I enjoyed reading this entire post, and also am particularly intrigued by the idea of our enjoyment of a space, as part of permaculture. I also chuckled at the part that says such spaces can be messy. I put a fair amount of work into my small suburban property, and it has been quite a process to make it as sustainable as possible. But a big shift happened when I was inspired by a realtive's outdoor kitchen to make a ground-level patio as the center piece of my backyard. It is not exactly meditative, but a cool cross between functional (grill, bbq pit, fridge, sink, etc) and downright bucolic (surrounded by vegetable beds, hop vines, fruit trees, with a my chickens nearby). I am happy to think of my efforts to create a pleasant space as part of my larger permaculture goals!