4 Ways to Practice Mindfulness with Plants

Houseplants make for beautiful home decor, can improve your mood, and liven your home. They’re also proven to reduce negative feelings, boost creativity, and purify your home’s air. There are many impressive health and wellness benefits of plants and they’re especially powerful tools for your mindfulness practices.

Mindfulness allows you to reconnect with the present and notice the little things that may pass by day-to-day. If you’re new to plants, you may not realize that they’re always flexing and moving. They turn to catch the sun, flourish when they’re healthy, and leaves fall when the soil gets dry.

Caring for plants, learning to their leaves and to identify their needs is perfect for a daily mindfulness. Here are some ways you can enjoy your plant and practice mindfulness.

Write In a Plant Journal

If you’re a plant collector, then you know just how different plant needs can be. Desert plants are comfortable without water for weeks, while tropical plants thrive in controlled humidity. A journal is a great way to manage your plant’s needs, behavior, and growth.

Even if you’re new to plant parenthood, write down the plant’s basic needs and track its care, including:

• Watering schedule
• Sunlight
• Soil and fertilizers
• Growth

Care guides are often generalized and the same plant will react to the same care differently depending on its environment. Tracking your care and the plant’s reaction will help you learn what works best in your home.

Observe Your Plants

If journaling isn’t your thing, observing your plants throughout the day is still a good way to relax and reconnect. Take note of your plant’s colors, number of leaves, and movement. You may notice new growth where leaves haven’t yet unfurled, showing your plant is healthy. You may also feel that the stem is soft and squishy, and it needs less water.

Over time, you’ll learn to communicate with your plant and discover a new way to enjoy its beauty. Notice it’s texture, smell, movement, and beauty to be a little more mindful each day.

Enjoy Growth

All plants grow at their own pace. Some may take years to bloom, while others provide beautiful flowers each spring. Plants vine, and droop, and grow tall, or grow wide. Watch your plants and provide excellent care, and you’ll see amazing growth that celebrates your and your plants’ well-being.

Observe and enjoy this growth, taking care to watch your plant change over time. Notice the difference between young leaves and old leaves, twist a plant’s vine to take a specific shape or grow around a wall, or propagate a whole new plant from healthy leaves.

Sit With Your Plants

Plants can purify your air, replace negative feelings with calm, and provide an overall boost to your well-being. Decorating your meditation or yoga space with plants can improve your practice and help you relax. Enjoy deep, fresh breaths, smell the plant and its soil, and embrace the presence of plants.

Plants have an amazing power to soothe, feed, and heal. Ask yourself what benefits plants can provide for your home and learn about different species to begin your plant parenthood journey. Enjoy the green scenery, clean air, and celebrate your growth together.