Fatima Al Khulaifi
When we think of National Sport Day and active exercise, we usually picture a person jogging, weightlifting or playing sports like football, basketball or volleyball. However, there is one activity which, although not considered a conventional fitness activity, has similarly beneficial effects on a person’s physical, mental, and even spiritual well-being – home gardening and tree planting.
Aside from the obvious environmental benefits and calorie burning and cardio resulting from this physically intense activity, home gardening also boosts the production of hormones associated with happiness, enhances mental and physical relaxation, teaches the virtue of patience, and improves the quality of both sleep and breathing as a result of being in an open-air environment.
Sport activities at QBG
From a mental health and spiritual standpoint, home gardening is essential in helping overcome certain psychological issues. It brings out a sense of hope and optimism and elicits a person’s meditative and reflective side, along with corresponding feelings of gratitude, positivity, and the wish to actively contribute to society, the environment, and the greater planet, which is exactly what planting a tree is – a contribution and an actioned and exemplified commitment to creating a better home for all members of humanity and the diverse wildlife inhabiting our planet.
At QBG, a member of Qatar Foundation (QF), we believe in empowering individuals to make decisions that help protect the planet. We work closely with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and local and international NGOs, such as the Qatar Red Crescent Society and Botanic Gardens Conservation International, as well as multilateral organizations like the International Union for Conservation of Nature to assist us in this mission and amplify our impact on the community.
The Holy Qur’an contains more than 500 verses related to the environment and sustainability, highlighting our sacred duty of taking good care of our planet and everything we have been blessed with on it. Since our actions today have consequences on tomorrow, we have a responsibility to make choices and decisions that contribute to the well-being of the Earth.
Whether you would like to jog and exercise in our garden, or just take a look at the beautiful trees and plants it contains, our doors are always open for you. We also regularly hold educational workshops, events, and webinars for those who would like to learn more about home gardening and agriculture and make a considerable contribution to the planet, as well as their own physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.
Fatima Al Khulaifi, Director of the Qur’anic Botanic Garden (QBG)
