In our busy lives, how can we create more balance, more zen? For thousands of years, gardens have been used as a place for sanctuary, a place for retreat. How can using the natural elements to bring us into equanimity?

There is no doubt we live in a busy world, and statistics are saying that stress is one of the major causes of illness… physical and mental. I most certainly have experienced stress, and when I raise the topics with friends and colleagues it seems to be more common than not. So what do we do to not let stress overtake our quality of life?

In my opinion, creating balance in our lives has never been so urgent.

If we are busy at work, with the kids, on the road, running a business, then when we get home, it’s an opportunity where we can balance the busyness out by immersing ourselves in the opposite experience. Calm, tranquil… a retreat away from all the stress and the ‘doing’, where we can just be… relax, breathe, spend time with our loved ones and truly be present for them.

So how do we bring more zen into garden?

What I learnt from the ‘Bayon’ temple and later the Japanese Gardens, is really using the elements to our advantage.

1. Earth; There’s nothing quite like feeling the grass right under your feet, make your garden barefoot friendly and instantly connect with nature as you feel the earth beneath your feet.
2. Water; Either as a central feature or hidden in the garden for a relaxing soundscape. Create an experience where you can open your senses, listening to the soothing trickles (or the majestic waterfall gushing), listening rather than thinking, drawing you into the richness of the present moment.
3. Fire; A firepit to gather with your loved ones. Leave your phones inside and be hypnotised by the flame while toasting marshmellows.
4. Air; Breathe in the fresh air… plant your favourite flowers and trees, our oxygen producing friends. In moments you’re feeling flustered, walk outside, close your eyes and take a deeper breath in, relaxing your fascial muscles as you exhale. Let the simplicity of the breath and fresh air wind you down after a big day.
5. Space; An essential part of any design is to not over complicate or overcrowd… leaving space for the features to shine, for plants to grow and for experiences to be created. If there’s too much busyness, then where is the space for growth? Have an area in your garden for spaciousness, where you can find space in between your thoughts, a place for creativity.

The point is, creating an area to relax, to let go. And there is nothing like nature to help you get there, or more so return to… whether that’s the ocean, the mountains, the bush or in this case creating the garden sanctuary… fresh air and nature’s way of being perfectly imperfect, reflects blissful beauty, perhaps even brings us back to simplicity and clarity that is so easily lost in our busy lives.

As the quote says “the only zen you find on top of mountains, is the zen you bring up there”

Zen is a state of being. Create a garden sanctuary, use the natural elements as a reminder, to chill out… to ‘be’.