Terra Mandala Meditation Garden

RoseFriesenPhoto

TERRA MANDALA MEDITATION GARDEN

Six garden rooms honour the world’s great spiritual traditions

Open to the public, by donation

Services

Group tours with interpreter. Allow 1 hour for a walk-through to introduce you to the unique elements of each garden room. Allow 2 hours for a guided spiritual practice in each garden room. Fee $25.

Garden tour & tea for small groups (max. 7).

Workshops in the garden, customized to your group’s needs

Soulwork in the Labyrinth

Walking the Medicine Wheel

Medicine Buddha Meditation

The Earth is my Mother

Mandala Drawing

Celebrant specializing in earth-centred ceremonies. Irene Friesen is a registered Marriage Commissioner in Manitoba.

Please book services at least 2 weeks in advance 204-753-2699

See Contact page for maps and driving directions.

Take a virtual garden tour…

Chagpori Hill

In this Buddhist garden, named after a hill near Lhasa, Tibet, turn the prayer wheel. The prayer flags send prayers for compassion into the winds. A statue of Buddha sits between two rocks

The Labyrinth
The labyrinth is a universal tool for contemplation. As you journey inward, ask your soul what it needs; as you journey outward, reflect on how to integrate your soul’s reply into your daily life.

Medicine Wheel
The Cosmos Stone at the centre of this aboriginal mandala represents the Soul. Four stones anchor the four directions and represent Air, Earth, Fire and Water. Walk clockwise around the wheel and open your heart to the twelve teaching stones

Hildegard’s Herb Garden
Nestled in an oak grove, the herb garden is named after Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179), a Christian mystic, abbess, herbalist, composer and writer. The medicinal plants in this garden are deer resistant and drought tolerant

Taiga Woodland Garden

Taiga is the Siberian word for boreal forest. This garden honours the shamanic tradition of Siberia. Have an eye-to-eye conversation with Shaman Prairie Thunder, sculpted by artist Walter Keller. Evidence of a forest fire 25 years ago reminds us of the cycle of life and death.

The Great Mother
The Great Earth Mother rests here, immortalized in rock, her womb pregnant with mint. A younger female image is engraved in her heart. Nearby, a snake petroform marks a seasonal snake den where garter snakes spend the winter. Snakes are a universal symbol of healing and fertility.

Paradaisa—an Islamic Garden

is under construction and will open in 2012.

The Islamic garden is one of the highest forms of visual art in Islamic cultures.

What garden visitors say….

Thank you for cultivating sacred space for others to enjoy and honour Mother Earth.

So Gabriola. So Saltspring

My spirit has renewed strength and courage for my battle ahead.

What a wonderful peaceful tour. I’ve learned lots about different spiritual cultures and lots about myself in the process.

A peaceful haven. It moved my soul and I would love to come back.

Absolutely beautiful!

Very powerful energy.

Thank-you for sharing your passion for peace.

I could feel a connection to the earth here.

Earth-friendly gardening techniques

Organic xeriscaping amid mixed boreal forest and pre-cambrian rock , using local materials where possible

No gas powered equipment

Native plants, drought tolerant plants, deer resistant plants

Supporting wildlife and pollinators

More Resources

Contemplative guide with meditations and prayers from six spiritual traditions represented by the garden rooms

Plant List identifies the native and cultivated plant species

Article: Deer Resistant Herb Garden.

Building a Mandala Home

My yurt-style home provides living space filled with harmony, light and peace. The architectural design is based on the Five Elements. The multi-functional design facilitates a variety of activities: pottery production and teaching, tea parties and potlucks, workshops, ceremonies, concerts, research and writing, overnight accommodation for guests. I reduce my carbon footprint by focusing on energy efficiency, low tech and a simple lifestyle. Did you know that round homes are 20% more energy efficient than box homes?

Links: Facebook photo story about building my home

Mandala Custom Homes

Juno Carpentry

“Eye of Heaven” –

the skylight at the centre of my home

“People will never find true peace until they come into a harmonious relationship with the land where they live.” Jung

Workshops in the Garden

I can work with you to customize one of these workshops to your group’s interests and needs:

Soulwork in the Labyrinth - The labyrinth represents a journey to your center and back again out into the world. You walk and listen and journal with soul-searching questions.

Walking the Medicine Wheel -. Walking around the wheel in silence, you focus on harmony and balance with the elements: Air, Earth, Fire and Water, and listen for four different perspectives to your inquiry.

Medicine Buddha Meditation - This Buddhist meditation focuses on compassion and includes reciting a mantra, a guided visualization and contemplation on a mandala.

The Earth is my Mother – Through ceremony, we honour The Great Mother as she is known in various cultures across cultures. Your contemporary focus is on clarifying your role in the climate crises.

Mandala Drawing - A mandala is a symbolic drawing made within the framework of a circle. Mandalas are a tool for meditation, therapy and personal growth. You will learn to draw and interpret your own mandala. No art skills required.

Fees are based on the size of the group and the workshop duration (1-2 hours).