Journey with me through the garden and witness spectacular and amazing changes.
This playlist (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOy1bBHCRVigxkfVIbzrfGDHHifdDBVZS&si=F7sBbuHBdYleWGIn) of videos on YouTube represents my transformation and healing journey through the art of backyard gardening.
A few years ago, I experienced a mental breakdown from stress, pain, and trauma. I was also suffering from fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, anxiety, depression, severe panic attacks, and PTSD, and needed to find a way to restore inner peace and balance to my mind, body, and emotions. And if all that wasn’t enough, I was hooked on prescription pain medication, legally prescribed, for a spinal cord injury.
Many self-help books listed gardening as a very beneficial way to find balance and harmony, so I joined our local community garden and learned all I could from the local gardeners on how to get started.
From there I was inspired to dig my shovel in the ground to get my hands dirty, while I was focused on putting the pieces of my broken life back together again. It didn't take me long to realize the amazing healing benefits of being outside and in nature all day long. I spent many hours in the garden; placing each rock in place and picking every weed.
Those rocks that I collected from here and there came to represent the pieces of my life coming back together and the weeds I endlessly picked out came to represent all the things in life that I had to let go of to balance myself back out again.
It didn't happen overnight and it wasn't an easy road at all. I completely left modern medicine behind in 2018; having lost faith in doctors and their ability to heal. I found an inner strength to go on that was born out of the need to end the suffering I was going through.
I soon realized the magic of gardening. Since my body experiences ongoing pain from the spinal cord injury, having beautiful flowers to look at helps me to cope with life in pain. The sounds and smells of nature are very relaxing and calming and taking the time to, "stop and smell the roses," is something I look forward to every day the flowers are in bloom.
I have put these videos in order so you can view each one and watch the growth and beauty of nature unfold in my backyard as I transform my disability into an ability.
Through the art of gardening, I discovered joy and happiness that overcomes the challenges of living life with a disabling chronic illness. It is my mission to bring awareness to the healing and transformative benefits the art of gardening offers.
Follow my story on the web @ www.nicolecicco.com and www.thesoundwithinus.com