What is a Meditation Garden?

A meditation garden can be an escape from the stress of real life, no matter if you are in the city or in a pastoral setting. Meditation gardens can take many different forms, but their primary purpose is to provide a beautiful and therapeutic place for relaxation, rejuvenation, and meditation. Designing a meditation garden can also be a therapeutic process, as you determine what aspects of a garden will be most helpful for you.

The most important aspect to a meditation garden is that the space feels comfortable and nurturing to you. This can obviously mean many different things to different people. For some, lush greenery is the most important component to their meditation garden, while others want running water or stones. However, there are some ideas that are universal to meditation gardens.

First of all, a garden being used for meditation should be private. If you live close to another house or apartment, you will want to create privacy. This can be done by including a canopy of some sort or putting in attractive screens. An arbor can be built, with climbing plants to shield you from view.

Your garden should also be comfortable. Make sure that you include comfortable seating, or a comfortable area to practice yoga or meditation. Temperature should also be taken into account, so consider which side of your home is sunny and which side tends to be windier or shadier, and make your decision about location based on these criteria.

In addition, think about the type of plants you want in your meditation garden. Unless you are prepared to spend a lot of time on gardening, look for native plants which do not require much upkeep. Plants which grow quickly can help create the space for meditation that you are looking for, and greenery helps put most people in a calmer frame of mind.

Finally, consider hiring a professional to help you design your meditation garden. More landscape designers are designing spaces like these now, as demand for them goes up. A landscape designer or landscape architect can help plan the type of space you are looking for in order to retreat and meditate in your own yard.