Self-care tips: Keeping your Feet on the Ground

Today's self-care massage and energy tip is a follow on from the Crown Pull. Clearing the head so that we can think straight and allow energy to move through the crown chakra goes hand in hand with making sure we stay grounded.

How easily we walk on the earth, both figuratively and literally, is determined by how well we are grounded. We pull energy up from the earth and empty it back out through the feet. When we are not sufficiently grounded, this ability is severely impaired, causing us to feel "spacey", out of sync with our environment and others, tired and just not quite all there and present in the moment. When a lack of grounding continues over time and energy backs up in the system, physical symptoms can ensue, sciatica and hip problems being two that I see a lot in my practice.

Retraining your energy system on a daily basis to be grounded and stay that way can be accomplished through some simple exercises.

• Walk Barefoot - spend some time everyday with your shoes and socks off, walking on a natural surface
  
• Be Like a Tree - stand planted on the earth and imagine yourself as a tree, with roots extending into the earth through your feet
  
• Spoon Your Feet - rub a stainless steel spoon along the length of the sole
• Reinforce the Grounding Wire - place a piece of hematite on Bladder 66 (in the dip on the outside of the baby toe
• Swish your bare feet through dew-dampened grass
  
• Wiggle your toes in the sand at the beach (it doesn't have to be at the ocean - Oak Creek works just as well)
  
• Dance - put on some music with a good beat and stamp your feet into the earth
  
• Massage - work the spaces between the toe tendons on the top of the foot
  
• Stretch - use both hands to stretch the sole in all directions

Above all, have fun! Self-care doesn't need to be a chore. The more enjoyable the experience, the greater the benefits.