GardenHelp.org

Okay gardeners! How many of you have aching backs, sore feet or throbbing fingers after a long day in the garden? We reach, yank, shove, lift and twist into all sorts of contorted positions to perfect our gardens — often without thinking about how this will affect our bodies later in the day or in the years ahead. Don’t get me wrong! I encourage the fresh-air, chlorophyll-induced exercise that gardening provides. I never feel better than exhausted after putting my all into eradicating dock weed or cleaning dead branches out of a Japanese Maple. But, it’s true that with that elation often comes a few aches and pains.

Soaking in a hot tub with epsom salts or dead sea salts is my favorite way to start winding my body down after a cool season gardening day. The salts draw out toxins and the warm water, well, it just feels good. A bit of arnica gel on bumps and bruises helps them heal up quickly. But, most importantly stretching ensures my body stays limber and strong to face the beginning, end and future of my gardening days.

Relaxing & Releasing Legs-Up-A-Wall

Recently, in my regular column for Roosevelt Family News (soon-to-be-renamed American Family News), I shared an interview with Diane Anderson, 25+ year yogi and owner of Northwest Community Yoga. Diane and I discussed challenges facing gardeners, and she provides a variety of simple yoga poses that just about anyone is capable of achieving. From pulling in our tummies to protect our low backs to resting with our legs up a wall, embracing yoga empowers gardeners to not only build stronger gardens but build stronger, more supple selves along the way.

Read more about pose specifics in the August Issue of Roosevelt Family News.

And, whether you’re an experienced yogi or have never tried a yoga pose in your life, consider joining Diane (and yours truly) for a special yoga workshop focused on the needs of gardeners. (And really, its open to anyone.)  Specifically, within a complete yoga practice, Diane will help us focus on stretching the hamstrings, quads, hips & groin. We will also practice some medium backbends, some hand stretches, and end with an inversion to facilitate a “well rounded” yoga experience. This work will also be helpful to ease & release low back tension. Diane is experienced teaching mixed classes with students of all levels, so she welcomes everyone to participate. For more information:

• When: Saturday, October 11, 2008, 2pm-4pm
• Where: Northwest Community Yoga Center
• Cost: $35/person; pre-registration appreciated
• Questions: Contact Diane

Really, the big message here is take care of yourself. If you’ve ever suffered from injury, you know that one season without your body able to garden is one season lost to weeds, soil erosion, and overgrowth. Frankly, that’s a season of my life that I work hard never to revisit.