26 Ways > Zen Garden > How to Make a Desktop Zen Garden

How to Make Your Own Frugal Desktop Zen Garden

...and enjoy the benefits of Creative Energy Rakey!

By Chris Dunmire, CoachingYourCreativity.com

(con't from 26 Ways: Zen Garden)

Are you creatively blocked, stressed, or stuck? Then try Zen gardening! The ancient Japanese discipline of Zen (Sanskrit for meditation) is not just reserved for Buddhist monks trying to reach a state of spiritual enlightenment, but is also a transformational tool for creatives of all kinds to use to quiet their minds and allow inspiration to flow forth.

When you combine Zen meditation with the hands-on cultivation of a rock garden, artful sandscaping, or simply raking sand with no attachment to the outcome, you'll soon enjoy the many benefits this holistic activity (or what I like to call "Creative Energy Rakey") will bring into your life.

What benefits? Cultivating a Zen garden is a meditative, relaxing, and stress-relieving activity, perfect for calming down or centering yourself after a busy day. It's also creative, artful, and skill-building as you practice designing visually-appealing, flowing scenes over and over. This nurturing gift to yourself takes only minutes a day, rejuvenates your mind, and enhances your creative life (read my story).

The Book of Meditations (Toysmith, 2001), which came with my first Zen garden kit explains the purpose of Zen gardening:

“The purpose of cultivating a Zen rock garden is to learn to open your mind and see more than what is before you. The kit includes a wooden platform, sand, rocks, and a wooden rake. These elements, when combined allow the Zen gardener to experience what Zen masters have practiced for centuries. You can experience Zen rock gardening on a personal level wherever you chose. The rocks resemble mountains and the sand water. As you rake the sand around the rocks, you can choose patterns and designs reflecting swirling pools or swift streams. It is the patterns evolving from the contemplative mind that provide the more serene landscapes. Experiment, meditate, and enjoy.”

What You Need to Make Your Own Zen Garden:

To make your own desktop Zen garden for your office or creative studio, you'll need the following:

1. Sand
2. A shallow tray
3. Rocks
4. A raking tool

Materials: If you're a purist who desires to follow traditional Zen Buddhism ways, you'll want to use earthy materials like wood for the tray and rake. However, if you're open to modifying the practice into "Creative Energy Rakey" and use a variety of tools and materials including metals and plastics, you'll expand your creative toolbox and overall experience with this fascinating art form.

Cost: You can make your own Zen garden just like mine in the photo above for $10 or less.

Continue to Desktop Zen Garden Project page 2 »

© 2008 Chris Dunmire, CoachingYourCreativity.com. All rights reserved. (06/08/08). Please do not duplicate this article elsewhere without my permission.

About the Author
Chris Dunmire finds meaning in life as an artist, writer, humorist, and Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coach®, and is the driving force behind the popular Creativity-Portal.com Web site. Chris inspires people of all ages to be more creative through her articles, writing prompts, and project e-playbooks like her popular Dollar Bill Origami Money Plant, a "fun to make and gift away" craft project available for instant download at CreativeSlush.com.