Welcome to episode 7 of our Full Spectrum Wellness podcast, I’m so happy to be back with you for our seventh episode.
Well, what a week it’s been. It feels like I’ve been living in the twilight zone. Here in the UK, we have had four chancellors in just over 3 months and we are on our way to our 3rd Prime Minister in the same time period. In the last 3 years we have left the European Union, experienced a global pandemic, and now face economic turmoil and a cost of living crisis. Utter chaos, negativity and drama surround us on a daily basis so what can we do to stay grounded.
Grounding means keeping both feet on the ground, both physically, mentally, emotionally, and energetically. Grounding is a process by which a person is reconnected with the energy of the Earth and the physical plane. It keeps you in the ‘here and now’. When we are grounded it is much easier to deal with emotions like panic and fear which is why when dealing with emergencies, chaos, negativity and drama it is a good idea to take three deep breaths and slow yourself down to the earth’s frequency.
If you find it hard to concentrate or beable to focus on work and on conversations, feel uneasy, dizzy, unbalanced, forgetful, become oversensitive, easily distracted, clumsy, accident prone, agitated, stressed or restless, struggle to understand others or make others understand you, experience poor coordination, overthink, frequently lose track of time you may be ungrounded.
Also known as Earthing grounding it is the process of absorbing Earth’s free flowing electrons from its surface through the soles of the feet. These free electrons neutralise oxidative stress in the body, reducing fatigue, stress, inflammation, and pain, improving blood pressure, mood, wound healing, immunity as well as promoting sleep and muscle recovery.
Research suggests that negative ions from the earth play a role in feel-good vibes. A double-blind study showed that earthing activates the parasympathetic nervous system to enhance relaxation. A 2004 study resulted in a marked reduction of cortisol levels in earthed subjects, improving sleep and reducing stress levels.
Your body runs through a type of electrical current. The earths negative charges can create a stable internal bioelectrical environment for the normal functioning of all body systems.
Your body is naturally able to absorb electrical charges from the earth because your skin acts as a conductor. Our brain, heartbeat, and neurotransmitter activity all rely on electrical signals so when our electricity is off certain aspects of our health will be impacted.
The Earth’s energy allows the body to cope and repair, promoting well-being, vitality, and better sleep. It also harmonises and stabilises the body’s basic rhythms, reduces and eliminates chronic inflammation and associated pain, making it the most natural and powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-aging remedy.
A really simple grounding exercise is to place your feet flat on the ground. Take a deep breath in and out. Now take your focus and attention to your feet and visualise, imagine, feel, sense, or know that there are strong, deep, loving roots growing down into the earth. Allow these roots to go deep, deep into the ground. Know and trust that you are connected, centred and safe. You may feel a tingling, warmth or heaviness in the feet or some other sensation.
You could spend 30 minutes walking barefoot on the grass or on a beach, swim in a lake, river or ocean if its safe to do so. Work in the garden without gardening gloves, letting your hands contact with the soil, sit or lay down on the grass or on a beach or go for a hike or walk in the woods.
Grass, sand, soil, dirt and plain concrete are all conductive surfaces however wood, carpet, asphalt, sealed or painted concrete and vinyl all block the flow of electrons as they are conductive surfaces.
To stay grounded when surrounded by chaos and drama focus on the things you CAN control. There is a Buddhist principle that goes something like this, why worry about the things you can change because you can change them and why worry about the things you cannot change because you cannot change them. A proverb also comes to mind, Not my circus, not my monkeys!
Listen to your body as stress can cause lots of physical symptoms. If you get a headache every time you watch the news don’t watch the news. Instead focus on your breathing, practice deep breathing, mindfulness of meditation to bring you back to the present moment because it really is the only moment that matters. We spend so much wasted time living in the past or worrying about the future, a future that hasn’t even happened yet. As politics has shown us over the last 6 weeks things can change very quickly and take unexpected turns so be present, stay in your own lane and just breath.
Be aware of your thoughts and self-talk, if its overly negative reframe it. There is always a positive to a negative, yin yang, equal and opposite. Use positive affirmations such as “Everything will work out for my highest good”, “I am safe, secure and grounded”. Practice gratitude, write down at least one thing your are grateful for each day. Appreciate the little things in life.
Take a break from social media, have a social media detox for a day or too.
Get active, exercise regularly, get your body moving. Put on some music and dance like nobodys watching.
They say laughter is the best medicine, so put on your favourite comedy show and have a laugh.
Declutter your physical space and also your mind.
Eat a healthy diet full of foods that ground, such as root vegetables and stay hydrated. Basically, practice self-care.
I love this quote from Marianne Williamson, “The world changes when we change. the world softens when we soften. The world loves us when we choose to love the world” and this one from Joan Borysenko, “Every day brings a choice: to practice stress or to practice peace.”
So make a choice to practice peace and experience for yourself the healing energy of the earth next time you feel unbalanced, unwell stressed, ungrounded or are in pain.
