much better than when you hurriedly throw stuff together. Feel those berries, smell them, think about them growing in the warm earth. And think about the smooth richness of the cream cheese and cream while you mix it together, and how it will complement the strawberries. You get the idea. So.....out to the garden. I'll bet that all of you enjoy the feel of the soil, and when you plant something, or move something, you are imagining it flourishing happily in it's new location. We fondle leaves and get close to flowers and even taste them. When I was married 15 years ago we were all busy and running around with kids' activities and our careers. We had a fleet of gardeners who tended every inch of our yard. Sure we enjoyed sitting around the pool and cutting flowers, but I had no connection to the plants and the garden. Now things are different, and the garden is MINE. My little city garden is so much more lovely and nurturing than the yard of my previous life.

I need to find a class in energy healing and auras. I'm fascinated.

....and I'm salivating. To enjoy the whole process is invigorating.

I'm currently listening to Carolyn Myss' book on Advanced Energy Anatomy. It's fairly good so far. Portland, I'll bet there are loads of classes close to where you live. And with your history as a nurse, you may already intuitively know more than you think. If you want to learn more before you find the class, though, just begin to focus on feeling energy with your hands. You have energetic chakras in the palms of your hands and if you focus on this area, you will begin to get in tune with how energy feels. Rub your hands together briskly and then, slightly cupping the hands, hold them close together but not touching. Then pull them further apart a bit. Close your eyes and focus directly on the very center of each palm. The sensation is, at first, very slight and you must concentrate in order to feel it. You can also practice feeling the energy field of plants by holding your hands close to them with eyes closed. Again, the sensations are very slight at first.

Here is a website you may be interested in:
http://www.barbarabrennan.com/

Another way of working with energy using the accupuncture meridians:
http://www.innersource.net/energy_medicine/energy_medicine_main.htm

Good food related to good gardens. Yep. There is definitely something there. Loving the process and giving of ourselves to the soil and the plants, etc. makes the garden flourish.

Wow Pixy that was so neat, I could feel the energy bouncing from one palm to the other.......I think, at least if felt that way.

Yep, you got it! Probably 'bouncing' isn't the exact word, but there should be a slight tingling sensation in the palm of the hand that should get stronger and weaker depending on how far apart the hands are and how good you get at focusing and quieting the mind. Once you've learned how to 'feel' it, you can practice being able to feel the differences between holding the hands close to one part of the body vs the other. Then learn to channel energy from the energetic field through your crown chakra and then down through your hands. Reiki practioners who channel energy this way can be very powerful in the work they do, and they also preserve their own personal energy. It's all good stuff! The best part is that anyone can do it.

Wow! This is amazing. I am interested to learn about how this can help with anxiety. I worry about things all day and sometimes can't sleep because my mind won't shut up!

Me too and I take Lexapro for it. Works good. But that energy thing sound better.

What is it with this anxiety thing? I'm a happy person, but I can't even watch CNN without feeling tense!

If you really listen to CNN you will find they make many mountains out of mole hills and I think our systems don't like that type of stress. There are a few I would really like to punch-out.

Everyone in our large family has some type of depression-anxiety thing. Some worse than others. I think it was passed down from my mom.

Willow, I never had this anxiety until about 5 years ago and I'm 62. I think it started when I had a very stressful job but it continues even though I am retired. I've given up caffeine and that was hard to do. That's very interesting that your family all suffer these things. I am beginning to wonder if my mother has depression because she is acting differently and she's not very nice anymore! Yes, I agree that our systems don't like the stress of constant bad news. I also cannot tolerate noise. Maybe that's why we garden!

I was planting some things today and sitting down on the ground and really enjoying putting the little plants into the soil and making them happy. Usually I am thinking about how much my bones ache and I just want to get finished. Today, for some reason, it was wonderful looking at the roots and talking to them. I also smashed a slug for the first time, instead of throwing it into the street to be at the mercy of the next car. I'm not too good at the killing thing - maybe it will get easier.

