At times in my life where I have been at my lowest, gardening has been my saving grace. When I combine praying, smiling, laughing, singing, and or chanting the Jesus Prayer, I can overcome just about any negativity that is going in my life by gardening.

I really look forward to working with people in the garden–whether they are here for a work exchange (which I plan on having in the future), a course (another future plan) or as a member of the monastery community. I want to encourage people to have gardens, and this article might give people who are depressed have more motivation to do something that is good for both individuals and the planet. Here is an excerpt:

“Getting your hands dirty in the garden can increase your serotonin levels – contact with soil and a specific soil bacteria, Mycobacterium vaccae, triggers the release of serotonin in our brain according to research. Serotonin is a happy chemical, a natural anti-depressant and strengthens the immune system. Lack of serotonin in the brain causes depression.

Ironically, in the face of our hyper-hygienic, germicidal, protective clothing, obsessive health-and-safety society, there’s been a lot of interesting research emerging in recent years regarding how good dirt is for us, and dirt-deficiency in childhood is implicated in contributing to quite a spectrum of illnesses including allergies, asthma and mental disorders.

At least now I have a new insight into why I compulsively garden without gloves and have always loved the feeling of getting my bare hands into the dirt and compost heap.”

Isn’t it wonderful that God made gardening such a healthy and productive activity? After all, he originally placed Adam and Eve in a garden where they were to be stewards. I wonder what they did to take care of the garden of Eden.

If you have had positive emotional experiences in your gardening efforts, I hope you will share in the comments below.