Marshall Yard:

Zen Gardens help the mind and calm the nerves.  The Zen Garden in Account Management was the first I spotted at Catalyst – I wondered what the person was thinking as they quietly raked the delicate sand and rocks. This prompted me to place one up at the reception desk and  I noticed people (almost instinctively) drawn to the Garden. Patterns created included circles, zig-zags, straight lines and completely smooth surfaces.  What do these patterns represent?  Oddly enough, desk-dwellers and “creative minds” at Catalyst often raked very simple patterns…but individuals whose work is more physical raked elaborate, intricate designs.

My own interpretation is that, through the Zen Garden, people rid themselves of mental clutter and stored energy – in a manner seemingly inconsistent with their daily routines.

Stepping away from deadlines, shipments, phone calls and schedules for just a moment nurturs a sort of mental deep breath.  What happens when the solution to a problem alludes you? Often the remedy is made clear after you’ve put it aside for a while.Researchers tracked 23,861 healthy Greek adults for an average of six years.  Those who napped for a half hour three times a week revealed a 37% lower risk of expiring from a heart attack.  Rejuvenation in any form does a body good. Enjoying only a minute or two of untrained thought can give us a fresh mind and a more positive approach.  Allow a cleaner channel for creative thought and for physical performance.Have you ever created shortcuts on your desktop? Have these desktop icons become visual clutter on your screen? When you look at the icons on your desktop that you created for ease of use, do you realize the tracking clutter you are creating? When you have to spend more than 30 seconds searching that cluttered desktop you are only creating mental cobwebs that inventibly catch more clutter. When you simplify your surroundings, you release all the chaos that often goes unnoticed.Simplicity is the antidote for chaos. What better form of simplicity than powdered, white sand?Any type of relaxation techniques you can choose from out there will reduce negativity and your reactions to any negativity around you.  When you choose to allow any negative into your life or build up during routine activities of your day, you wear down you ability to fight off illness, emotional well being and become less productive in the long run.   

This entry was posted on Friday, August 10th, 2007 at 2:01 pm and is filed under Life, Thoughts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.