Pensacola, Fla. (Dec. 10, 2025) – A new Meditation Garden has opened at Lakeview Center’s main campus in downtown Pensacola, offering clients, families, visitors and team members a peaceful outdoor space to support healing and mental well-being.

Thanks to generous support from NAMI Emerald Coast and the Ladybug Garden Club of Pensacola, the Meditation Garden creates a quiet, natural environment where individuals can find respite and reflection. The space is designed to incorporate the calming effects of nature and the benefits of mindfulness into daily routines.

In addition to children and adults attending therapy or treatment appointments, the garden will be available to family members accompanying loved ones to appointments or visiting residential facilities, as well as Lakeview Center team members seeking a quiet moment during the workday. From its downtown Pensacola campus, Lakeview Center offers outpatient treatment, as well as crisis services and residential programs.

“Spending time outdoors and practicing meditation have been shown to improve outcomes for people seeking mental health and substance misuse treatment,” said Shawn Salamida, president of Lakeview Center. “This garden is a meaningful extension of our care, offering a space where clients and their loved ones can reflect, reconnect and heal. We’re deeply grateful to our community partners at NAMI Emerald Coast and the Ladybug Garden Club for making this possible.”

Lakeview Center’s Meditation Garden features a labyrinth—one of only two in Pensacola and among just a few in the region—offering a unique space for reflection and healing. Unlike a maze, a labyrinth has a single, winding path to the center and back out, encouraging slow, intentional movement. Walking the path can help lower anxiety and stress levels, providing a physical way to quiet the mind and focus inward—an especially valuable practice for individuals in mental health or substance misuse treatment.

Dan Hamel, Lakeview’s clinically trained chaplain for over 26 years, uses the labyrinth as a powerful resource for spiritual self-care. “Labyrinths, like the one featured in our Meditation Garden, are an ancient tool for contemplation. It’s not a maze—there are no decisions to make, no dead ends—just a single path that leads to the center and back out. Walking it with intention can help calm the mind and open the heart to reflection,” he explained. Chaplain Dan routinely incorporates this practice into recovery groups and treatment programs, introducing clients to a more active form of meditation that promotes clarity and peace in a serene outdoor setting.

“Mental health recovery takes a whole-community approach,” said Linda Finklestein, executive director of NAMI Emerald Coast and member of the Ladybug Garden Club. “We’re proud to help create a beautiful, peaceful place that supports healing for individuals and families in our community. The Meditation Garden is a place to breathe in the midst of chaos and heal on the journey of recovery.”

Research continues to show the positive connection between time spent in nature and improved mental health. Meditation and spiritual reflection are often powerful tools in recovery, helping individuals manage stress, increase emotional resilience and foster a sense of hope and purpose. Painting for the mural was led by local artist Daniel Andreu, with Lakeview Center team members and supporters coming out to help for a fun-filled painting day.

The Meditation Garden is now open to all Lakeview Center clients, guests and team members and can be found on Lakeview Center’s downtown Pensacola campus, located at 1221 W. Lakeview Ave.

To support projects like this, benefiting mental health and substance misuse treatment services at Lakeview Center, visit eLakeviewCenter.org/donate.