Spending time in the Garden

The phrase “Time in the Garden” has always been something in my family’s way of reminding us to slow down and rest. Many generations were farmers, but as time moved on and life changed for all of us after the depression and we got jobs in factories and offices, the gardens called us back. As a boy, I remember spending time at my grandparents’ house. Papa (my grandfather) ran a trucking company and was at the time semi-retired but he was still busy. My Grandparents were both busy people, but they would carve time in their garden to plant something, pluck a few veggies/fruits, or make room for the seasonal plants like the pumpkins in the fall.

 

When I got older, I chatted with my grandmother about her life more and got to ask many questions that I was fortunate enough to get the chance to ask. She explained that the garden, among the chaos of running a business, was their way of focusing life for a little while. It was one simple task that they could handle that was not complicated. The garden was a mental exercise for them that replenished their energy to tackle the challenges that came their way.

 

In martial arts, we need to be prepared through training and conditioning for anything. We need to condition our bodies by strength training and stretching to prevent injury, but it is also important that we condition our minds and spirit. In the modern day, this is often forgotten. There is a lot of pollution out there! With our phones, a bombardment of information, and everything else, are we as prepared as we think we are? Probably not. There is more to Martial Arts than kicks and punches. Injuries can be mental as well as physical and we need to prepare for both.

 

In this article, we will look at the following: what is a garden in this context? How to figure out what it is? Lastly, how to access the garden in your life?

 

What is a Garden for you?

 

In this context, a garden is a place or mental state where you can recharge yourself. It is important to remember this part. It is the recharge people forget. For example, you may watch TV at the end of the day. This is fine in some cases, but this is a transition activity to bed, most likely, rather than getting you ready for the next challenge on your list. It is important to state this first because the Garden is a place where you cultivate your corner of the earth to face the rest of it.

 

A Garden for you does not have to be complex, it shouldn’t be (more on this later.) It is a place that is easily accessible in your mind to recharge the mental batteries by a simple act.

A Garden is a state of mind that helps you feel the most tranquil that you possibly can feel. When you are in this state of mind your breathing is correct, your posture is correct, and your mind is free from distraction. Physical activity is the easiest way to get to this.

 

How do we figure out where your Garden is?

In this section, we will get a little metaphysical. There is some homework that will need to do for you to understand what the garden state of mind is.

  • What is a solitude activity that can turn off your brain?

It does not need to be a long activity; it needs to be something that you can do for a few minutes a day that will stop everything. In your day, the activity is crazy. You are thinking of what to do at work, what to do later, what eat when you get home, what was that dream about? You need a moment to stop everything and sit in the stillness.

For me, this is the daily kata. Every morning, I get up and do a kata, video myself, and post on Facebook. The process is maybe 3 minutes or less, but every time I do this, I feel closer to my true self. In some ways, you could say, I get close to God. It can be a spiritual experience. No matter what is going on, this task is to be completed. I lose myself in the moment and work my stances, punches, and kicks. Afterward, If you watch my videos I give a thumbs up at the end, this is not for the viewer it is for me. As the video stops, I have a big smile and a thumbs up like Fonzie. As the video stops, I see myself smiling, and my spirit lifts! After this, I am ready for the day.

This may not be for you, but that is okay. Continuing onward, let’s talk about you.

  • Who are you? What makes you tick?

What makes you happy? What is something you do that is small that lifts you up? Is it a weekly thing or a daily one? I would suggest taking time to journal your thoughts for a month. Make this a gratitude journal. Note the events that make you happy and feel blissful in life, also note the times that you experience these events. All these are in the ordinary days in your life. Do not change anything, but just take stock in what you are doing. Keep a notepad with you, an Excel sheet, an app on your phone, or whatever to catalog the events if you can go back and look at the end of the month. Be sure to mark the time of day that you feel this and the date.

Once you see the pattern, an event will show itself. It takes a month to see this, but you will see the event show up very easily.

Events can be cooking a Sunday morning breakfast for the family, meditating in the morning, feeding your kids/pets, etc… When I was coming up with my key for my garden, I realized that this event was any moment that practiced martial arts. I found it needed to be in the morning. I started filming on Facebook Live to embrace the moment and practice as best I can daily. My good friend Andrew invited me to his group on Facebook, the Kata Centurions, where people post their practice daily with the challenge to post 100 days in a row. Each video I loved how I was feeling afterward. 100 days turned into 366 days straight of videos. I still participate in the group and plan to keep going as much as I can.

A Garden is not a complex place. It is what you make of it. From these exercises that you have done, you will realize that the garden in your mind does not need to be an elaborate state. It is your best state of mind.

As you spend time in the garden yourself, you will begin to focus your energy correctly, and with a clear patch of earth, you hold the ability to plant your best future.

 

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