9 Rituals of Grounding you dont have to put on your insta story.

What I am trying to say is this article contains 9 practices that don't require bath bombs, perfectly layered smoothies bowls, face masks or your cell phone. Moments to check out to check in, to be refueled and brought back to your body and no pressure to make sure you tell the world you did your "self care" today. Don't get me wrong, I am the QUEEN of making sure my Instagram story knows some of the moments through my days that I stopped to smell the flowers. As I have been tuning in the last few weeks, I've made some mental notes of the things I don't take photos of and I think its because these moments are the ones I am truly sitting with myself in the most raw way. Have I perfected self care? No. Do I have all the answers? No. Do I want to give you new perspective? sure! These are things that work for me and might for you too. 

Here we go. 
Lets begin with the one I am struggling with most but find the most freedom in once I actually sit down to do it:

1. Creating with NO agenda. 
I am eternally grateful that my line of work is a hyper-creative position. Between casting a brand to feeling like a DJ through movement + tunes, I am constantly creating. But with expectation of what I want something to look like, feel like, etc. Creating an experience for people. Creating consistency. Creating with an end goal. My first challenge for me (and for you too) sit down, and create with no intentions but CREATING. We are ALL creators in some capacity and you cannot convince me otherwise. The way it's delivered is the difference. But its in there. You have to invite it out. This comes through here. In this practice. Sitting down with a notebook, a canvas, paints, pencils, yarn, metal, whatever you've got and holding space for YOU to see what happens. A creative meditation if you will. 

2. SFD : the Shitty First Draft by Brene Brown
In Brene's book Rising Strong she talks strongly about how to properly process emotions that are trapped inside. Just you and pen +paper, pop a squat. Let it out. Whats in there? Maybe an insecurity. Maybe a feeling of anxiousness, or anxiety within a relationship or a job. Freeing the mind through releasing the thoughts on the paper. It's your first draft. There's no rules here. Don't allow conversations or irritations take up valuable real estate within your head and your heart! Life is too short. Choose wisely what you hold on to. More than half the time I do this I realize what is taking up space are things that are based on how I am perceiving a situation. Like I am making up a story in my head that's blown way out of proportion. 
So write it out, call what you feel by name and release it, my friend. Be free. 

3. PODCASTS
Call me ol'fashion because I haven't jumped on the podcast bandwagon until this year! Sure a few here and there over the years, but now, all the time. I LOVE PODCASTS. Yes, please read to me, tell me a story. Its like a cheating way to learn fast and I don't have to sit down and read the book, ya know? I can listen and I can write notes and I can take things away and I'm obsessed. My personal favorite (dont judge me, its really good) the Goop podcast. I love it because its always informational but also always different! New perspectives, new people, new information. Culture changers sharing their stories and their work. I love it. Send me your favorite! 
Check out Goop's Podcast here. 

4. Preparing a nourishing meal. 
I struggle with this one on a daily aspect but I'm working on it. Taking the time to create a new recipe (or an old one!). Cutting the food, washing the vegetables, boiling the water, measuring all the things (or not lol I never measure), but being intentional in the food your put into your body. Using the time of preparation to check in, put some music on or bask in the silence. There's something so beautiful about preparing in love and then enjoying the meal. Its one of the most beautiful ways of nourishment to me. We talk a lot about this in the Shift, a seasonal cleanse that I run at the Space. Taking time to think about where the food comes from, what it does within the body, when you create this hyper awareness you become aware of the conversation you have with YOU around food. Start to slow down. Start to listen. 

Enrollment opens soon for the Shift in October, keep an eye out. 

5. MOVEMENT.
What better way to ground down than through movement? Feeling your body. When I'm home and moving, I try to do the same as when creating. Have NO agenda. Typically this looks like putting on a song, jumping around, shaking my body, stomping my feet (sorry downstairs neighbors lol). Anything I've got in me in that moment, just letting it out. No judgement, its just you. 

One of my favorite songs for free movement : Sisters by A Tribe Called Red
Listen here. 

6. Read a book while you poop. 
YES YOU HEARD ME. If you're like me its like "OU! I get to catch up on socials in here."
Scroll.
Scrolll.
scrollllling...

still scrolling. 
Leave a book in the bathroom and be intentional, bathroom time is knowledge time. Or story time if you like those kind of books. Stop scrolling, get inspired, learn about something new. And make this easy for yourself and leave your phone outside of the bathroom. I'm currently reading The Sacred Ennegram by Christopher L. Heuertz. 10/10 recommend.
That's all I have to say about this one. bye

7. Find the Nurturer within.
Find something that you have to take care of outside of you, your kids, your animals, your husbands (lol). Buy yourself a damn houseplant and nurture the heck out of it. Check on it everyday. You can do it! So many people blame the green thumb for whether they can keep a plant alive or not. Let it be a moment of grounding and connection for you. Grounding in nature, grounding in care. Also helps with air quality in you home and I once read somewhere people with plants in their homes are generally happier than people without. 

Choose a plant that's low maintenance if you're nervous! Get something that works with the natural lighting in your home. Visit your local Home Depot and google will tell you everything you need to know. Here's some tips for easy plant care. 

8. Wipe the baseboards in your home. 
I can hear you now, "CLEANING AIN'T NO SELF CARE". But I firmly believe its all about your perspective. Think of the baseboards are the foundation of your home, of your sanctuary. Allowing this practice to be a love offering to the space that holds you every night while you sleep. A space that holds your family and protects them. Let it be the most selfless thing you do today. You aren't entitled to have the home you have, its a blessing. So take time rooting down and connecting to that space. 

Home as a sanctuary? Yes. It should be. And if its not, lets talk about how to make yours one.

9. Sit with you. 
Last but not least. The act of just BEING. Light your favorite candle (if you don't have one yet, my favorite brand is Wolf Bone Candles, favorite scent La Mere), turn your phone off (or tuck it away somewhere you CANT SEE IT), curl up on your couch, no music, no sounds, just you and your environment. Just be here. 
If you've never done this intentionally, you don't know how hard this actually is. Just sit, just listen. Remain. Pay attention to whats going on around you. Notice the tension in the eyes from screens all day. Notice the conversation that's been going on within this whole time. Call it meditation or don't. Close your eyes or don't. See how you react in this space. How long can you stay? Is time at the forefront of your brain? Or can you get lost here? Can you settle in? 

Become aware. and stay. Right there. 5 minutes, 30 minutes, or if you have ample amounts of down time, see if you can stay, no distractions, no technology. Just you. 

_____________________

It takes intention, it takes awareness, it takes the desire to take care along the way. I am not perfect but I am trying and my wish for you is just that. Try. Notice how you feel. Just like taking a new vitamin, it takes time! Its progressive in results. It takes consitancy and a commitment to you. To mental health. Stop numbing and start grounding. Stop getting caught up in the routine and the same story different day. Start choosing to participate here and now.