Spiritual Education Through Vegetables
An intern’s reflections on gardening, intuition, and service at Ananda Retreat
At Ananda Retreat, even simple daily tasks can become profound spiritual lessons. Intern John Carlson shares how working in the garden became an unexpected journey of service, intuition, and joy.
When I arrived at the retreat last summer, my first task was to paint a greenhouse along with my fellow interns. As I worked, I couldn’t help but notice the vegetable garden lying fallow nearby.
Something in me felt strongly that it was a place I could serve — contributing to the retreat kitchen, learning about growing food, and offering support through hands-on work.
For the next few months, I helped out in the botanical garden. Charles taught me so much by setting me to a task, giving basic instruction, and then letting me figure things out for myself.
Whenever I hesitated or had a technical question, he was always there with support and guidance. This instilled great confidence in me. Along the way, he also shared insights about intuition, the devas, nature spirits, and the quiet wisdom he had received through years of practice.
After a few months away, I returned to the retreat in January. Winter slowly turned to spring, and I still found myself thinking about the vegetable garden.
I asked Charles about it from time to time, but he reassured me that there were plenty of other areas needing attention. I did my best to trust his sage wisdom over my youthful enthusiasm.
I accepted and surrendered to the larger plan: the vegetable garden would go at least another year unused.
Then, Charles received clear guidance that the vegetable garden should be prepared for planting.
Now, I was the one feeling resistant. I had already accepted we had too much to do — and waking up before meditation to harvest vegetables didn’t sound like the most comfortable plan.
But Charles had received strong inner guidance, and if he’s taught me anything, it’s that fighting intuition is a losing battle.
With his instruction, I began turning soil in raised beds, researching planting schedules, and feeling like I knew nothing the entire time.
Charles kept telling me that I did know — I simply had to trust it.
This would be an experimental year. We would learn a lot, raise the vibration of the retreat for our guests, but we shouldn’t expect much of a harvest.
To make a long story short, we had a better harvest than any of us expected.
Zucchini, tomatoes, and lettuce were our biggest producers. But the corn, sunflowers, amaranth, potatoes, sweet peas, and radishes were the most fun to watch grow.
Even the existing fruit trees — apples, pears, and peaches — produced baskets of fruit.
It was a wonderful experience for me, and I think Charles would concur. The chefs in the kitchen certainly enjoyed having freshly harvested produce to work with.
It especially touched my heart when I would see a curious guest wandering across the gravel road to the vegetable garden to take a look.
They seemed pleased to see that we were attempting to grow their food — especially when the chefs would announce a delicious meal and add:
“Grown from our garden.”
Guests’ ears would perk up, and a smile would spread across their face… and mine.
I’m happy to say the experiment was a success, and the vegetable garden will continue.
At Ananda Retreat, this spirit of service is part of the path of karma yoga — learning to offer our work joyfully to God, whether in the garden, the kitchen, or any area of retreat life. Many guests and volunteers find that these simple acts of service become a powerful part of their spiritual growth, alongside meditation, yoga, and our retreat programs.
For those who feel inspired, there are opportunities to participate through volunteer service and work-exchange programs, offering your time in the gardens, kitchen, and other areas that support guests and the spiritual atmosphere of the retreat.
We’ll see what next year’s harvest will bring, but as always, it is in the hands of the devas, nature spirits, the Heavenly Father, and our Divine Mother.
May this garden continue to nourish not only the body, but also the peace and joy of all who visit Ananda Retreat.
— John Carlson