Shutterstock.com
Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020 | 2 a.m.
If feeling calm and focused comes as a struggle right now, you aren’t alone. The pandemic, politics, racial justice issues and West Coast wildfires are just a few reasons why you might be on edge, but getting your mood under control might be easier than you think.
Healthline.com describes grounding as “a therapeutic technique that involves doing activities that ‘ground’ or electrically reconnect you to the earth.” Amber Nicole, a local Reiki practitioner and founder of online apothecary Dirtie Lil Hippie, says grounding helps with “becoming aware and present in the moment.”
“When you are grounded, you can focus more,” she says. “You can think through situations more clearly because you are not clouded by all the constant noise and the inside narrative going on inside you and the outside narrative going on outside in the world.”
Grounding is an alternative or holistic method for stabilizing one’s mood. Though the technique might be underresearched in a scientific setting, limited studies suggest it can help people cope with stress.
Root chakra
To understand grounding, we must first understand chakras, points in the body that play a role in ancient Indian traditions.
The root chakra, which is involved in grounding, is located at the base of the spine. Bright red colors and crystals like jasper are associated with this chakra, which is associated with stability and security.
“When we’re feeling stable, we’re feeling grounded, which makes us more confident in ourselves and more focused,” Nicole says. “When this chakra is in balance, you have energy, you feel stable. When it’s out of balance, you feel insecure and fearful, and you may feel low self-esteem.”
Grounding techniques
Author Amy Leigh Mercree is an expert in holistic health, meditation, mindfulness and more, and has written a series of books on apple cider vinegar, essential oils, and most recently, a book on de-stressing titled 100 Days to Calm.
Mercree, who self-identifies as a “medical intuitive,” suggests introducing oneself to grounding with the 5-4-3-2-1 technique. “If you’re feeling overwhelmed or out of sorts, close your eyes and count backwards from five,” Mercree says. “As you do that, bring your awareness down from your head to the center of your chest to your root chakra and then to your feet. It’s a quick way to bring you back into your body.” She adds that it’s a useful skill to employ when frazzled on a Zoom call, in a meeting or anytime you experience general anxiety.
“A lot of people might find that challenging,” Mercree says, but, “It’s an important skill, and it lets you be more present in your reality—the things you do in your career or day-to-day life.”
Breathing matters
Breath work is another simple practice that can help an individual reengage with themselves and their environment.
“Breathing is a really important way to begin to connect with your body and to become more aware and more grounded in the moment,” Nicole says. “Look around you: What’s in your surroundings, in your immediate area? Take it all in.”
“It’s a very stressful time,” Mercree acknowledges, and healthy coping mechanisms are vital. “The ways we can calm ourselves are critical. Two minutes of deep breathing has been shown to calm and help regulate the vagus nerve,” she says. “That can be a way to tap into our frazzled nervous system.”
To balance the root chakra, Nicole recommends practicing “giving gratitude,” which she describes as being thankful for the people and good fortunes you have in your life right now.
“Even though things may not be the best, there are still things you can be grateful for,” she says. “When we are grateful for these things, it helps us not scatter our thoughts and go into the more negative ones, which can unground you.”
That, along with meditation, taking baths and having a morning routine can also help us stay grounded, Nicole says. “How we start our day really is a depiction of how we’ll be throughout our day.”
Grounding through nutrition
As an herbalist and energy practitioner, Nicole creates her own bath soaks and tea blends (and makes custom blends with a consultation). She suggests making a bath soak with dandelion, oils like frankincense and myrrh, or earthy scents like cedar. Similarly, a tea infused with dandelion, root herbs like mallow and ginger, or the medicinal herb ashwagandha are helpful.
In addition to teas, many foods can be grounding for the body, Mercree adds. “Nut butters are really helpful for us to feel present and grounded,” she says, because they’re nourishing and have good fats and proteins. Mercree suggests making a smoothie with a teaspoon or two of nut butter, raw cacao, maca root powder, frozen cherries and a nondairy milk of your choice. Cacao, Mercree says, has grounding qualities, and maca root is an adrenal adaptogen that may aid hormonal balance.
Outdoor footing
Grounding in our desert climate—whether we’re inside or outside—requires a certain mindfulness of keeping things in balance.
“You’re in a really dry environment, so you don’t have the water element,” Mercree says. “You want to bring in earth and water elements, things to soothe all that fire and extreme heat energy,” she says, adding that a fountain, a humidifier or an essential oil diffuser can bring a cooling essence into the home environment.
No matter what elements you bring into the home, however, “nothing takes the place of being able to go outside,” Mercree says. It could be something as simple as a 10-minute after-dinner walk, touching grass with your bare feet or stepping out onto the balcony to read a book before bed. Whatever the method, everyone should attempt to spend a few minutes outdoors every day.
It’s easy to get caught up in our mind’s chatter and distractions, but grounding can help you “tackle your life a lot better,” Mercree says.
Whether it’s breathing, meditation, exercise or giving back to your community, “anything that helps you slow down and feel present,” Mercree says, is a step toward a calmer and ultimately more grounded life.
This story appeared in Las Vegas Weekly.
