Herbal cure from paradise

JALALUDDIN RUMI conceived this heavenly herbal cure as a treatment for spiritual ills, but so, too, can earthly nature be – there is no need to go looking for herbs in paradise. Even this painted mandala, with its leaves and flowers laid out in balanced harmony, can radiate wellbeing to body, mind and spirit.

More than these painted plants, though, those that grow in nature, the nature that is so savagely under attack from an ever more voracious human activity, can offer solace to the troubled soul. Take the time to look, really to look, at the miraculously intricate forms of plants, the minute irregularities in shape and structure that reflect their moment-to-moment response to their environment, and to feel their gently healing presence. Be alive to their beauty, and the effortless grace they add to the dreariest of settings.