“Garden of Serenity” by David & Steve Gordon is my latest favorite selection when I’m meditating at night. It combines music with the sound of running water, which is something that I’ve always found very soothing. Normally, I would be joining the team of Reiki Masters and Students at Eye of Horus tonight, but it was a long week and I needed to be alone with the cats for a while. Tonight my meditation was rather short, and I gave myself some Reiki as well, but what my body really needs is sleep. But there’s something about the picture of the beautiful rock garden on the cover of the CD which keeps calling me, so when I searched under the name of the title, up popped books on Japanese Gardens. Once upon a time I checked out a book on it from the library, and I remember pouring over the photos for hours. Now that I have a larger yard to play in, I was planning on planting a healing garden. My husband and I talked about it, but we had no idea where to start.
Now I know where I can begin, with Japanese Garden Design. I have all Winter to dream and study and make some plans, and with the internet at my fingertips I’m sure I’ll find all kinds of inspiration and practical help in getting started. When you Google Japanese Gardens all kinds of fun things pop up, like this page from The Helpful Gardener which gives some basics for my subconscious to chew on.
There is a certain calmness that comes to you as you view a well laid-out Japanese garden. While it is hard to define any one particular element as the source of this peaceful influence, I would suggest that it is the solid, anchored look that the stone features bring to the garden that do the most to impart that feeling of peace. This should come as no surprise as the Japanese gardener utilizes rock as the “bones†of the garden, with plants and ornaments as trimmings.
It’s a place to start, with the bones of the place. The flow and harmony of Yin Yang will be a conscious part of my garden design. And so my Reiki Adventure takes me down a new path, one that I will build with my own two hands to create an oasis of healing in my own backyard. I have lots to think about, there are current gardens, how to work with the buildings and existing plants, learning about the different styles of Japanese gardens…I’ll be keeping busy this Winter!
