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At it's simplest, your garden provides a refuge or respite. |
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If you're feeling stressed or anxious, use your
garden as a quick timeout. Notice the beauty and peace around you. Soak it in. Imagine
birds, butterflies, or perhaps a place to fish. Feel the warmth of the sun even in Winter,
or the peace of quiet snow in Summer. |
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During times of confusion, imagine going to your garden and tending
to it. Weeding and pruning can be a powerful metaphor: allowing the order you create
in the garden to reflect the order you desire in your mind. You can make your personal
garden a place to sort through problems and situations. You may need a secure
and quiet place where you can expose and examine your thoughts and feelings without fear
of judgment and repercussions. |
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During times of fear, make your personal garden your safe place.
Remember, you are in control. No one can enter unless you let them. Nothing in the
garden can scare you unless you let it. Perhaps in this safe place, you can gradually
allow yourself to be more aware of your fears. Remember that here, you can
choose whether to act on your thoughts or feelings. Just explore and imagine, and
remember
that at any time, you can take control and change your garden. |
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If personal conflicts with family, friends, or colleagues are
creating anxiety for you, imagine using your garden as a place to think about
different scenarios for your
interactions. What's special here is that you are in control of
everything. If you get troubled by others' reactions, in your
garden you can change
them. Often, exploring in this way can help you find new solutions, new approaches, or
new responses that you didn't realize were available. |
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If you are sad or struggling with depression, your
personal garden can be a sanctuary. Go there to play. Perhaps visualize yourself as a
child [or as the child you weren't allowed to be]. Give yourself permission to play
freely, without worrying what others might think. Remember, this is your garden. Allow a
playmate to enter if that feels safe or play with the animals you have placed in the
garden or just appreciate the beauty around you. |
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Create your own scenarios. The more you practice, the more ways you'll find that
your personal garden can help you. Remember, your imagination is the
only limit, and there's no way to do this exercise incorrectly. |
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For Resources on Gardening and Therapy |
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