I was thinking about my childhood and gardens. Actually, the lack of gardens. My father was in the Air Force and we moved often. The longest we ever stayed in one place was when I was in high school and we lived in Germany. There were two times that I remember gardens. One was when I was in maybe the third grade (my teacher was mean and wore pointy shoes) in California and my father planted three peach trees on our patio and we had loads of peaches. The other time was when I was in junior high school (my mother wouldn't let me shave my legs and I was in love with Dickie Blue who sat next to me) and lived at Fort Lewis by Tacoma. There was a forest directly behind our house and I used to go there to hide from my siblings (there were five of us). It wasn't technically a garden, but it was my secret place. I remember being amazed at how the fallen trees decomposed. That was when I fell in love with trees and forests. There is something magical about all those big trees together.

Portland, that is such a cool memory. I love how we remember things from childhood in very specific ways. 'mean and wore pointy shoes', indeed! I remember my kindergarden teacher who had a pointy nose and sharp fingernails. I used to get nosebleeds and knew how to handle them myself, but she always insisted on squeezing my nose shut with her pointy fingernails. I'd rather bleed than be squeezed by pointy fingernails.
Your memory also brings back memories of Germany when I was in late grade school. We live by a large forest (at least I think it was large) and used to play Batman and Robin on a fallen tree. There was a great branch that you could bounce up and down on and it would send you pretty high in the air. That was the Batmobile. My sister always wanted to be Catwoman, but I insisted she be Kitty Girl. I was the oldest. Duh.

Energy work is great for anxiety. Although anxiety is generally thought of as a chemical imbalance in the brain, who knows what comes first - the brain imbalance or the belief systems that underly it. I have found that most people who have chronic anxiety consider the world to be basically unsafe, with occasional experiences of safety, rather than the other way around. for many people with anxiety,, having an environment that is organized and contained helps them feel calm and safe in their world. That's all well and good until something happens to temporarily disrupt this sense of order, and then they get an anxiety attack. That's why watching TV news does them no good at all, and, in fact, can be extremely disturbing. Yes, it does run in families, as do belief systems. It can be related to depression in the brain, but does not have to be. Anxious people are generally very sensitive in nature and have been so their entire lives. They react and respond to things in their world that other people do not even notice, or, at least, take in stride. If you think of your energy field as being like bird feathers (it's a stretch but bear with the metaphor), people with anxiety can easily get their 'feathers ruffled'. The energy work, even without shifting the energy of the belief system itself, can be very soothing to those feathers. Basically I think it gets the entire energetic system, including the brain, to calm down. This is all extremely generalized and not intended to be definitive of any one person, of course.
Portland, if your anxiety didn't start until you had a very stressful job, it's likely that you just caused your brain chemistry to get out of whack through stress and you could likely turn that around without the use of medication. You might look at the research and reading on the following supplements, which are available over the counter, are not addictive, and have few, if any side effects. I have found these supplements to be the most helpful to people who are experiencing unexplained anxiety that appears related to stressful events. (Disclaimer: As a medical person, you know better than to take something without consulting your doctor, especially if you are taking other medications. :)
L-theanine (the amino acid in Green tea that allows you to drink that tea without a caffeine rush) I've known L-theanine to stop a panic attack in its tracks.

GABA (Gaba butyric Acid, which is a neurotransmitter inhibitor that works just like Xanax, without the risks.)
5-HTP (The amino acid precursor to serotonin) If you have trouble sleeping, this is a good one.


One of the best ways that energy work benefits anxiety is through the use of 'grounding'. Learning to ground your energy exerts a calming effect on the body and mind, slows down the breathing, stops people from 'holding their breath' (which many anxious people do unconsciously), and creates a sense of internal peace. You basically get a chance to retrain the brain by doing this.

