By Linda Wiggen Kraft
Meditation, or thought- based technology, which can also be called intention, prayer or mindfulness, has been shown to enhance crop yields, nutritional value and livelihood of rural farmers in India. This technology can be used in our own gardens and farms to enhance the life of the garden and gardener.
Sustainable Yogic Agriculture, (SYA) started in India and is now used in parts of South Africa and Europe. It is a way of organic growing that goes beyond normal organics in that it integrates meditation, or thought based-technology, into all phases of a plant’s growth. It recognizes both the physical and divine life force of the whole of a garden including humans, soil, plants, insects, birds, microorganisms, sun, water, and air.
SYA’s purpose is to raise the quality of life and standard of living for rural farmers and deal with the problems of declining yields, less nutritious plants, pesticide sickness and sometime suicide brought on by conventional farming. Research done by two top Indian agricultural universities comparing conventional, organic and SYA organic farming showed plants with the highest yields, germination rates and nutritional value for the SYA organic methods.
It all started in the mid 2000s with one meditator farmer who wanted to eliminate insect problems with his crops. He sat in his fields and meditated with the thoughts that his plants were filled with light and strength and that the insects were weak and no longer welcomed, they should leave. After several days the insect population declined. He shared his results and shortly afterwards SYA was started with about 400 farmers in Northern India.
The meditations practiced by the SYA farmers start with the seeds before planting. Thoughts and feelings of purity and energy from the Source of peace, non-violence, love, strength and resilience are shared with the seeds. Meditations in the fields continue daily or weekly, at times of need with plant and weather challenges and at the times of harvest.
A 2012 presentation was made at the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations about Sustainable Yogic Agriculture. It highlighted the results of meditation, or thought-based technology, that enhanced the growing plants and the lives of those who grew them.
How can we use meditation to enhance the yields of not just our garden’s plant growth but also our own growth of connection, commitment and love of nature? Opening of heart and mind to the divine life force we are all part of is a start. A practice of sitting in our gardens and sending heartfelt thoughts like those of the SYA farmers is a start. Continue by acknowledging and honoring the life force of seeds and the plants already growing, along with all elements of the garden from the sun to the soil and all that grows below.
We can call this thought based technology meditation, intention, prayer or mindfulness. What we call it isn’t important. What counts is that we garden with open heart and mind in loving ways like those described above. In so doing all the yields of our gardens will be increased.
Linda Wiggen Kraft is a landscape designer who creates holistic and organic gardens. She is also a mandala artist and workshop leader. Visit her blog: CreativityForTheSoul.com/blog or on her website: CreativityForTheSoul.com. Call her at (314) 504-4266.