Yoga Of Gardening
When I was in my thirty’s, if someone would have told me that they thought gardening was a cool thing for me to do, I would have laughed in their face and said in the arrogance of youth, “What, are you kidding me — gardening is for old people who are bored.” 
Now, twenty-odd years later, the joke is on me. In fact, I’d be out all day in the garden if it weren’t for the nagging stiffness in my knees and lower back after stooping and bending down for hours on end.
At first, I used to think that all you needed to do was pull a few weeds, water every now and then, and let nature take its course. The nature part is correct. But one does need to know a few fundamental rules to get started. Thank goodness for the Internet for opening up a vast universe of helpful advice from the many gardening experts who have written and shared their knowledge so generously to help novices like me. There were many times when my husband would shake his head at me for some of the blunders I had committed in the long list of “do’s” and “don’ts. For instance, like planting seeds too close together, which would form a clump of roots, and cause overcrowding in pots or the garden patch. Or not using the right type of soil for a specific plant or tree, and then wonder why it wasn’t growing. But, then after many attempts and after careful planning, the fruits of my labor would begin to sprout in the form of an artichoke or broccoli plant, flourish as a Dahlia bush or an Acacia Cyanophylla tree, and the joy of watching them grow was all the reward that I needed.
There are many times when I wonder in awe at the divine intelligence, which is programmed into every living thing. Next time you see an Iris, look closely at its intricate, geometric design and radiant purple hue. Marvel at the pirouetting, ballerina shape of the fuschia flower. Be amazed when a seed that has fallen to the ground, germinates in the soil, and begins its metamorphosis into a piñon or cherry tree, and stretch your imagination at wonder at how the evening primrose knows to awaken when the sun goes down. Everyday, every hour, every minute, every second, a miracle is occurring. All we need to do is take the time to be still and observe.
Whenever a wave of emotional disturbance washes over me, I grab my hat, head for the garden and begin pulling weeds. Each weed is a negative thought. The more I pull, the calmer my mind becomes until not one mischievous thought enters the playground. All is quiet. All is well. Whether it is watering, planting, weeding or landscaping, gardening is part of my daily yoga.
As for the stiff back and knees, a few light stretches can alleviate the pain. Lie down flat on your back on a firm surface with your knees bent. Lift up your right leg by clasping your hands around the knee and gently pull the leg towards your chin, and at the same time lower your left leg down keeping it straight. Keep this position held for 30 seconds. Then lower the right leg down back to the first position while bending the other one back to the first position. Now bring both legs up by clasping your hands around the knees and gently lift your legs towards your chin. This aligns the spine back into neutral position. Repeat the first sequence with the left leg and then end with bringing both legs back up towards the chin again.
Another nice light stretch to alleviate stiff back pain is to stand with feet shoulder length apart, knees slightly bent. Clasp your wrists with both hands and then slowly bend over allowing your arms to hang down. Keep this position for 30 seconds or longer and repeat as often as you feel a tightness in your lower back. Bend your knees more to lessen the tightness or strain in your back. By all means, if you are experiencing severe back pain, please see a doctor and do not attempt to try and fix the problem on your own.
If you’re a constant gardener like me, bring out a small chair to sit in while weeding. Or when planting, bring an old cushion or towel to kneel on. There are many little things you can do to help prevent future back problems. We should not have to suffer from being in love with our garden. I wish someone would invent a pair of gloves you can wear that helps dig into the dirt in order to get at the roots of weeds. I end up having to pull off the gloves and dig in with my fingers. By the time I’m finished, my nails have enough dirt inside to grow another garden. Any ideas out there?
