Blog Post

Be a seed, my friend

Our Lady of Greens • 10 September 2021

How sowing can become a spiritual experience when done mindfully

Bowl of microgreens by Our Lady of Greens

 

Sowing must be one of the most profound soul connecting activities a human being can do with almost zero effort. If done mindfully, it can have the same impact as other practices that require much more time and discipline.


First, it’s the simplicity of it all. Get your seeds, your medium, your pot, and of course, water. Everything is widely available and easy to access. You will need to choose what you want to grow. Should you go for something you know very well and have grown before? Or instead, go for something new that you would like to try… For those with no growing experience, the choice might be easier, or not? Ultimately, we want to feel empowered by our choice so consider this point carefully.


The technique sowing itself is simple:


🌱Lay a bit of medium in your chosen pot (soil, coco coir, etc.).

🌱Put a few seeds in it leaving space in between them. If they are big just plant one or two in one pot.

🌱Lay a bit more medium on top.

🌱Repeat if necessary and, when you finish, make sure you water all the pots.


To be able to grow, seeds need regular watering and light. That’s it. There is no right or wrong way to put the seed in the pot. It’s something you can do in a split of a second. Just toss the seed into the pot, and it will always find the right way out towards the light. You’ll just need to wait for it to happen.


And yet, such a simple operation can be a truly spiritually enriching experience when carrying it out mindful way. There is so much we can learn from a seed, believe it or not. In fact, probably some of the main lessons we need to apply to have a purposeful experience can be learnt by observing a tiny seed.


These are four of the things I have learn from seeds:


Life flows effortlessly


Seeds need to make zero effort to grow. They trust the process and flow with it. They don’t compare with other seeds that are doing better and decide that they need to grow twice as fast. Or in fact, just move elsewhere where the growing conditions will be more suitable based on an article that a very reputable professional published on LinkedIn. That, of course, if there was such a thing as a LinkedIn for seeds… I imagine being a seed tossed into a pot, must feel like jumping from certainly high into the sea during a summer holiday. You really must trust and let go, if you want to have that feeling of joy when you emerged from the water. During term time, it could be compared to accepting that whatever comes our way comes for a reason and that a lot of things that might feel uncomfortable stop feeling like that when you let go of expectations and accept them.


Self-care is a priority


As seeds need water and light, we have needs, and we must prioritise those. Sometimes we fail to acknowledge the fact that our needs are complex. They include physical, mental, and spiritual needs. In order to have, happy and healthy lives we need to take care of all of them. We aren’t less of a father, sister, friend, or son because we prioritise our needs. We need to give ourselves what we need to grow. Is that so difficult to understand? Of course, it’s not. But again, and again we fail to address the paradigm that “to be good” we need to put other people first. Whether it’s in our personal or professional lives (or both) the result will be living a life disconnected from our inner self and our real purpose.



Things will happen when they must happen


And this is a big one. Things will happen when they must happen. Not sooner or later. Ufffffff! Just writing this gives me such a sense of relief. As the seed will sprout when it’s meant to, things will come to us at the right time. Why losing sleep over something that hasn’t happened yet? We need to go through the process and sometimes that might take longer than we anticipated. Just think about that and keep going. You don’t want to give up the day before you were meant to sprout. Focus on your objective, and not on the time that will take you to achieve it. Then just wonder, is this serving my objective? And if not, let it go.


Perfectionism is an enemy in disguise


Finally, perfectionism can become an important hindrance in both our spiritual and vegetable growing paths. There is no such thing as perfect conditions, perfect seeds, or even perfect sprouts. By being a perfectionist, you double or triple your chances of interfering with the natural flow of life which is exactly what you don’t want to do. The mistakes you are dreading to make will be necessary pieces in the puzzle of your life. Besides, what does perfection have to do with anything? It’s about adaptability, rather than perfection. By aspiring to perfection, you are narrowing down your reality leaving aside a whole world of opportunities. Move graciously through life, focusing on your purpose, and flowing, like if you were a seed, my friend.


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