Zen in the Garden: Finding Peace and Healing Through Nature

A Zen philosophy that incorporates nature and gardening as the transformational vehicle for self-help and healing whether or not you practice Buddhism.

Do you desire a quiet moment in this noisy world? If you answered yes, then this transformational self-help book based on Zen philosophy will help you to practice mindfulness and promote a sense of peace and healing even if you have never practiced Buddhism.

Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, we all need time to be quiet and clear our minds from the noise pollution of this fast-paced world in which we live. There are days when peace seems unattainable and rules every second of our days. The accumulation of stress has negative consequences on our physical, spiritual, and mental health.

"Zen in the Garden" will help you to slow down and begin to see those beautiful little moments in your surrounding environment. You don't need to go off on some long journey to find your guru in a remote cave in the Andes in order to experience spirituality and enlightenment. You can find it right outside your front door in your own garden.

In this inspirational little book you will discover:

• Motivational anecdotes that help you remember the importance of connecting with nature to encourage health and healing.
• Beautiful photographs from an award-winning photographer to help you lose yourself in beauty.
• Nature challenges to encourage you to venture out and find that sense of peace.
• Gardening tips to help you create your own peaceful Zen space right at your home.

Quieting the mind

In this fast paced world it's easy to get swept up in our stressful lives and become blinded to the beauty that surrounds us. When we make the conscious choice to slow down and breathe, the ground on which we stand becomes our heartbeat and we cannot help but embrace it. Nature has many gifts to give us if we open our eyes so we can see and quiet our minds long enough to listen.

Nature and the human soul

This little book is about nature and the human soul. It is about healing the body and healing the heart. It is about finding a balance to alleviate the stress that affects our health. It provides helpful reflections, beautiful photographs, gardening tips, and nature challenges to help the reader slow down and breathe in the beauty of each moment.

Why I wrote Zen in the Garden

I am not some New-age guru who spent years writing some transformational or self-help book filled with the secrets of the ages. Instead, I am a woman who has lived s stressful life and suffered the health consequences of that life. I created this book after several months of treatment for skin cancer. The experience forced me to slow down and reevaluate what is most important in my life. Ever since childhood I have loved to spend time in nature. It has been an important source of healing and peace when the world around me became ugly and stressful. Whether I climb a mountain peak or get my hands dirty while planting flowers in my garden, nature grounds me and reminds me of the beauty that exists when I choose to open my eyes to it. Nature is my church. It is the inspirational space that allows me to find peace and quiet in this crazy world.

What I hope for you

My hope in sharing my photographs and words is they will cause you to pause for a moment in your own busy lives and remind you to embrace the little things each day. My wish is you will be moved to take the time to reconnect with nature and find your way back to the earth from where all life springs and to where all life will ultimately reach its end.

No matter your spiritual beliefs, whether you practice Buddhism, identify as Christian, or Agnostic, the Zen philosophy of mindfullness while in nature, has the transformational power to promote peace and healing.