Soul Spaces
In addition to all of the wonderful benefits that come from cultivating soil and friendships, ‘Our Neighborhood Community Garden' also provides space for reflection and meditation and other healthy pursuits.
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Scroll down to learn more about the Labyrinth, the Meditation Garden, the Grounding Lawn, and the Burden Box.
The Labyrinth
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At first glance, a labyrinth looks a lot like a maze. But where a maze has many paths and dead ends, a labyrinth contains one continuous path that, twisting and turning, always arrives at the center. The simplicity of one-way-in and one-way-out allows for a kind of 'walking meditation' that is calming, reflective, and engages the mind, body, and spirit. ​Studies show benefits that include (among many things) a reduction in stress, improved mental clarity and focus, enhanced reflection and self-awareness, boosted creativity, and lowered blood pressure. More and more hospitals are installing labyrinths because of their healing properties.
Not to worry if you've never done this before. While there are a million right ways to walk a labyrinth, there are no wrong ones. A labyrinth walk can serve as a symbolic journey of prayer, a way to find spiritual centering, a way to let go of worries, or lots of other things. We have informational flyers with a few ideas, and there are people around who can share their own experiences with you as well. For other thoughts, you can Google something like "how to walk a labyrinth." Labyrinths have been around for thousands of years, and we're convinced that once you experience the benefits, you'll understand why.​
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For labyrinth fans out there, ONCG's labyrinth is in the Medieval style and is thirty-five feet in diameter. ​
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The Meditation Garden​
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The Meditation Garden is screened from the communal areas for privacy. Within the space is a fountain, benches, plants & flowers, and a pergola for shade. It's a perfect spot for meditation, praying, counseling a friend, reading, writing, creating art, and other contemplative activities and practices. The Grounding Lawn is within this area, as well.
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The Grounding Lawn​​
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Grounding, also known as "Earthing", refers to the practice of connecting your body to the Earth and her electrical charge. Grounding is important because as we go through life our bodies accumulate a positive electrical charge, also known as 'Positively Charged Free Radicals', that can potentially cause health issues. When we ground ourselves through contact with the Earth we absorb her gift of 'Negatively Charged Free Electrons', which neutralize those accumulated free radicals. Research suggests that neutralizing these free radicals reduces chronic pain and inflammation (a contributing factor to many diseases), increases serotonin levels for improved mood and lower stress levels, reduces blood pressure, provides for better sleep quality, and enhances immune system function.
As children we often went barefoot, climbed trees, and played in the dirt, but as adults most of us have lost that regular contact with the Earth. Here's your opportunity to reconnect by taking your shoes off and spending a few minutes of barefoot time on the Grounding Lawn!
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The Burden Box
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Near the labyrinth is a small, red metal container labelled "Burden Box" in white marker. It has pens and paper and simple instructions: "1. Write your burden. 2. Deposit in box. 3. People pray for you."​​