Meditation: Compost for the Soul
Composting goes beyond feeding soil and supporting healthy plant growth.
I have learned that, when applied metaphorically, composting can also help us thrive in any garden we are planted in -- be it the board room, classroom, or around the family dinner table.
Composting for the soil is the process of breaking down organic materials (grass clippings, leaves, food scraps and animal manures). Similarly, composting for the soul is the process of breaking down personal struggles (grudges, frustration, stress, anger). Once you bring the problems to the surface, add the good stuff to the heap (honesty, communication, support, nurturing), and give it time to “cook.”
I use this composting imagery frequently to distill the mental clutter that may be holding me back in areas of my life beyond the garden. It has helped me make peace with business partners I’ve fallen out with, move on from stagnant relationships, remove obstacles holding back the creative process, and replace stress and anxieties with joy and gratitude – just like composting turns stinky raw manure and rotten vegetables into sweet smelling rich, fertile soil.
A bad farmer grows weeds, a good farmer grows crops and a great farmer grows soil. Be a great farmer and make compost for a better life and a healthier planet!
Meditation: Turning a compost pile
There are few activities that require more physical stamina then turning a compost pile. It’s a commitment and one that you can completely Zen out to. When building a compost pile, I like to get into the rhythm of shoveling back and forth and this act often becomes an internal meditation that allows me time to compost negative thoughts into positive ones: fear into faith, judgment into compassion, insecurity into confidence, anger into love and so on.
Start by identifying the area you are moving the pile to and scratch out a circle or square to mark the periphery of the new pile. You can also dig up the inside of your perimeter and add a sprinkling of things like wood ash, lime and blood meal. I like to start with a thin bottom layer of sunflowers, thistles and other plants with stems but nothing woody. These green-stemmed plants crisscrossed at the bottom of the pile help let oxygen in to the pile from below.
Begin by moving one fork at a time over from an existing compost pile needing to be turned or from raw ingredients ready to be mixed into a new pile.
Build a foundation or base about one foot tall all the way around the periphery. I like to build piles in circles and usually go with about a 5-7’ diameter.
Once you have built a 12-20” wide by 1-2’ tall base you are ready to start filling in the center a little bit at a time making sure the outer wall is always at least 6” taller than the donut hole in the middle. This allows you to build a tall and strong pile that doesn’t slough off.
Every two feet or so, take the back of the pitchfork and pack the sides and top of the pile to keep everything nice and tight. You should be able to hop on top of the pile and do a little tamp dance to help with this as well.
As you build the pile you will be able to let your mind go and just get into the rhythm of shoveling back and forth. It is an active meditation that results in a radiant pile of decomposing organic matter. How exciting!
Then to put a final intention into the pile, stir up the valerian and insert the biodynamic compost preparations.
Your compost meditation is over and you are ready to tackle a good book and a cup of tea.
For more on compost, listen to the podcast episode: BEGINNERS GUIDE TO COMPOSTING