Where's Your Happy Place?

I don’t know about you, but some days it’s harder than others for me to find my “happy place.” Everyone experiences times when they feel overwhelmed. Over extended.

Over it all.

And, when times are tough, we all need a little boost to help us find that place within ourselves that brings us back to center.

My garden is my 'Happy Place' and I go there every chance I get.

Winter is a time of year when I go a little nuts. Ok, let’s be honest, a time when I'm even MORE nutty than usual. I spend hours pouring over seed catalogs and gardening magazines. I gaze out the windows overlooking the back yard…envisioning the coming year’s edition of the colorful landscape.

A garden provides an oasis of calm in an electric world. A personal, private and peaceful place to immerse myself and restore a sense of balance and wellbeing.

Gardening is a form of meditation, of being lost in the moment. It quiets my ‘monkey mind’. You know…when your brain just won’t stop running around in circles. Often after just a short time in my garden, I come away discovering solutions my sub-conscious mind worked over while I was getting my hands dirty. It’s also a form of self-expression. Experimenting with color and finding winning combinations builds confidence and allows a healthy outlet for my emotions.

Gardening promotes a sense of achievement. While stepping back to see the differences made, I discover I regain my sense of wonder at the small, important things in life.

Gardens are healthy places, engaging all our senses in a variety of ways, encouraging us to be more in touch with ourselves and in tune with nature's slower, gentler rhythms. Simply spending time in a garden, enjoying the sights, sounds and smells around us, can invoke a powerful sense of belonging and spiritual peace. When we nurture a garden, we increase our connection and our sense of well-being.

So what about it...I'm curious, what makes you happy?