just harvested . " We all have an innate connection to the earth ," said Lamp ' l , " and that connection manifests itself when we consume what came from the ground — which is where we came from and where we all end up ."
Having a garden really means having a relationship with the plot of ground you ' re tending . Since I ' ve gotten more into gardening I ' ve had to be much more aware of the elements : the first and last frosts of the season , how much rain we ' ve had , the temperature , where sunlight falls throughout the day . Gardening also connects us intimately with the cycle of the seasons .
And as Lamp ' l described , it ' s easy to feel " like a parent " to one ' s growing plants . " You nurture the seedlings and do everything you can for them ," he said , " and then it ' s like you ' re putting your babies in the soil "— much as we might nurture a young child who eventually heads out to meet the world . " They don ' t call it a ' nursery ' for nothing !" Lamp ' l continued . " I put a lot of care and emotion into the garden ."
6 . Bathing in Green
The Japanese expression " shinrin-yoku " can be translated as " forest bathing ," which nicely captures the experience of being immersed in green . A growing body of research has found all kinds of benefits from being in natural landscapes .
These studies have found evidence that being in green , or even being able to look out on a green landscape , is linked with better
being able to look out on a green landscape , is linked with better recovery from surgery , less anxiety and depression , better stress management , and many other positive effects .
The nice thing about a garden is that it can be right out your back door . And while you could just as easily spend time sitting in your yard , you ' re much more likely to be outside consistently when the work of a garden requires it .
7 . Being Present
Mindful presence is tied to a long list of positive outcomes , like relationship satisfaction and less emotional reactivity . The garden can be a