How to ground yourself during chaotic times
Chaotic times are nearly inevitable. Whether it’s the internal chaos that can arise from healing work or emotional transitions, or external chaos from from things like breakups, starting a new business, and other big life changes. During chaotic times, we tend to get anxious and become energetically scattered and airy. Finding a way to ground our energy and come back into our bodies can really help us through chaotic times. Below are some tools for grounding during chaotic times.
Crystals
Black Tourmaline. This protective black crystal is a powerful shield against chaotic energy. It helps cleanse you of catastrophic thoughts and calm a racing mind. Like many other dark stones, it works to absorb fears and anxieties, purifying your energetic body.
Hematite. Hematite brings you back into you body and establishes a strong root from your body to the earth. It soaks up stress and negative energy (so be sure to cleanse it with sage, fresh water, earthing or full moonlight) leaving you feeling clear and balanced. It is a wonderful ally in working through any sort of anxiety or disembodiment, as it both centers and calms you.
Red Jasper. Red jasper is a beautiful stabilizing and comforting stone. It works to energize and strengthen the root chakra, thus bringing a greater sense of safety and security. It's nurturing yet energizing, helping you reconnect and ground into the foundations of your life.
Petrified Wood. As it was once a living tree, Petrified Wood vibrates with a strong, rooting earth energy. It assists you in dissolving your stress and promoting feelings of serenity and security, grounding you into the beautiful stillness and abundance of the earth. It is especially helpful to work with if you are lacking in earth energy, live in a city or somewhere without many trees, or are simply just craving the grounding energy of a forest.
Shungite. A potent root chakra healer, Shungite is incredibly grounding and purifying. It is an excellent stone to work with to create a strong, stable, and balanced emotional and spiritual foundation. It can help protect your body against radiation and assist with physical, emotional, and spiritual detoxification, making chaotic times a little more manageable.
Herbs
Try making a grounding tea with any combination of the following herbs. Make sipping it a meditative process by focusing on each sip and each flavor, allowing the physical sensations (taste, temperature) to anchor you into your body.
Yarrow. One of the oldest medicinally used herbs, Yarrow helps protect us from unwanted energies and strengthen our emotional and energetic boundaries. Physiologically, it soothes the skin (the boundary between our physical self and the outer world) and helps relieve chronic acute pain, which can flare up during chaotic times.
Rose. Rose is the ultimate calming, nurturing, unfurling herb. It works to gently open your heart and ease tension. Very useful during times of trouble, as it can wrap you in a protective energy of love and self-compassion.
Skullcap. A gentle nervine, skullcap will calm you down and ease your racing thoughts. It is especially beneficial for highly sensitive or energetically sensitive people, as it helps with over-stimulation and sensory overload.
Dandelion root. Dandelion root is a very grounding, cleansing herb. Physiologically, it helps promote healthy digestive and liver detoxification, both of which need extra support when we’re stressed. Energetically, like other root herbs it helps support the root chakra and connect us with the energy of mother earth.
Reishi. This medicinal mushroom is, known as the “queen mushroom”, is a potent herb for relieving anxiety and grounding into your body. It is also quite anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting, which will help support a stressed-out body.
Simple Practices
Grounding. Grounding is the practice of standing on the earth (soil, sand, grass, wherever is available to you and calls to you) with your bare feet. The idea is that when your body touches the earth, it absorbs all of the electromagnetic radiation and stuck energies that are flowing through our body, finally giving them somewhere to go. It is also incredibly soothing to our psyches, as connecting with mother earth reminds us of what is truly important underneath all the noise.
Forest bathing. Forest bathing, or forest therapy, is the practice of simply being in a forest. Standing surrounded by nature, amidst all of the trees with their roots running deep, calms our mind and roots our energy. Simply existing among the sounds of the forest, the smell of the foliage, and the light streaming in through the trees resets our nervous system and relaxes us back into our bodies.
Grounding meditation. Any form of meditation is incredibly supportive during chaotic times. However, if you are looking for a powerful grounding visualization, you can try this: get comfortable and close your eyes. Breathe for a few minutes and visualize all of your scattered energy coming back to you. All that matters in this moment is your breathe, right here, right now. Then picture cords of bright white energy running from your heart, down through your body, out through the soles of your feet and into the heart of mother earth. Know that you are safe and protected. Then, imagine the love and nurturing energy from the heart of earth running up those same cords, back through the soles of your feet and into your heart. Imagine your whole body being filled with the warm, loving light of mother earth, and know that this safe, peaceful space is always available for you to return to at any time.