Can Green Gardening Replace Prozac?
Gardening, it is said, can replace Prozac’ – yes it can! Extensive research has shown that gardening is the new ‘green’ feel good drug with an abundance of GOOD side effects.
It has been found that when we leave behind our high-tech worlds of busy offices, factories and street life and get out into nature, we are better able to reconnect with the deep emotional qualities of our humanness. Time in nature offers us the opportunity to expand our awareness, and this is often accompanied by an experience of deep gratitude for the richness of life around us.
Then we access those truly human emotions of love, compassion, care, and a sense of connectedness to the ‘livingness’ of the world. This helps get the ‘happy’ hormones racing through our bodies, providing a sense of deep wellbeing.
In their book: ‘Digging Deep: Unearthing Your Creative Roots Through Gardening’, Fran Sorin and Larry Dossey suggest the following:
‘Gardening is a sacred act.
When you dig a hole in the ground and feel the soil in the palm of your hand, or as it crumbles between your fingers, you are participating in a ritual that has been taking place since the dawn of humankind.
There’s a rhythm to gardening that soothes our souls and awakens our senses. It’s through observing and celebrating the change of seasons that we can learn to accept our human journey from gestation to birth, death and beyond.’
You can find Fran Sorins website here: Fran Sorin
You may also want to read this article from the Phela Wellness Café:
Feeling Lonely? Here’s what to do!
If you feel that you need a little more help than growing veggies, or reading an article, to ease your emotional challenges, then you can talk to someone confidentially. Call our helpline to set up a free session with one of our skilled counsellors on 08002BWELL (0800229355)
