You ARE the Garden: The Seed Meditation for Growing Anywhere

Now, people see my “jungle cathedral” apartment—every surface covered with plants, grow lights creating perpetual golden hour—and assume you need that kind of space to connect with the growing world. But here’s what I’ve learned: You ARE the garden.

Every sacred interval that my friend Marcus talks about? That’s soil. Every moment of stillness? That’s where seeds can take root. You don’t need acreage or even a balcony. You just need to understand that consciousness itself is the most fertile ground there is.

The Seed Meditation: A Practice for Anywhere

Here’s a practice I developed during those early days, sitting at my desk, surrounded by spreadsheets but yearning for something real. I call it the Seed Meditation, and you can do it anywhere—in an office, on a subway, in a windowless room.

Step 1: Plant Your Feet

Place both feet flat on the floor. Imagine tiny roots extending from your soles, reaching down through carpet, through concrete, through all the layers that separate you from actual earth. Because no matter how many floors are between you and soil, you’re still connected to the growing world.

Step 2: Find Your Heart Garden

Place one hand on your heart. This is where we’ll plant our first seed—a seed of self-compassion. As you breathe in, imagine a tiny seed resting in the dark soil of your chest. As you breathe out, create space for it to grow.

Step 3: Tend with Breath

Your breath is rain. Your attention is sunlight. There’s nothing to force. Growth happens in its own time. With each inhale, send warmth to your seed. With each exhale, release what it doesn’t need.

Step 4: Trust the Dark

Remember: seeds germinate in darkness. That office cubicle, that small apartment, that feeling of being cut off from nature—these aren’t obstacles to growth. They’re the dark, quiet spaces where transformation begins.

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Next in this series: Discover how to transform any environment into your teacher and learn simple daily rituals that keep your inner garden flourishing—even under fluorescent lights.