ON GROUNDING & SELF LOVING KINDNESS DURING STRESSFUL TIMES

Image by OMAYARI

ON GROUNDING & SELF LOVING KINDNESS DURING STRESSFUL TIMES: 

Is it possible to not be in a state of spiritual, emotional survival mode even though our entire world is in survival mode? There is a distinction between taking precautionary action & being in spiritual & emotional survival. 

Grounding & offering ourselves loving kindness are great practices available to us all at any moment. If we are able to ground ourselves (& ground again, as needed) & offer ourselves love, we are more likely able to offer it to those around us, or at the very least, embody that energy which is very powerful. This is an opportunity for everyone to step deeper into self responsibility & in that, leadership through example.

Paths to ground yourself:

*grounding meditation
*sending your energy down into the earth on every exhale while relaxing your body
*lying on the ground (or on the earth or against a tree if possible)
*sitting or walking quietly in nature
*listening to nature
*listening to grounding music (drums, sound baths, cricket soundtrack - any audio that works to bring your energy down to earth)
*slowing down your pace
*slow, deep, steady breathing
*writing new affirmations tailored to any fear coming up right now; reading them out loud 1-2 (or more) times per day
*calling a friend who you feel safe & grounded with
*rest & sleep can be grounding (but be sure to not isolate)

Paths to love yourself:

*be gentle & loving with how you move - slow down & do everything more gently, with love
*write a love letter to yourself
*sit before a mirror & tell yourself you love yourself
*make yourself tea, rest, put pillows around your body in a way that is comforting
*apply heat or cold to your body, as desired
*therapeutic yoga, meditation, slow walks in nature
*touching hands to belly & heart; breathing deeply
*breathe in LOVE, breathe out PEACE
*invite Divine unconditional love to shower upon & through you (repeat, as needed)
*practice grounding

What are ways you ground & love yourself?

Notice if you are around people who have heightened energy, a fast pace &/or other behaviors that indicate stress metabolizing as fear. Know you have the right to stay in your body, ground your energy, love yourself & not collude with their energy. The stronger we are with our own grounding & self love, the less we will be swept away (up) into a stress & fear state. Remove yourself from the person or situation if necessary. Remember you do not need to do anything for people who are in a high stress or fear state. All you need to do is take care of yourself. Grounding & loving yourself are great practices for this!

TAKE YOUR HEART WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO

Images & Collage by OMAYARI

Treat your heart as a center switchboard for your entire biological system. Keep your heart space centered in your body. Treat yourself to your heart as an extra lung where Prana expands in greater abundance, as if you have given yourself an extra lung - not only for oxygen but also for Love. Divine Love & balanced community of earth love. This special heart gift is grounded & connected to the deepest part of the core of the earth. We are all connected to this point of depth. Allow your gentle, loving awareness to take you there as you breathe Divine Love from source to yourself, with others & then deep into the earth. Exit any tension out of your mouth, relaxing your jaw. Your heart’s capacity is unending. Open to the abundance of your heart’s capacity for self nurturing life energy & Divine Love.

May all beings experience Divine Love & inner peaceful belonging. 

Vulnerability + Safety

Collage & Images by OMAYARI

Healthy vulnerability requires safety.

Being vulnerable with just anyone may be courageous however it can also be incredibly re-injuring, painful & then confusing if the cultural message is "Be vulnerable! It means you are courageous!”

It is useful to practice knowing it is okay for us to express our feelings however practicing sensing if it’s the appropriate time/place/person before sharing is an essential part of this.

For highly sensitive individuals, there is the possibility of wounding around being vulnerable. If this is the case, considering what is a safe time/place/person to express feelings is a crucial part of the practice of healthy vulnerability.

Maturing on emotional & spiritual levels means we accept greater responsibility. Part of this responsibility is being respectful to the process & position of others on their own path. Another major part is being responsible for our own feelings.

We can practice this responsibility by staying centered (or returning to center if we notice ourselves moving out of center in some way), grounding our energy into mother earth, being connected/open to Divine energy & FEELING. Even with this practice operating in it’s fullest, there still may be discomfort (especially if we have something precious to share & circumstances require that we not share or wait). This is also part of the maturing process; not everyone we have relationship with is at the same place of evolution as we are. Applying trust & faith to the process & giving it time can also help.

Healthy vulnerability requires safety.

When we practice grounded, centered embodiment with an active connection to Divine energy, we have a stronger connection to our intuition so we can discern what is a safe environment to be vulnerable in. And if we are somehow off in our discerning but have practiced this, we are more likely to be in a much better place to receive dismissal, avoidance &/or a suppressive response. It becomes easier to distinguish self from other & honor being in a very different place than another person at that moment in time.