Let's put our hands in the soil, get them "dirty", plant something and meditate on the amazing journey we have just set in motion!
I’m Fred Ellman, and I work with therapeutic horticulture and meditation to create an experience of connection and joy for seniors, and particularly seniors living with dementia and their care partners. I use plants in workshops and over zoom to explore care-giving, kindness, mindfulness and play. The sensory opportunities of working with the horticultural world lend themselves to endless moments of interaction. These interactions through observation, botanical care-taking, story telling, videos and poetry, lead to a rich experience for my participants.
Personally, I have worked through a lifetime of anxiety. Understanding and then managing them has given me superpowers to connect to seniors with dementia via the modalities of horticulture and mindfulness .
Therapeutic Horticultural Activities
Therapeutic Horticultural Activities for a person living with dementia and their care partner are a perfect way to create soothing, purpose filled moments. All plants need care, love, some watering, and maybe some trimming. Working together on these needs for the plant is a focused time that is extremely satisfying, while building and maintaining a respectful and joyful connection for the two participants.
Meditating with a person and their care partner.
It is moments of calm and connection to bring mindful meditation into the dynamic between the two adults. I work with both parties to create a space, enhanced by our plants, that is focused, easy, and restorative. Whether you have any experience with meditation or not, we will enjoy many moments of ease and joy.
I created this video as an overview of how plants and meditation are intimately related. I hope it gives you a bit of joy in seeing how plants and meditation can be understood together!