Stress management Archives - Horticultural Therapy Healing Centre

Understanding of Depression in 3 Minutes

Our another viral blog is republishing here. You will understand the science of depression in three minutes by watching this video. Enjoy!!!!

“We come across patients with depression. Families suffer such patients silently as it is not a disorder that is very acutely felt as a disorder in society. Here is a nice video that explains the science of depression.

We have noticed in our therapy sessions, that the use of plants like Thulsi and other fragrant and aromatic plants has great benefit in giving relief for such patients. Also as soil contains a bacteria called Mycobacterium vaccae, which enhance the production of serotonin, the hormone which controls human emotions, working outdoors with soil will help to make people happier. Most of the Horticultural Therapy activities are adopted this way to benefit humans.”

Do you want to know more about this? Get in touch with us

Credit: Artyplantz.org

ArtyPlantz is conducting workshops and one to one consultation on Horticultural Therapy for various populations. If you want to know more send a mail to karthik@artyplantz.com or give a call at 8762679127

Horticultural Therapy for Stress Management

Gardening always gives pleasure to the person, who is engaged in it. It is indeed difficult to find a person doing gardening being stressed. If this is happening, it means that his approach to plants needs a change. Here I want to share some points that will help you to do gardening in a relaxed manner.

Do gardening as a hobby, not a task: Most of the gardeners enjoy the time they are able to spend in the garden. But some of them do not and you know why. This is only because they consider gardening to be a task or a job. People who enjoy gardening really get many physical as well as psychological advantages, unlike others who do not enjoy it.

Credit: Unknown

Don’t take your mobile with you while doing gardening: People can’t avoid mobiles because most of them are somewhat addicted to them. The result is that you will not be able to concentrate on the work that you are doing, if you are also preoccupied with the mobile. If you do not take the mobile while gardening, you will get free from unnecessary thoughts and so you will be able to enjoy the gardening. This will help you to become more connected with nature.

Fast growing vegetables: Keep one patch in your garden for vegetable cultivation. Use only the fast growing vegetables to begin with. The sowing, caring, maintaining and harvesting involved give you new experiences each time. Use of fast-growing vegetables enhances interest in gardening, because you reap the produce faster.

Butterfly plants: It will be good to use some butterfly plants in each corner of your garden. The presence of butterflies make your garden more lively and soothing. While watching butterflies in the garden, your mind will be distracted from all unwanted thoughts and you can enjoy yourself while you are in the garden.

Credit: U.S.-Fish-and-Wildlife-Service, Flickr

Feel the garden and explore their scope with your neighbors: Gardening does not mean only that you are growing different kinds of plant, but it also mean that you are caring for some lives there. You can feel proud about yourself and consider each plant in your care with love, kindness, and physical support. Plants in return also support you. Whenever you are stressed, share your thoughts with your plants. You will find that you are immediately relaxed. Make your garden unique in some respects and talk about it to others, whenever you get a chance. Invite your neighbors and friends to your garden for a visit. It will really work to de-stress them from unwanted thoughts and worries.

ArtyPlantz is conducting workshops and one to one consultation on Horticultural Therapy for various populations. If you want to know more send a mail to karthik@artyplantz.com or give a call at 8762679127

Human-Nature connections

Won’t you feel upset when you sit inside a room for a while without any interaction with the outside? Do you feel more relaxed and calm when you are in a plants-rich area even if you have sorrows? Did you realise why you felt relaxed in nature? is it because of the power of plants?

Credit: Seattle Municipal Archives, Flickr

We, humans believe and studies prove that our ancestors were monkeys. Now I have a question. Does anyone know about any other animal in the planet which misuses nature to the extent Man has? Many amongst us feel that we have evolved into more developed beings and have as a race discovered many things. What a joke, it is, to think evolution should also mean destruction! We are surviving here only because of Nature and the support of plants and we think about more evolution by misusing the whole ecosystem. Nature is vast, and full of bountiful energy. This abundant energy can impact each and every organism in nature.

Credit: Flickr-Frontierofficial

A nature walk or a tree hug, or a conversation with a plant or at least a silent observation of a plant can help you to get distracted from all sorrows and unnecessary thoughts that plague your mind. When you are in a plant-rich environment, you can breathe pure and rich oxygenated air that will give lots of energy to your body and your brain starts to work in better way. We often hear form our participants that they feel better after a day-long workshop with us as we give them many activities to do outdoors in gardens free from chemicals. Presence of plants around you will help to transfer positive energy in the environment to your body and so you can feel relaxed and your mind becomes ready to find solutions for problems and also gets ready for facing the problem.

