Calming the Mind with Flowers and Meditation

Meditation is a practice that has many science-based benefits, calming the mind amongst them. Flowers are also known to have a restorative effect on people’s mental health.

We’re halfway through spring and most of us have spent a good part of it indoors due to social distancing related to the COVID-19 pandemics.

Fear and anxiety surrounding diseases can be strong both in adults and in Children and, even though everyone reacts differently to stressful situations, some common symptoms can include:

• Fear and worry about your own health and the health of your loved ones;
• Changes in sleep or eating patterns;
• Difficulty sleeping or concentrating;
• Worsening of chronic health problems;
• Worsening of mental health conditions; and
• Increased use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs.

Amidst the sea of advice for this time of crisis, one is prevalent - take care of your body. That could mean eating healthy and well-balanced meals, exercise regularly and get plenty of sleep. However, our favourite is to take deep breaths and meditate. Add to your home a few fresh flower arrangements and you’re sure to create a more relaxing atmosphere.

Health Benefits of Flowers

Both flowers and meditation have been the object of many studies that attest to their health benefits. In particular, the most noteworthy benefits of flowers are:

• Can lower anxiety and fatigue levels - a study with patients recovering from surgery in a hospital showed that having foliage and flowers in hospital rooms had therapeutic effects on patients that had a lower intake of pain medication, lower blood pressure, less anxiety and manifested feelings of more satisfaction with their rooms.
• Can boost the mood - Some flowers have a known soothing effect, like lavender. However, many flowers have an uplifting effect. Researchers from Wageningen University’s Centre for Innovative Consumer Studies have shown that restaurants and dining rooms with flower arrangements were described as more cheerful, warmer and more enjoyable.

When you’re feeling particularly down or if you want to brighten someone’s day, you can bet a Peace Lily, Lavender, Gerbera, Chrysanthemum, or Geranium will do the trick.

How to Ease into Meditation

There are many reported benefits of meditation, such as fuel positivity, improve focus, and reduce stress, especially in current times. However, you may find the very idea of meditating stressful and we want to give you some pointers to ease you into the practice of meditation.

• Be compassionate with yourself - anything may be difficult when you try it for the first time and the same goes for meditation. The mind goes where the mind wants to go, and that’s alright. If all you can do is sit for a few minutes at a time and observe your mind wander, that’s meditation already. Now that you notice the mind wandering, try observing your breath and see how you feel.
• Create a space of peace and calm - when you decide to create a space for your meditation you are setting the intention for your practice. A comfortable pillow, a few candles and a fresh flower arrangement will all come together and let your brain know that it’s meditation time.
• Quantity will conduce to quality - the more you practice, the easier it’ll get for you to get in the zone and give your body and mind those restful moments to reset and recharge.
• Try to disconnect - you may choose to use an app for your background music or a guided meditation. However, you should make sure to turn all alarms and notifications off before you start.

A Great Combination All Year Round

There you have it. Flowers subtle power to heal and calm the mind and body has been known for a long time. This is one of the reasons why we send sympathy flowers to grieving loved ones. This is also why we send get well soon flowers to uplift friends and family recovering from an illness.

The powerful combination of fresh flowers and meditation can be a game-changer when it comes to keeping our spirits high and brightening our lives all year round.

Special COVID-19 announcement: Starting Monday, May 11, 2020, Flower Plus will be re-opening; - Flower Plus will only be open for curbside pick-up and delivery; please place your orders via telephone or email, kelly@flowerplusonbayview.com; - Due to COVID-19, we are experiencing supply chain issues and Flower Plus cannot offer the usual wide assortment of fresh flowers; - Hours of Operation will also be reduced to 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday to Saturday