Why Do I Garden

...it keeps me grounded

...it's good exercise

...while gardening is a lot of work, 

it slows me down and mostly, I find it meditative 

...I like the quite and solitude, even when gardening side by side

with hubby, we are deep in our own thoughts and

don't have to listen to each others yakking

...it's the only time I get to wear the same sweaty, 

soiled clothes two days in a row 

without feeling crappy

...it's the only time I wear perfume... "eau de OFF"

...the palette is constantly changing

...it's cheaper than therapy

...it's less depressing than religion

...gardening keeps me healthy, 

not only because of the exercise benefit,

but because digging in the earth and getting my hands dirty is good for me. 

It exposes me to lots of micro-organisms that 

keep my immune system strong.

...and yes Mr. Kipling, 

it does take time and sweat to keep one's gardens

 looking beautiful, 

and perhaps there is less time for sitting in the shade

...but all that hard work 

just makes the sitting more

 enjoyable.  

MINDFUL MOVEMENT

I have just joined the Creative Every Day Challenge whose theme for August is Move! ...not just physical movement like dancing, running and yoga but also movement in the form taking risks, making changes in your life however small, switching things around a little...doing the two step outside your comfort zone, etc.

I then read a very interesting post by Christine over at Bliss Chick who also writes about movement, or our lack of it. We lead a sedentary life style ... do too much sitting when our bodies are meant to move. We sit in school, or at work and then try to fit in a little yoga or other exercise a few times a week to make up for all our sitting.

Even when we meditate we sit. We sit while trying to be one with our body...our body that's built to move. To quote Christine;
"We pontificate about the connection of mind and body, but too often, we are really talking about the mind's supremacy to body. If mind and body are really one, there is no hierarchy and we are missing out on an important part of our spiritual lives when we sit and meditate rather than get up and move."

We need to be more mindful in our daily life, mindful meaning being aware of each thought, each feeling, each happening, each moment...being one with our bodies and with each movement of our body.

I have just finished reading "Wherever You Go There You Are" by Jon Kabat-Zinn on Mindfulness Meditation in an attempt to become more aware in my daily life. His book describes various ways of incorporating mindful mediation into your daily routine, and I have tried several. I have tried sitting quietly to meditate but have found it just doesn't work for me. I can't quiet my monkey mind and being still too long tends to make me feel "down"...perhaps that's why sleeping in doesn't agree with me and I feel so much better getting up early.
For me, it's much easier to focus on "being" while walking, gardening, or painting etc.

My recent introduction to belly dance is an excellent way of being "one with your body" through movement. Each movement is controlled, yet fluid...well at least it should be after I get better at it...at this point I look more like a chicken doing the bird dance.

BEGINNER CLASS
(I'm the pink goddess in the front row)

...I do my best dancing
when no one is watching,

... dust rag in hand,
...the music cranked up
...ecstatic
...yet mindful
movement
...while getting the housework done
all at the same time. ..