Gardening and plants-related activities will help to enhance self-esteem and self-confidence in you and so you become mentally strong and obviously while doing different gardening activities it will help to increase physical fitness. Horticultural therapy helps people to connect people back to nature with various nature and plants-related activities. It will be better to choose specific activities with the help of a Horticultural Therapist if the participants are special needy people. Because the therapist can help to choose correct activities which would benefit the concerned people.

If you can plant a Plant and care as much as you can sincerely, you are a good social being.

ArtyPlantz is conducting workshops and one to one consultation on Horticultural Therapy for various populations. If you want to know about more send a mail to karthik@artyplantz.com or give a call at 8762679127

Emotional plants!

Do you believe the plants have emotions? It’s a little hard, but some studies show that they have. Have you ever interacted with plants? Maybe you have read the book titled “Secret Life of Plants” that illustrates in an interesting manner what could possibly be considered as emotions within plants. It is not so much as “emotions” as many of us perceive but response to stimulus, which is finally what our system of human being is also all about. Only when we consider our “emotions” we think of it as just “feelings” without understanding the various hormones and chemicals that work as response to stimulus in our body. In Horticultural Therapy, we use many activities for connecting participants with plants and nature. These activities bring out those very fine almost not perceivable responses from plants which however delight our wards as they have the patience to perceive and enjoy them.

Credit: Flickr: Ranakpuri

Do you know that in our traditional system farmers sang songs when they worked on their farms? Because they believed that plants and all natural elements could feel the vibration of the sounds uttered which would resonate with the growth and nurturing of plants they were trying to grow. What eventually happened was that as they were also beings like plants, their own songs also uplifted their spirits and maybe therefore the secretion of serotonin in their bodies. Farmers even today engage in celebrations for getting the blessing of nature and soil.

I know of one of our patients who took to talking to a plant that was stunted in growth. We have worked with her for 4 months during her recovery from cancer. In that time that she spoke to the plant, she was overjoyed to find that new shoots sprouted from near the roots and she believed that is was solely her talking! You can debate endlessly whether it is truly so, but in India the Bishnoi tribes have shown us otherwise. While such actions do not yet bear conclusive scientific evidence that is floated amongst common people, I would like to think there is enough evidence-based proof to show that plants do respond to stimulus form other life forms.

You can try to get experience about this by interacting with plants or trees. But the important thing is, your interaction should be sincere. You can share your thoughts and emotions to a plant that you select. And keep doing this regularly and find some time every day to visit plants and check the changes and impacts happening in the plant and in you. You will definitely gain a rich experience with this activity.

Credit: Flickr as Annadatha

Please share your experience, once you try this. If anybody out there has already had this kind of experience please share it. It would be an inspiration for us. Have any doubts? Tell us and we will discuss together.

ArtyPlantz is conducting workshops and one to one consultation on Horticultural Therapy for various populations. If you want to know about more send a mail to karthik@artyplantz.com or give a call at 8762679127

Know about Gardening

Is gardening just a hobby? Or is it a job to do? Is it something we need to do as an exercise? Or is it something more? Only people who engage in gardening can really tell how important it is for our living a wholesome life. I want to share an article, that I read recently where the author narrates about the important aspects of gardening. Enjoy!!!!

“Gardening is about enjoying the smell of things growing in the soil, getting dirty without feeling guilty. Generally taking the time to soak up a little peace and serenity. The saying aptly defines the role and essence of gardening and the enjoyment being associated with it. It’s the best way to develop your physical stamina and maintaining your cheery mood. Nothing can beat a morning tea in your garden. This can be an ideal way for relaxing after a hectic day schedule.

With lot of positive points associated with it, lot of people are joining this good exercise and are guiding others also to make an optimum use of this facility. If you’ve some information about it then you can enhance your information by using latest articles, books and experts talk shows. Moreover you can go online to get the most way to suit your priorities. Here you can get all your desired information without any flaw which means that you can start using it as soon as you download it. Now how to go for the gardening? The golden rule is that one should be prepared for this task with full commitments.

Credit: Unknown

If you’re ready for this then you’re going to have a divine experience of being a creator. First of all you’ve to decide what kind of plants you want to grow. Depending on their use the plants and flowers are available under three categories which are known as ornamental, medicinal, &. Useful plants. If you want to give your garden decorative look then the ornamental plants and flowers can be of great use. Numbers of plants are available in the market which can be grown. The only thing which you’ve to check is their timing. If you want to avail herbs advantage then also you can give your garden a complete herbal look with medicinal plants.

