Grounded Through Change

Heightened sensitivity to environmental change makes seasonal transitions a potentially rocky time. I’ve noticed feeling more scattered and tired with a tingle of the worries (existential dread?) in the background. If I don’t counter the instability by grounding myself, the worry tingle may become a clanging bell and tired may become systemwide collapse. Okay, drama aside, I’m aware that this change of seasons – from summer to fall - is more tumultuous than others, as I wrote about in this last post. It’s not just nature that’s in flux. Society. Politics. Climate. Human consciousness. All undergoing change.

To counter this turbulence, we need stability. We need to be grounded. I don’t know about you, but I was grounded a lot as a kid. The word still carries that association for me, and I find it a bit ironic that it’s now something I seek out. But I do and I’ll share some of the ways I do it. I hope it helps you feel more grounded too.

Life is a dance between our nervous system, the operator of our nervous system (the mind) and the world. We can nurture an experience of being grounded in each one. They all affect each other.

Simplicity contributes to stability too, so this is intentionally simple and soothing, not another complicated routine to figure out.

The Mind

Grounded is a state of mind. Not like, “Dang it! I have to miss the AC/DC concert because I’m grounded.” (true story). More like “I am established in my being” state of mind.

The quality of thought contributes to our state of being. Worry is a windy mind state. “I am” statements are grounding. When I feel worry blowing through my mind, I can counter it with some simple affirmations like, “I am grounded. I’ve got this. All is well” or even just “I AM.” It’s like being a sailor. Learn to navigate the ever-flowing thoughts and sail towards or away based on a clear intention. Meditation is the home base for learning to navigate thoughts.

Meditate 5 minutes each day to become more aware of and able to direct thoughts. Then, throughout the day become more aware of and direct thoughts whenever you notice them.

The Nervous System

I often think of the nervous system as our electrical system. Electrical systems need to be grounded. Physically touch the earth – bare feet on the ground even as the weather cools down. Heavy, pressure, slow and warm are all sensory experiences that send a signal of calm to the nervous system. Wear heavier clothes, sleep with a heavy blanket.

How the body is held also impacts the state of arousal in the nervous system. A slouched posture isn’t as stable as Wonder Woman pose – standing with feet wide, fists on hips, head held high.

Tree Hugging pose from qigong is a formal posture for grounding. Stand with feet slightly wide, softly bend the knees, tail bone heavy toward earth. With soft shoulders, hold the arms out slightly rounded at shoulder height like you’re hugging a tree. Stand in this posture for 2 to 10 minutes as you continue to soften and breathe. You might find me doing this in the kitchen as I wait for my tea to steep.

Yoga poses that help me feel grounded include Plank and Down Dog – hands on the floor creates pressure. Triangle and Warrior have a wide base of support that is super grounding. I might do one of these poses for just 2 minutes. It doesn’t have to be a fancy yoga routine to have benefit.

I can also think about the bottoms of my feet pressing into the earth. I can think about heaviness. I can think about pressure on my bones. The mind affects the nervous system in this way.

My number one antidote for frenetic energy, cold wind and a hectic schedule is warm, soft pressure on my neck. Yes, I’m the one at the sporting goods store zipping up each fleece vest to be sure it fits snuggly. What’s the point of having a collar if it hangs loose, right? I’ve had this one fleece vest for years. I call it my safety vest. I put it on not just when I’m cold but when I’m feeling jangly. Scarves are a staple at this time of year for this reason.

The World

The third partner in this dance is the world. The 5 senses go out to meet the world and bring it back into me. Silence is grounding. Warm colors are grounding. Root vegetables are grounding. How can I create grounding conditions in my environment? Stable routine – eating and sleeping on a set schedule. More white space on my calendar. Time in nature.

Frenetic schedule. Shallow breathing. Cold breeze. Worry thoughts. All destabilizing. I know I’m being an active participant in my own rescue when I prioritize simple grounding practices for my body, mind and business to counteract this flux.

The culture at large doesn’t acknowledge this, so be sure to take care of yourself.

If you happen to think of this kind of care as something that’s needed to compensate, I invite you to reframe. It’s only the finest telescopes that are wrapped in the best quality velvet. Not because they are frail, but because their precision focusing mechanism is so valuable. So, wrap yourself in the finest velvet cloth and care deeply for your sweet, sacred self with no apologies.