Edgar Cayce’s Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.) has its headquarters in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
The campus houses the library where transcripts of Edgar Cayce’s more than 14,000 readings can be found. In addition to the readings, the library has extensive materials on holistic health, psychic experience, religion, psychology, and other matters of a metaphysical nature.
Edgar Cayce, known as the “Sleeping Prophet”, was a well-documented psychic and mystic who is also considered to be the “father of holistic medicine.”
His approach to achieving an overall state of complete wellness included consideration of the health of body, mind, and spirit. As such, relaxation of the mind and the practice of meditation are considered to be elements of bodily health and wellness.
Along these lines, a meditation garden (now called the Harris Prayer and Meditation Garden) has been established on the grounds of the A.R.E. campus.
The garden contains an interesting assortment of trees, evergreen plants, and seasonally blooming foliage. A winding stone walkway leads through the garden and across a small footbridge over the gentle flow of tranquil waters.
Wayside benches and adequate soft lighting add to the serene and meditative experience of visiting the garden.
And, while the Meditation Garden at The A.R.E. is not extensive in acreage or square footage, it is thoughtfully designed and more than large enough for visitors to enjoy the peaceful reassurance and mental tranquility found in the presence of Nature.
Adding to the experience of meditation and spiritual rejuvenation is a magnificently constructed labyrinth, available for walking at your own contemplative pace, nearby on these same grounds.
The campus of the A.R.E. at Virginia Beach also houses the A.R.E. Health Center and Spa, where visitors may schedule a therapeutic massage from therapists trained in holistic massage therapy at the Cayce/Reilly® Massage School located on this same campus.
The visitor center offers free daily activities including tours and lectures. A weekend meditation course is taught here and a serene meditation room over-looking the Atlantic Ocean is accessible here, also free of charge during regular visitor hours.
A bookstore and gift shop housed inside the visitor center offers countless books on the Edgar Cayce readings, volumes on various aspects of health maintenance, and books on spirituality and other metaphysical topics. Cayce healthcare products are also available.
So, while we’re talking about a “Garden Tour” of the meditation garden, the whole campus of the Association for Research and Enlightenment at Virginia Beach is actually a “garden” worthy of your exploration.
