Grounding Yourself with Acupressure
When your life is in chaos and everything is spiraling out of control, all you want is to restore your peace and sense of security. You want to feel grounded.
But how do you accomplish this? And what does it mean to "ground" yourself?
To be "grounded" means you have an overall feeling of stability, safety, and assurance that everything will be okay. When you are grounded, you function better as you feel more centered and secure. However, this can be a difficult state to achieve, due to both internal and external turmoil.
Understanding the connection between the mind and body can help you to achieve a grounded state. When you work on your body, you are working on your mind, and when you heal your mind, you can heal your body. Physical practices, such as Yoga and Taiji (Tai Chi), are powerful tools to facilitate grounding, as they help connect your mind and body.
Walking in your bare feet and getting out into nature are other ways to ground yourself. You literally establish a direct connection with the Earth. While not everyone has access to nature, if you are fortunate enough to surround yourself with the natural world… take off your shoes... take a breath… and take it all in.
Another way to ground yourself is through meditation. Not only does meditation clear your mind, but it also resets your nervous system, reduces your heart rate, and improves clarity and focus.
But what if you can't practice Yoga or Taiji, get outside, or are having problems meditating? Acupressure is a simple yet powerful tool for grounding yourself. Examples of grounding acupressure points are Kidney 3, Stomach 36, and Kidney 1.
Kidney 3 (Taixi) brings awareness back to your body, calms your emotions, and nourishes you from the inside out. It is located in the depression between your Achille's tendon and your inside ankle bone. Be gentle when applying pressure to this tender point... try using your ring finger to start.
Stomach 36 (Zusanli) grounds you by stimulating the production of Qi and Blood that provides the energy and nutrients to your entire body. It is located on your shin below the kneecap, about a finger's width lateral to the tibial tuberosity – that little bump on the kneecap.
Another acupressure point that is wonderful for grounding is Kidney 1 (Yong Quan). The ultimate grounding point, Kidney 1 establishes both a physical and energetic connection to the Earth. It is located on the ball of your foot, in between your first and second toes. On a personal note, if I am overwhelmed and stressed out, I imagine sending waves of energy to the souls of my feet, specifically to Kidney 1. I find that I am much calmer and am better able to focus.
Returning to center and remaining in a state of peace can seem impossible when life is spinning out of your control. And I am still learning how to stay grounded when things get a little crazy. A lot of times I feel scattered and overwhelmed. Tools such as Yoga, Taiji, mediation, and acupressure have helped me along my journey back to center.
Perhaps you will find that they help you as well. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out and I would be happy to chat.
