Free Yourself From Stress & Anxiety
Free yourself from stress & anxiety. What if, even for a few seconds, you could feel free, connected, present and at ease. Would you want to? Of course you would. We all want to feel a sense of peace. I don’t think anyone runs around saying “I want to be stressed and anxious all the time”. That would be a bit, well, unusual to be polite about it.
What if I told you this was possible. What if we talked about being “grounded” . No this is not some woo woo thing like many people say. We are talking about being grounded within yourself. You are connected to yourself. Connected to the Earth. Would you believe it? Would you try it? I hope so. And if you are showing skepticism about it, let’s dive in a little deeper.
What Is Grounding and How Do I Do It?
So what is grounding anyway? Grounding is a process of actual contact with the Earth. The ground beneath you. The Earth is vast. When we connect with the Earth we sense it’s boundaries. It’s edges. It’s strength and compassion. It actually creates a sense of security.
We all have our favorite things we like. You know what I’m talking about. You have a favorite place, chair, food. Something that makes us feel like “we’re at home”.
I invite you to try this:
Take your shoes off, place your feet on the ground beneath you.
Close your eyes for just a few moments.
Think of one of those favorite things. Take a deep breath and just sit in this moment.
As a result, what do you see? What do you Feel? Is there a sense of peace, did this bring a smile to your face? Did you notice your heartbeat soften? I bet you felt some sense of peace, something positive.
You just experienced a sense of grounding. Nothing odd, weird about it, just a feeling of calming and connecting.
Cultivate Presence
Free yourself from stress and anxiety. Cultivating presence is the actual essence of yoga. Grounding actually has the ability to help free us from stress and anxiety. Which is very prevalent in our society.
Everyone needs the chance to slow down, take a breath, recharge but we don’t always do it. In fact, we rarely do it.
However, as we go through our days we leave the body and go into our mind. Get lost in the busyness. Get stuck in the stressors that are real or that we perceive will happen.
We spend way more time in our mind than our bodies, and perhaps you don’t realize there is a difference, but there definitely is. I bet now you’ll be thinking about that.
Slow Down
Slow down. Let me say that again. Slow Down. I bet your thinking I can’t do that, she’s out of her mind, I don’t have time. I am here to tell you YES you can.
Let me ask you, have you ever driven somewhere and wondered “how did I get here”. I know I have.
Or are your days filled with “to do’s”? Yep, been there.
For example, maybe you get frustrated when someone is taking longer than you expect, like when you are checking out at a store. I’ve felt that way too.
As a result, these are all reminders that we are too busy, rush here and there and forgetting the importance of slowing down. Taking, even a few moments, to step back.
You may think that you don’t have time to slow down. That sounds ridiculous, counter intuitive even. But a funny thing happens when you slow down.
Your mind becomes clearer.
You actually are more productive, not less productive.
You’re kinder, lighter, more at ease.
You’re thoughts become clearer, more organized.
You even feel less stressed and anxious.
Even become the kind of person you want to be around and attract people who are the same.
What a concept! Imagine how that would feel.
Allow Yourself to Be Present
As you allow yourself to be present in the body for a few moments (or longer if you feel called to) and feel the effects, the benefits that this provides to you.
Let this be a reminder that this is how you want to feel. More at ease, at peace and clear.
Grounding is different for everyone but remember we are all connected to the Earth, and we are a part of it.
There is energy all around us and within us. We all feed off each other. The plants, animals, everything.
I’ll use the analogy of a tree. It’s grand, vast.
There are roots that are at the base, providing nourishment, strength, support and structure.
Then the trunk rises up from the roots in the Earth. Those roots run deep and wide.
The Earths roots safely grounded holding the tree in place. Branches grow off the trunk in many different directions reaching up high, again providing strength and structure for the tree. Holding it in place.
We are like the tree. Standing tall with our feet firmly planted on the ground. We feel the energy, connection. Feeling safe and secure knowing our feet are firmly planted.
Our legs, bodies are the trunk and arms are the limbs. All providing balance to hold us up. Move us in whatever direction we choose.
When we feel uprooted our entire bodies feel off balance, unsupported and we can even feel the effects physically as well as mentally.
We want to come back home to our bodies. We need that connection with our bodies to feel aligned and able to keep moving. These are just some of the reasons why grounding are beneficial.
Perhaps you can try it, without expectations, judgement and see how you feel.
