Grounding Wellness techniques

Something that’s been coming up a lot in sessions lately is that many people aren’t grounded. It’s understandable in this day and age, with all the stress, busyness and worry of everyday life.

We can feel a bit flighty, up in our heads, in our thoughts; which can often lead to feeling overwhelmed and anxious. This isn’t helped by all the electromagnetic radiation from wifi, mobile phones, computers etc that induce voltages in our bodies that can disrupt our electrical system; which is so vital in how our body functions. So if we experience symptoms such as overthinking, nervousness or irritability, we may need to ground ourselves. Just like a plug needs to be earthed, so do we.

I first became aware of grounding nearly 10 years ago when I started my first massage course. We would practice Chi Kung (Qi Gong) for an hour in the morning before teaching began. It helped me to feel calm, clear-headed and more centred - it set me up for the day in the most lovely way. There are many techniques that can help us feel grounded and here are just a few.

Earthing/Getting out in nature The Earth emits negatively charged free electrons which help to balance the positive charge in our bodies from free radicals and electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs) in our environment. Walking barefoot in nature is especially helpful as we have direct contact with this natural energy. You can find out more about the health benefits and scientific research of earthing, by visiting www.groundology.co.uk

Mindful walking

Energy flows where attention goes, so by bringing our awareness to our feet as we walk, we help to bring energy that’s often in our heads, down to our feet. Spend a few minutes slowly walking around, placing most of your attention on your feet. Notice how they make contact with the ground, feel the sensations in your feet.

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Tree visualization/meditation This is a Chi Kung exercise that you can do for 3 – 5 minutes.

Stand with feet shoulder width apart and facing forward. Soften (unlock) the knees, relax the shoulders and lightly place your tongue on the roof of your mouth, keeping the jaw nice and relaxed. Place your hands, one on top of the other, over your navel – this is called your ‘Dantian’, the primary energy centre of the body (located 1.5 thumb widths below the belly button and 2 – 3 thumb widths inward). Breathe comfortably and slowly through the nose and with each exhale, feel your bodyweight sink down to your feet, until they feel planted on the ground. Then imagine energetic roots growing from the soles of each foot down to the earth below...moving down further, deeper into the Earth, all the way down to the centre. Then picture your roots wrapping around Earth’s core.

With each inhale, visualise your roots drawing energy from the centre, all the way up through the Earth, into the soles of each foot; flowing up through your legs, into your Dantian. Picture it filling up with this grounding, supportive energy. Then imagine the energy in your Dantian expanding out into your whole body. If you feel any tensions or stress anywhere, imagine them dissolving into the Earth with each exhale.