WELLNESS GARDEN
Ayurveda is a newly discovered little gem just off the Canal Tow Path at Rye House, Hoddesdon. We transformed the unused piece of abandoned waste land, into a thriving, well nourished and well loved wellness garden that we now call Ayurveda. This growing site is full of opportunities open to the community.
The Ayurveda Wellness Garden is a safe space for people to come sit and enjoy the outdoors, not only to grow herbs, fruits and vegetables, but also to learn, heal and nurture their own minds too. It's an adventure! A beautifully scenic site to explore! Take a walk through our ever-growing Mystical Enchanted Mini Forest! Filled with lights, fairy doors and hand painted stones; our new fairy guests are moving in and decorating the space with us, it's beautiful!
With sociable seating areas, and solo seated and swing areas to connect or reflect in, Ayurveda is a community growing space for people to enjoy anytime they need to unwind, relax and de-stress from the challenges we may face in day to day life. At Ayurveda, we understand the positive power that our Wellness Garden can have, and has had on others already, and we are determined to utilise this space for good.
Key Benefits Of A Wellness Garden
In short - Gardening is powerfully rewarding.
Gardens reduce stress and promote a sense of wellbeing. This is recognised to have many psychological, physiological, and behavioural benefits. Reduced anxiety, sadness, negative moods, lower blood pressure, and improve immune function. This encourages better compliance with alternate health treatment protocols.
1. Reducing Stress
One of the main benefits of our Wellness Garden is the ability to relieve stress and reduce anxiety levels. Gardens can work wonders, especially for our mental health when we are stressed and under pressure. Research has shown gardening to be a wonderful stress reliever, which produces a drop in cortisol levels, the stress hormone. How? Nature provides a tranquil and serene environment, relieving stress. We are naturally connected to nature to find it aesthetically and spiritually feeding. Meaning that through our senses, we find it easy to be engaged with the vast variety of colours, textures, light, and sound in our tranquil community garden. We don't have to make an effort to focus when presented with nature, therefore it refreshes the mind and body.
2. Encouraging Healthy Eating
Through gardening, witnessing our progressive developments first hand or being around those in that environment, an appreciation for the natural life cycle of all things living can be found. By surrounding yourself with nature, growing plants, fruits and vegetables in a safe and healthy environment, your relationship with food may start to change. People who grow their own food are more likely to be aware of the health advantages of eating organically produced crops, as well as the satisfaction you’ll experience from eating the vegetables that you created and it's nutritional content.
3. Boosts Your Memory
Time spent in green spaces positively improve memory function. Walking or even working in gardens will increase oxygen to the body and mind, and can help to protect your memory as you get older. Being in such environments encourage the recollection of memories and may help to prevent the degeneration of body or mind. Happiness is hard to measure, but we know that spending time in such environments gives us the ability to reduce stress, promote creativity, relaxation and peace. Nature is healing!
4. Promotes Exercise
Allotment gardening has it's physical benefits too; even mild exercise elevates our mood. Our wellness garden offers the desired space and freedom that encourages people to not only visit, but motivates people to get involved, explore and walk around our beloved grounds. Moving around outdoors releases endorphins, provides a break from the stresses of daily life, helping us to take time for ourselves, and appreciate the world around us.
5. Top Up Your Vitamins
Spending time in our Wellness Garden is a great way to top up your vitamin D. Exposure to sunlight encourages the production of vitamin D. The fresh air helps to clear our minds, greatly improve our mood, revitalize the body, and support and encourage better sleep.
6. Promote Serenity & Spiritual Wellbeing
The great outdoors provides us with an unlimited sensory experience. For many people, being in nature and interacting with the natural world brings us a sense of connectedness, peace, and tranquillity. From the fragrance of our beautiful flowers; the taste of freshly grown crops; listening to the bees buzzing or birds singing; the texture of the earth and the plants between our fingertips, as well as the therapeutic benefits through the visual beauty of our surroundings. All of these thing help us to stay present in the moment - encouraging mindfulness.
In the future we aim to work with the local community, the NHS, other organisations and their staff, to host healing and mindfulness sessions, that promote positive mental health and well being!