Brooklyn Botanic Garden promises “place for peace” amidst election results

If you’re looking for a place to clear your mind, since you can’t clear your newsfeed fast enough, Brooklyn’s own Botanic Garden has you covered this fall/winter season.

With native gardens and unique nature paths open weekly until 4:30 p.m., the foliage and fresh air might prove just the trick for getting into that zen headspace you might be looking for.

“Brooklyn Botanic Garden is here as a place for peace and reflection—and a soothing balm for New Yorkers during times when our nation and communities need healing,” the Garden’s communication department writes. “Immersing ourselves in the beauty of nature can be restorative.”

The Garden’s Japanese Hill-and Pond Garden and Native Flora Garden are good places to start. According to the Garden’s news blog, spending time in nature is considered by many to be a form of meditation.

“In Japan, the process of deeply experiencing nature by taking it in slowly and thoughtfully through all the senses is called shinrin-yoku, which translates as “forest bathing,” Lavender Suarez writes on the blog. “The practice’s effects on the body and mind have been studied since it was developed in the early 1980s and has been shown to lower cortisol, the primary stress hormone in the brain, and lower blood pressure. It has also been shown to help improve immunity and boost metabolism, among other positive effects.”

Admission is to the Garden (990 Washington Avenue) is free for seniors on Friday, free for everyone on Saturday before noon and free for kids under 12 at all times. For more informtaion, visit www.bbg.org.