As we move forward into 2022, most of us have realized that stress and inflammation are on the rise. The term ON FIRE is cute, butttt… do we really want to be literally on fire??? The more connected it seems we become, the more it seems we take on others mental well-being. Really now is the time to heed the advice: Go to the land. Recently I have been listening into a seer/healer’s podcasts that I know who is more connected to his intuition than I am, who can see further out in time. This is what he says: We need to learn to balance and go to the land. Of course I weigh all advice with my own sense of intuition and knowing. This makes sooo much sense to me at this time. I too am feeling “under pressure” to be more…be more with having less…Is this healthy? Is it necessary really?
When it seems faster is better, meta is favored, caffeinated is cool, celebrity is king, algorithms are acted upon without reflection, and rumors are click bait, my body feels this deep urge to counter balance all of this with connecting to the earth and water elements. To help tame that fire, reduce inflammation, to hydrate, and penetrate into a deeper sleep in the evenings for a stronger sense of healing. Below are therapuetic ways in which to bring in these grounding, energizing, and rebalancing aspects to feel better. as to gain some perspective… what is actually necessary? Because when we feel good, and those we are around feel good, we all can feel better together. The ba da da drum kick prank trick is cute for the collective, but is it hurting those you love to compensate for not feeling well?
Ways in which to connect to the lower chakras Earth, Water elements by calming the heart and mind:
Mud therapy and Massage: Mud therapy has been around since the 17th century to promote hydration to the body, increase circulation, reduce inflammation, heal arthritis, promote weight loss and many other benefits. The best mud therapy comes from the sea filled with primarily Humic acid, minerals, organic material of decaying plants and small microscopic sea animals. You can do mud facial masks, body wraps and baths at home or at a local spa. Massage most of us know as a wonderful way to feel touch from a professional massage therapist. Deep tissue, Shiatsu, and Hot Stone Massage penetrate into the muscles which move toxins out through the skin and relieve pent up stress. This brings the body, mind, soul, and spirit into homeostasis.
Nature: We hear this again and again, yet, we don’t do it. I am one of those people. I used to love being in nature until I became an entreprenuer and found myself on a mat, computer, or phone most of the time. Being in nature is a way to unplug. However, It really does take commitment, just like starting an exercise method or a new eating plan. It feels sooo good to connect to the land because, well, of course, more oxygen from the trees, but also there is a specific frequency the earth emits that promotes healing. A grounding healing frequency that takes all of the “crazy” energies around you and nullifies them, putting them into an order of hydrational balance. This is why it feels sooo good to put our feet in the grass or lay down on the earth. It takes 20-30 minutes for your body to discharge inflammation and to relieve pain by simply laying or sitting on the grass. Do this 3 or 4 times a week, and you will greatly reduce the risks of diseases caused by inflammation. This is why I do headstands and inversions in yoga class too because it has similar affects.
Infrared: Infrared saunas are expensive and hard to come by. You usually have to join a gym or a spa membership or pay thousands of dollars to put one in your home. Higher Dose is a brand that offers a blanket wrap and a yoga like mat inexpensively. Both reorganize chaos in the body lowering stress, reduce inflammation, and help the body move into homeostasis so that the body can heal with the penetrating infrared frequencies. 30-40 minutes a day or every other day or as needed is a therapy to have at your fingertips while meditating or watching a movie etc.
Float Tanks: These are so cool looking. They look like little pods. They are filled with water, have healing music if you wish, and light therapy to induce what we call in Yoga lingo Pratyahara. Pratyahara translates from Sanskrit to English as sense withdrawal. As your floating in the float tank, ears submerged in water, pitch black or with color therapy, all of your senses can just, shut off. ahhhh. With sensory overload these days, it is a wonderful way to promote more silence, stillness, and recovery. You can find float tanks in wellness centers, spas and special float tank businesses. They are thousands of dollars to buy one for your home.
Camp Fires and Palo Santo: Here in the Sacred Appalachian Mountains of Asheville, North Carolina, camp fires of cedar are burned quite regularly. One whiff of this intoxicating smoke, and i am flooded with the nostalgia of my childhood filled with camping, s’mores, and family togetherness. This smell just feels like home to me. It also gets me focused, grounded and in touch with the land very quickly. Palo Santo also can have that same affect. Palo Santo is what many healers as well as Shaman use to clear someones aura and energetic blueprint by smoking it all around the body while breathing it all in deeply several times. An at home version of this is simple. Buy several Palo Santo wood sticks at your local health wellness store, light the tip of it, and breath it in deeply. Leave it to burn like you would incense. This smell is extremely intoxicatingly healing in a good way. A much better option over sage. Smells better than sage while having the same clearing benefits.
Exercises with Ujjai Breathing: When I fell in-love with the vinyasa yoga physical practice of exercise, a lot of it was because of the feeling Ujjai breath gave me. Ujjai breath is deep belly breathing. Four counts on an inhale with mouth closed and four counts on an exhale with mouth closed. It is therapeutic in it’s own right by stimulating the water element of the second chakra with the organs and feel good hormones.. Learning to breath Ujjai breath while flowing in a vinyasa yoga class is your mind on weed, but in a healthy way so that you feel energized and calm at the same time. It really is life changing. Learn to do it through out a 75 minute vinyasa flow yoga class and you will see what I mean…
Eating Therapeutic foods: Yes there is that word again therapeutic. Foods that nourish the soul, comfort foods that are hearty, brothy, and medicinal, are steam baths in a bowl. I love to cook with organic vegetables from the farmers market with fragrant spices from different countries. Healing soups of our ancestors as well as classics we all know and love. Tea is wonderful before bed or on a cold wintery day as well as warmed almond milk with some cinnamon and cardemom for calming a stressful mind. Foods that promote healing that are medicinal in their right will bring you back to the land.
Sex and Intimacy: Unfortunately, when my ex-fiance and I broke up 8 years ago, my love life tanked. Like sex a couple times a year and that was it. Going without sex regularly after having it 4 times a week or when I wanted it, was, well a trip to the Himalayas. I literally felt like I was cast out into a cave somewhere with too much spiritual energy surging through me at all times. It’s wonderful to be in-touch with spirit, it’s even more wonderful to have an omazing orgasm from a hot guy or love of your life and to share those feelings with someone you admire. There is nothing else in this world far greater than finding someone you trust to share your whole self with that honors your body and soul. This connection, if done in a place that is built on trust, is one of the best healers.
Reading and Writing: Curling up with a good book and a favorite beverage is one of my go to’s for sure. Nothing says relaxing than the words of Deepak Chopra. Reading and writing helps the mind calm, focus, process and stream the flow through the body for more rest. When I read and write I feel inspired. It is soo nourishing for the senses to be still and take in information or to share it with the world.
There are so many other ways to connect to the land, but these are my favorite. Many of which you can do in your own home if you can’t peel away for a hike. Try at least two or three and see how your wellbeing shifts which affects everyone around you. Remember it’s not just all about what is the most popular thing on twitter. I am focusing on my heart and soul, reflecting, processing, slowing down, and feeling into what is the right thing to do.
Healing Mantras from Krishna Das. This is the song of devotion called the Hanuman Chalisa: