- Andrea White, left, and Diane McCloskey were the mainstays of a community campaign to install a meditation garden at Harelson Park in south Tempe’s Warner Ranch neighborhood.
Let’s face it – life can be nerve-racking. Now there’s hope for the weary, the stressed out, the burnt out. Warner Ranch and other nearby residents soon will have a place to get in touch with their Zen side and escape, at least for a few restful moments, from the usual break-neck speed of daily life.
Andrea White, a south Tempe resident, had been meditating on how to help other community members connect with their peaceful side. After visiting Sedona, she brought back with her an idea to help residents do exactly that – meditate.
After two years of working with Tempe, her vision is finally coming together in the form of a meditation garden in a neighborhood park.
“I saw a meditation garden in Sedona, and was very impressed with it,” White said. “I thought it would be great to have in our community.”
Construction is currently taking place, and the garden should be open in October, White said. It’s located in Harelson Park, adjacent to Kyrene de la Mariposa Elementary School on Knox Road.
“It would be a great edition to the park, where there are soccer fields and tennis courts,” White said. “We can imagine parents bringing their kids to the park for sports, and then taking some time to visit the meditation garden to reflect on their lives.”
White said she has contacted Marianne Lescher, principal of Kyrene de la Mariposa, and is anticipating her students using the garden on a regular schedule to tangibly support the idea of peace.
“At the school, they have peace days, when they promote peace and getting along, as well as conflict resolution,” she said.
“She is anticipating having some teachers bringing the kids over to discuss conflicts in our society.”
The meditation garden is funded by the Maryanne Corder Neighborhood Grant Program, which White helped to generate through the homeowners association in the Warner Ranch neighborhood.
“We received approximately $14,492 from the city of Tempe,” White said. “Once we got into the project, we realized it would cost more and had to do some additional fundraising.”
Local resident Diane McCloskey volunteered more than 100 hours as a landscape architect for the project. The garden includes a labyrinth similar to others like it, which follows a symmetrical path through the area, marked by a six-sided peace pole at the center bearing the words “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in multiple languages.
“The labyrinth has been around for tens of thousands of years, as a way to walk for various kinds of purposes,” White said.
“You can walk to meditate, or to get some peace in your heart.”
Many of those who have watched the garden being developed have asked about its origin and purpose.
“I’ve heard a lot of curiosity about the project,” she said. “People are starting to wonder what it is, and I think some are getting excited about it.”
McCloskey said the area will be filled with granite rocks, dotted with plants and small patches of grass when complete.
To make donations, which will be used for trees, benches and plants, contact Andrea White at 480-777-8876.
