Guiding you to wholeness, alignment and vitality through intentional embodiment practice. My writings and newsletters are Gifts of Self-Care as you journey towards your most authentic self.
Feeling the Shift
Published 5 months ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader
What an amazing shift in the natural world - even with this week's cool down and all the political and global events that are unfolding. Have you noticed the trees popping their amazing fresh green leaves and new growth? Are you enamored by everything flowering? And now the lilacs! Aren’t they so captivating? This time of year brings me so much awe; it often feels like a sped up time lapse, witnessing the greening of the hills, the re-introduction and growth of colorful plants and the waking up of wildlife.
As we are reminded of the beauty and awe of nature, can we also ground into the present moment of where we are? Taking a moment to truly notice our place and the spaces we are in. When we are on our phone, we can be taken away to all the other happenings in the world in a snap. And while I am not saying we should all avoid the news cycle or our devices, I am here to offer a few grounding practices as a little antidote. As my teacher, Jill Miller says, "We are all really good at turning ON our ON switch, but very few of us are good at turning ON our OFF switch." Last month's newsletter focused on tending to the mind and the power of perspective.
We discussed how using an intention shifts our perspective and can help us practice slowing down. Another way is to orient ourselves to "place" and feeling where you are in space. To help the beginning of your orientation, instead of the rote "how are you?" I invite you to check in with yourself - how are you feeling? what are you sensing? where are you holding tension? Remember our bodies think in feeling, in sensation. This simple 5 senses grounding practice is great way to return to the here and now. Try taking a few minutes at some point today, maybe the next time you step outside, and say the intention “My body thinks in feels” and then practice going through your 5 senses:
5 Senses Grounding Practice
5 things you can see - soften your eyes
4 things you can touch - widen your feet, seat & hands
3 things you can hear - let the noises in
2 things you can smell - breathe through your nose
1 thing you can taste - soften your tongue
This quick practice is a great way to remind you where you are and bring you into the present moment. For me, I find it can be a real anchor when my mind is spinning off in some intense emotion (excitement, anxiety, anger, hope, despair, etc.) and I am too much in my headspace, especially after being too pulled into the news or social media. Using a mantra and this senses practice, I am left feeling more grounded in perspective and place. I can then feel my breath begin to slow and settle; that's when I know I'm turning on my off switch.
Use this guide to read more about settling into perspective and place, as well as learn about the other practices to support your recovery or regulation work.
I'd love to hear if you tried any of these practices and how they impacted you. The more we recover and regulate the better our digestion, immune and sexual systems function. Most of us have heard plenty about the "fight, flight, freeze and fawn" responses of how we react to stress; now, I invite you to continue practicing turning on your off switch in order to support the "rest, digest, feed and breed" responses.
Can you feel the shift?
LAST CALL
We’d love to hear from you as you have the capacity, it will take no more than 5 minutes and just a few clicks!
On Being, a podcast hosted by Krista Tippett to help us replenish and orient in the immensity of our lives, just started a 6-week reflection course - Hope Portal.
Guiding you to wholeness, alignment and vitality through intentional embodiment practice. My writings and newsletters are Gifts of Self-Care as you journey towards your most authentic self.