I know these are strange times and I want to help you with some easy tools to stay grounded whenever you feel scared or anxious. 😟
The truth is that in all this talk about uncertainty in the world, we forget that life is always uncertain. Change is the only thing we can count on, and that can be a beautiful thing. Why?
Because it means that life is evolving and expanding. We, humans, are adaptable. We may not be in total control of this virus 🦠, we may not be in total control of the stability of the economy, but we are in control of our reaction to those things.
We have the power to decide whether fear takes over or not. We have the power to let it become a part of our daily lives, or not.
As I said before, this global health pandemic may actually be a positive thing. It can give us a little (or quite a big) nudge to remember our inner power and connect with it.
There have been quite a few memes and quotes going around about staying indoors and going indoors. Literally – for your homes and your mind. Go within, seek the power, and security you desire within your own being. Because there you will always find it.
A need for safety and security is a basic human need. With these four mindful practices, I want to guide you into the present moment and replace your fear with faith. Your insecurity with strength and your anxiety with trust and love.
1. Ground yourself and connect with the Earth
The Root Chakra is located at the base of your spine and is associated with feelings of security, stability, and fearlessness, as well as your basic needs for shelter, food, and safety. Right now, many people are reacting to the kind of energy that this Root Chakra governs. Our fears about safety, security and basic needs being met are being energetically activated as we go through these global events.
This is why it is important to balance this Chakra. When it is out of harmony, it causes the rest of the chakras to go out of balance as well. It can also trigger our fight or flight response, and any prolonged amount of time we spend that in the fight or flight state is harmful. It compromises our mental, emotional and physical health, weakens our immune systems, and generally makes us feel unbalanced. We come from a place of fear rather than enlightenment.
PRACTICE: Balance your Root Chakra at least once a day if not twice (morning and evening). I suggest you sit 🪑 quietly and let the silence and stillness call you, connect you to the world. If possible do this outside, on the grass, or near a tree. 🌳
When you sit for just a few moments, imagine your Root Chakra energy flowing freely, connecting you to the earth with its powerful and peaceful energy and bringing your energy body back into coherence.
If you have any red crystals, hold them as you do this balancing practice. Crystals like red jasper and tourmaline are balancing. You can also burn wood incense such as sandalwood or patchouli.
2. Send a Healing Request to the World
Whenever you feel overwhelmed, practice sending love and peaceful and healing energy to the entire planet. 🌏 By doing so, focus your mind 🧠 towards positivity and caring for others. It gives you a broader sense of perspective and makes you feel useful. The energy is catching up too you know! Spread a sense of kindness and positivity and lift others up with your vibration.
You can sit quietly and focus only on sending love and healing to all parts of the Earth that need it. If it’s easier for you, imagine the animals and children first, see them receive the love and healing they need. If you understand vibrational energy, you know that it can be received across time and space. Your prayers are important. 🛐
3. Express Yourself and Release Fear
I highly recommend finding a positive outlet for your feelings during this time. With so much on the news, text messages, social media etc., you may be absorbing too much negative information. Whenever you come across some disturbing news or something that makes you feel anxious, don’t just hold it in or push it away, let it go in one of the following ways:
Writing in a journal. Expressing yourself with words ✍🏼 can be so healing and help remove the burden of negative information. Once you put it down on paper 📝, you’ll have to make sense of it. I find this releases some of the power that bad news and scary events can have on our mind and spirit.
Painting, expressing yourself in art. Express yourself through painting 🎨, modeling in clay, sketching, whatever you like, can help release trapped feelings and negative energy through expression.
Dance 💃🏻 or play an instrument 🎸. Having a quick high-energy dance break is a great way to release tension, let off steam, and change your mood. If you play an instrument, get lost in some music practice. Anything that helps you shift your energy to a higher vibration is recommended.
4. Connect with your breath
When we are in a fight or flight state, our breathing is often shallow and short. Most of us stay in this state most of the time and our sympathetic nervous system is constantly activated.
Connecting with your breath is so important for grounding. The next time you feel anxious or caught in a spiral of worrying thoughts, focus on the way you are breathing. Take a few conscious, slow and deep breaths through the nose 👃🏼, down to your belly and then feel it come out as it comes out. Focus on your exhale being slightly longer than the inhale. This will stimulate the rest and digest response (as opposed to the fight or flight response).
It doesn’t take long for your breathing to bring you back to a sense of calm. When you feel yourself calm down, you will be able to see your fear more rationally, and you will be connected to that stillness within. Your spirit. That part of you that you know is always taken care of. That connection is often enough to bring you back to a sense of faith in yourself and your ability to stand in your own power.
It is natural to feel fear and anxiety, especially at this time, as I said before life is characterized by its uncertain nature. Do not judge yourself for these feelings, simply allow yourself to go through those emotions and then use one of the tools above, work to balance and bind yourself.
Do you have another grounding technique that you enjoy and find successful? Share them with us below!
