Caring for oneself has parallels to gardening and there are lessons to be learnt from plants. If you neglect your pot plants, their soon deteriorate, and loose function. If only we applied these same basic learnings to ourselves and took the time to nourish ourselves.
Self-care can be the first thing to be sacrificed in a busy life. But when we fly, we are constantly told to fit our own oxygen mask first before helping others, so why don’t we apply this same ‘first aid’ to our lives? Enjoying the garden and taking time to ‘smell the roses’ is applicable indoors and out.
The benefits of house plants for self-care might seem a stretch, but the mindfulness of watering, cleaning leaves and watching plants grow can be a quiet daily meditation. Plants help us concentrate, as well as clean the air we breathe from toxins. It is no coincidence that ‘green rooms’ as they are known, are places to relax before the performance or task begins, so why not merge the two?
Plants can also teach us some basics. Breathe, bask in the sun, and drink plenty of water. Getting the basic nutrients and organic goodness into our lives, as well as the sunshine that helps us sleep well and feel good about ourselves are all wonderful for both mind and body alike.
Top 4 tips for good green vibes
- Buy a living bunch of flowers for yourself every few months. Right now, orchids, cyclamen, chrysanthemums, and Flamingo flowers (Anthuriums) are in bloom.
- Grow easy to look after plants like Peace Lilies, Ribbon Plants and Philodendrons, and start enjoying their wellness benefits.
- Book a Blys at home massage, beauty or wellness treatment to enjoy in your self-care space.
- Scent your space naturally with fragrant plants. Exacum, Stephanotis, some Cymbidium orchids and Hoya are all examples of perfumed indoor flowering plants, but you can also add bulbs like hyacinths and jonquils to pots inside for seasonal sweet-smelling pops.
By: Meredith Kirton