My home is my castle – a space and nurturing place I feel comfortable and relaxed in. I fill it with items that are important to me – that bring me happiness and joy. Keeping to clean and clutter free is alos important as then I never am thing about what needs to be done to make it a loving space. Color is also important.
What is equally important to a personal sanctuary is the outdoor space around our homes. It may be a balcony, patio or an entire yard. Creating an outdoor space that also soothes the sprirt and nourishes the soul and feeds the sense helps me to feel the peace and tranquility that helps me connect with nature. Nature is so grounding and healing that I believe it is essentil to our overall health and well-being.
There are several things to consider when creating your outdoor space:
1. Live plants or flowers. Even if it is just one potted plant on the balcony, or an entire garden of your favorite plant. Nature’s beauty is so lovely to admire and contemplate on.
2. Color – your favorite colors. It can come from the plants, a lovely pillow, a glazed pot or container or even the fabric in a cushion. But add colors that bring you joy.
3. Movement - watching something sway in a breeze is calming. This can be from the branches of a tree, yard art, a wind sock, or even a flag.
4. Sounds - the trickle of water from a fountian or pond or the tinkling of the chimes help bring a distraction from the thoughts running through your head.
Just by adding these elements to your outdoor area will help you create a sanctuary that will become your favorite place to retreat to when life’s challenges become too much or a great place to start your day in gratitude and beauty!
How does your garden grow?
Doreen
About doreen.pollack
Doreen Pollack, aka The Garden Goddess, loves Mother Earth and all her creatures, but especially all plants. Several years ago, after completing the Master Gardener program in Arizona, she realized just how simple it was to do little things to tread more lightly on this great earth. Doreen loves to teach people how to create an outdoor environment that fits their needs, from a place to recharge, a place to play, or a place to grow food. She enjoys showing people how to create sustainable environments that use water and other resources wisely.
Doreen continues to learn as she teaches. If she is not teaching a class she is taking one! She just completed a course as a Permaculture Designer, and upholds the Ethics of Care of the earth, Care of people and sharing of the surplus (time, money material). She is a Desert Botanical Garden Volunteer, Board member for the Phoenix Permaculture Guild where she also teaches classes, co-manages a community garden, writer, teacher, and a former Certified Life Coach.
She owns Down 2 Earth Gardens, a garden consulting business in Phoenix, AZ where she lives with Annie, her Springer Spaniel and 2 cats, Sweet Pea and Mischief. You can often find her hiking in the desert
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