Lavender, Usefulness and Tranquility Too
Lavender plants flowering in four different parts of my yard are the inspiration for this week’s mindfulness focus – tranquility. If you are not familiar with the lavender plant, you are surely familiar with its fragrance. The scent of lavender reduces stress and promotes tranquility. And it seems to be everywhere in soaps, bath bombs, candles, cleaning supplies and a host of other products.
Lavender can also be used in drinks and food, although sparingly because it has a strong flavor. A small amount of chopped lavender leaves makes a great addition to lemonade, cookies, soups, and stews. Herbs de Florence, a culinary herbal mix, often contains lavender. (Thank you to my friend Cheryl Brozell for introducing me to Herbs de Florence on roasted vegetables. )
In the garden, Lavender is a beautiful plant, with spikes of tiny purple flowers that the bees and other pollinators love. It is a great companion plant especially for keeping away insect pests.
Aspects of Tranquility
Lavender reminds me of two different aspects of tranquility. First, it is a tool we can use for stress management and to get ourselves to a more serene state. Lavender plants are like tranquility vortexes. When you walk through the garden and brush up against the leaves or flowers, they release a calming fragrance. Flowers and leaves can be collected and dried, tied into small cloth bags or used as incense. If you are not a gardener, the essential oil of lavender is widely available. We can use the scent of lavender throughout the day, during meditation, and during periods of high stress.
The Nature of Lavender
But the second aspect of lavender is more poetic. Many plants, when they are bumped into will sting, scratch, or poke you. Other plants simply ignore you. But when lavender is jostled in any way, it releases a calming fragrance. So lavender provides an example of how to respond in a challenging world. What if we all worked toward releasing a soothing energy when we were jostled rather than reacting with verbal stings and scratches?
It is great to have lavender as a tool to promote calm. But it seems like the ultimate goal would be tranquility as something we embody, rather than something we “get to”. This week’s mindfulness focus is tranquility, contemplating and being aware of how we “get to” tranquil and how we embody it.
For more information about weekly mindfulness focus words click here.
