As each of us continues to tend the gardens within, there is a growing sense of new life emerging through the stillness and the majesty that flows freely in this place. The garden of the soul is so often overlooked by many, and it is only when we take the time to tend and nurture this beautiful place, that we realise just how vital it is to our well-being and growth.
Yet, there are times when the garden within can become lost in the mists of confusion, for we can lose sight of the powerful simplicity of the landscape and instead become focused on trying to make it bigger, better and somehow more impressive. Of course, striving towards enlightenment is important, but does this come through planting more flowers and building new pergolas?
There are times when our mind takes over this beautiful place, and we become disconnected from the peace, tranquillity and stillness that lies at the heart of our inner garden. We somehow feel that we have to do ‘bigger and better’ and so we drive ourselves harder; the irony is of course, that the more we allow our minds to push us, the further away we shift from the garden within, for we lose connection with the silent power that lies at the heart of the garden: consciousness.
The mind is the force that keeps us occupied in life, chasing dreams, and creating cycles, beliefs and patterns that keep us locked in repeating storylines. The mind keeps us away from the true beauty of the soul, for in this place, there is no room for the mind as we move beyond linear thought and towards a more infinite and indefinable force of being.
Of course, as human beings, it is hard not to give the mind room to manoeuvre, for we shape and define so much by how we think. As a result, it seems only natural to try to apply the world of the mind to the world of the soul. Yet, it is only when we allow ourselves to truly rest in the majesty of the garden within that we find ourselves connecting to the force beyond the mind and this takes us into a new dimension of awareness; we begin to feel the infinity and divinity flowing freely within (as it always has and as it always will).
It therefore seems important to take some time to rest in stillness and silence in the garden of the soul; building pergolas may keep us occupied, but it also keeps us distracted. It is in this stillness that we let go of the need to be ‘bigger or better’, for we realise that we are already magnificent exactly as we are. At the same time, by resting in the stillness, we give ourselves an opportunity to plant a new seed in the fertile soil; this seed is one of consciousness. It is without definition and beyond explanation for it is a feeling and a state of being; with it we somehow feel more complete, but without it our lives can feel hollow and empty.
Planting such a seed may sound complicated, but it is not, for it simply involves resting fully and wholeheartedly in the stillness and allowing the chatter of the mind to subside. The more of these moments that we create, the more we tend this special seed and allow it to grow and filter into all aspects our lives. When we allow ourselves to live consciously from the soul, everything changes in life, for nothing seems the same anymore; it is as though the vibration of everything has altered and we feel more alive and interconnected than ever before…