Greetings Village!
Often November is a time to highlight the Practice of Gratitude. And originally that was my plan for this newsletter. But as I reflect on the past couple of months another theme, if you will, has come to the forefront that is nudging for my attention.
That is the Practice of Grounding, Being Grounded.
You see, I am feeling the winds of change swirling around me. And often change brings about feelings of ungroundedness,
an inability to be present, and
unfocused in daily life.
What changes might you ask?
Well, the church we belong to has experienced great turn-around in its leadership, the non-profit I volunteer at also has experienced great turn-around of its leadership, and last but not least, The Marsh, the community where I started my career, and what shaped me to be where I am today, has announced it is closing its doors at the end of the year.
As I am no stranger to change and upheaval, from experience, I know what it feels like to be ungrounded. And I want to share some of the practices I use to ground myself, in hopes that something might be helpful to you if you are also experiencing the ungrounding winds of change.
In no particular order I utilize…
Bodywork
Breathwork
Food
Sleep
Support from loved ones (including a health coach)
My acupuncture and massage therapists know that I experience “ungroundedness” at times and that I utilize their gifts as practitioners to help balance and ground me.
I have found that Belly Breathing, or deep abdominal breathwork, greatly helps to center, focus, and ground me. And it is an extremely accessible practice that I can do anywhere, at anytime.
Every body is different, and I have found that certain foods, or eating practices, make me more ungrounded, while others help to ground me. I will say the “ungrounding” foods/practices tend to exacerbate my feelings quickly and sustain them, while the “grounding” foods/practices work overtime if I incorporate them into my routines.
Foods/Practices that personally make me more ungrounded are: coffee, sugar (think mocha’s), alcohol, and not eating regularly.
Foods/Practices that help to ground me are: soups, especially made with squashes and root vegetables, sourdough bread for breakfast, red wine (in moderation), and making sure I eat every few hours.
I am sure there is more I could write about food and eating practices that encourage groundedness, but remember it is individual to each of us. There is no one size fits all approach.
I have found that a regular sleep routine is vital to my health and wellbeing when I am feeling ungrounded. For me, it is important that I wake around the same time each day, and get up and get going!
Support from my friends, family, and wellbeing professionals (ie my Health Coach and my Business Coach) greatly help me when I’m feeling my head swirl, and I’m unsure of which way to turn.
I hope that these ideas I shared sparked a light unto what you could utilize to help you this month to feel more grounded. Here are some other opportunities coming up…
Honoring Grief Small Group Workshop in December
Breathwork Sessions Every Tuesday Morning at 8:30am
And a New Opportunity to Connect!
Pilates Open Houses
2nd Wednesday of the Month at 1pm
See you soon!
Warmly,
Lesley