A number of plants can be found in your nearby nursery or can take online help to order your desired help. Lastly, you can enjoy your favourite fruits by using useful plants and flowers. This will depend on available space also. Moreover, you can make a thorough enquiry about it and can enjoy it. And if you want then you can plant all three types of flowers and plants in your garden.”

I would love to hear from you if you start gardening in your home after reading this. Even if it means just a small container with a plant of your choice placed on the windowsill of your kitchen, it would be a good move. And if we hear from you it will make us happier to know. Do start a garden. Best wishes.

Credits: http://spacesstyle.com/

ArtyPlantz is conducting workshops and one to one consultation on Horticultural Therapy for various populations. If you want to know about more send a mail to karthik@artyplantz.com or give a call at 8762679127

When you love Gardening

When I was a child, my main hobby was climbing trees. I had many friends and we would together make up many games all played outdoors. Those days I helped my mother while she engaged in gardening. She had a special garden around our house. She treated all plants like she treated us. She loved plants that much! My mother never allowed me to pluck flowers from the plants. She would ask me to let the flower be there for it to show off its beauty for some days, for many people to see and enjoy. I still remember those beautiful days. I want to share an article about gardening that I recently read. The author beautifully narrates how he loves gardening. Happy reading.

“What is the point of gardening? Why do so many people spend so much time and effort digging, snipping, mowing, pruning, sowing and reaping? What is the attraction of fossicking about in the cold and muddy outdoors? Surely it would be easier to just go to the supermarket rather than struggle through briars and bindweed? Some people (and almost all teenagers) really do not get the point of all this taming of nature.

I came late to gardening. I left school with no real idea about what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I toyed with acting, photography, journalism, bar tending, selling encyclopedias, advertising, washing up, cloakroom attendant and Father Christmas. But it was not until I was persuaded to stop lying on the sofa for long periods of time that I found myself in my sister’s garden holding a spade. It would be going too far to say that I was struck by a sudden epiphany and that the skies echoed to the sound of green fingered angels singing Alleluia but it just felt right. From that moment on, through a mixture of complete bluff and endeavour, I have succeeded in making a living in and around other people’s gardens.

Therefore I feel that I am in a reasonable position to try and answer my own question: what is the point of gardening? There are so many reasons ranging from an urge to grow pumpkins the size of camels to a wish to make the world more beautiful. Some people garden because they wish to raise plants of great rarity, some treat the whole thing as a physical challenge that must be met (a more domestic version of trudging across the tundra). Many house owners consider gardening a chore that has to be endured in order that they can barbeque untroubled by invasive vegetation while others do it because they want a lawn as smooth and blemish free as the coat of an otter. Perhaps they garden just to impress the neighbours with their expertise or in order to make sure their families eat vegetables unsullied by nitrates and pesticides. Gardening has an interesting mixture of control and complete resignation. It is the pleasure of allowing some things to grow wild and untrammelled while others are pruned and persuaded to do precisely what they are told.

I garden because I love plants and the innumerable ways in which they come together – either through skill or serendipity. Of course there is a certain satisfaction in concocting a perfect conjoining of paths or creating an idyllic place to sit and enjoy the sunset but, no matter how exquisite, a patio never stirred the soul. Instead every plant, no matter how humble, can be capable of bringing warmth to the heart and a spring to the step. From the ridged bark of the grandest oak smiling down upon a scampering of nodding Anenomes, a lacy leaf fluttering coquettishly around the knees of a perfect rose or a scalding red flower surrounded by a chorus of ruffled green. Not forgetting a muddied new potato, a brittle green bean or the juice of a dripping pear: these are the things that give meaning to a gardener’s toils.

The purpose of gardening is to make people happy: not just the gardeners but those who enjoy the things they create. The destiny of garden designers is to help people see the great frothing blur of potential that begins just outside their back doors. The secret of successful gardening? That I cannot tell you but if you are enjoying yourself then you are very close to finding out for yourself.”

I am sure the article makes you want to start your own garden as well! Just do it! Yes, it is like nurturing a child, but don’t you enjoy growing another life? The joys of watching things grow is indeed worth the trouble taken to grow them. Happy gardening!

Credit: http://www.finegardening.com/

ArtyPlantz is conducting workshops and one to one consultation on Horticultural Therapy for various populations. If you want to know about more send a mail to karthik@artyplantz.com or give a call at 8762679127