Some days everything can seem a bit too much, your head is in a whirl, you can’t think straight and your feet definitely don’t feel on the ground! Staying grounded in a hectic world can be a challenge. Wi-Fi, mobile phone exposure, busy shopping centres, eating on the run, too much caffeine, demanding work environment, stressful family life, broken sleep – all these demands place huge stress on your nervous system and greatly increase vata the air element in the body. This can in turn set your digestion off balance and reduce your brain function. You might think you can push on through but eventually your body and mind will suffer.
So what can you do when you’re not able to change your external environment? This is where self-care comes in and recognising that it’s time to take some simple steps to bring your feet back to earth, calm your nervous system and clear your head.
Here are some easy and practical tips for finding balance again –
Herbs
Being a herbalist I love herbs and herbal teas are often very underrated. Taking time out to sit quietly and drink a hot drink will in itself help to slow your body down but here are a few herbs that will help you on your way:
- Chamomile
- Lemon Balm
- Licorice – caution in cases of high blood pressure or pregnancy
- Linden
- Passion Flower
- Red Rose Petals
- Valerian
- Zizyphus
Massage and Reflexology
Massage is a fantastic way to give yourself some love and to settle your nerves. It can just be one you give to yourself as well. Massaging the feet, and if you can work on some reflexology points even better, is the most effective of all massages to bring you back down to earth. By touching your feet your awareness instantly goes to them and out of your head. Reflexology points to focus on would be the solar plexus, adrenal glands, intestines and spine. Massage using long, slow strokes and firm pressure is recommended to calm your nerve endings and quieten your mind.
Adding some earthy essential oils is a wonderful bonus too, I personally love Rose Geranium and Patchouli.
Reiki
Reiki has always been one of my go-to tools when I’m feeling off centre. It’s pretty simple to practice and yet so effective. By connecting to the universal energy all around us and within us you are able to send it to the parts of the body and mind where it’s needed.
I find the areas that work for me whilst giving a Reiki self treatment for grounding are the head, feet, solar plexus and working through the chakras or energy centres.
Breathing/Meditation
The breath! The key to everything. Mindfulness coupled with correct breathing can do wonders to reconnect your mind to your body when you’ve been in an over stimulating environment.
Remember breathing in doesn’t mean sucking in your tummy, quite the opposite actually. Breath in deeply and slowly filling your lungs and whole abdomen, hold for a second or two, then slowly and continuously let your entire breath out – and repeat.
If you like combining this with a meditation technique try visualising your feet connecting with the earth on the in breath and releasing any tension out through your head on the out breath.
Crystals
Crystals have their own wonderful innate abilities to facilitate healing on all levels but they also make an amazing partner to enhancing any mediation, breathing work or Reiki treatment. I love using crystals in my Reiki treatment sessions and find that grounding the person is often needed due to the hectic state of city living.
Crystals that are darker in colour, especially greys and blacks, work well at drawing the energy down from the head and into the feet. I particularly like working with smoky quartz, black tourmaline, obsidian and haematite for this.
The placement of the crystals is important too. When working with grounding your energies lie down and place the crystals in the groin area near your hips, between your legs near your root chakra, inside of your knees, between the feet and below each foot.
WiFi and Mobile Phones
And lastly one of what I believe to be the main culprits in disconnecting us from the earth and scrambling our brain waves – EMF!
As much as you can stay out of Wi-Fi environments, always turn it off in your home when you’re not using it especially at night and if you sleep with your mobile phone near you then put it into flight mode. When carrying your mobile phone with you never keep it in your pocket or tucked into your top (especially not your bra ladies there are some important things in there!) have it in your bag instead. Try to be aware how much time you’re spending on devices or around Wi-Fi each day and take some time away from it when you start to feel off kilter.
Hopefully these tips will help you to stay grounded and connected in your daily life. However if you feel you need a little more help then please contact me to have a chat about how Herbal Medicine, Massage, Reflexology or Reiki can help you today!