Here's one grounding exercise. There are many ways to do it, but the goal is always the same:
http://www.wikihow.com/Ground-and-Center

Now you also get another idea about why working with plants and dirt are so soothing. We are grounding to the earth energy through this experience.

Earlier this spring I was feeling pretty crappy, tired and unmotivated. I went to the Dr. expecting Prozac or some such concoction, he drew a Vit D level and found I was low so told me to take 4,000 units of vitamin D daily. After doing a little googling I read that (according to some studies) that most people living north of the California/ Oregon border are unable to absorb enough Vit. D. After taking it for 2 months I'm feeling about 97% better, (nothing is 100% is it?)

Yes, that's also something to have checked! I'm glad you had your levels checked and it's made a difference. It is becoming more common for people to be low on Vitamin D. After all, we need sunlight in order to make it, and it makes all the difference in mood and energy. That's awesome that he identified the problem without medication. And that reminds me that I have a lab slip to get that checked that I have not followed up on.

I love a solution that supports health, immune system bones, ect..........and it really makes sense when you think about it.

I'm a big believer in Vitamin D. When I lived in the arctic with little sunlight in the winter Vitamin D made a huge difference in my energy levels and mental health.

I'm sitting in the waiting room at the lab at OHSU waiting to have my blood drawn for Vit D level. More later!

Pix, thank you for such valuable information. I have been taking 1000 IUs of D for about a year so my doctor said that I should double that until I hear the lab results. I'm not the kind of person that thinks the world is generally unsafe, and I spent years giving presentations for work and at arch conferences and none of that made me nervous or anxious. I did feel the stress of giving marketing presentations to win projects for the firm, but at the same time I was successful at that. I didn't realize the toll it was taking until I took some time off and then decided I needed to retire or go nuts. So your suggestion that my brain chemistry is out of whack sounds probable. I have to consult my doc about every med I take since I'm in a clinical trial for a drug to repair damage from celiac disease. I have an appointment in July and I will ask about the things you suggested. Thank you so very much - I have been floating along with this to see what happens but now I feel empowered to take action! I tried meditation but I find it's better for me to go for a fast walk or my brain just keeps racing along. I'm going to try the grounding exercise.

Azorina & Dahlianut thank you for your words as well. We have our own little support group going!

Now, about gardening. My neighbor the garden designer said instead of putting kitchen scraps in the compost bin where they attract creatures, keep them in a bowl in the freezer and then when you get a bunch just dig a hole in the garden and dump them in. Today I buried some for the first time and was surprised at how good it felt to take something that is simple kitchen waste like banana peels and apple cores and return them to the earth to enrich the garden. Such a simple concept and yet so powerful. In the words of Thoreau, simplify simplify.

Great! Sounds like you are motivated to get on top of it, portland! There is just no reason to live with anxiety in this day and age, and so many things can cause that symptom that have nothing to do with mental health. Be sure they've thoroughly checked your thyroid as well.
Since you had not experienced anxiety until later in life, it is likely that stress or hormonal imbalance was the culprit. I'm sure your doctor will have you clicking along again soon. I would not expect him/her to know much about the supplements unless this doctor is interested in alternative medicine. But I've been surprised before and look forward to being surprised again.

I like your neighbor's approach to composting. I've known people who have simply dug a hole in the garden, filled the hole with kitchen waste without the freezing part, and covered with soil. It works well.

So missed this one.
Judi, I so feel this frustrating thing, I only read the first post.
I know how career's can do that, I am not the only one that fights that now. But I so wish to be retired, I have a dream. May not happen, but I have it. I know Its hard for most of that have to go to work and leave the gardens behind, and hope that on our days off the weather will been nice, and most times its not but we go out there anyway. I so wish to be home.
But then again I wonder, could I really do this and not miss my working with people and doing what I love to do (even thoe I'm not happy at the place I am, I still love what I do) All I"m saying is its hard to leave what you know, then to replace it with procrastination or so focus on somewhere else, and not see the wonderful things that are around you. I'm am so there ^_^