Grounding.

“Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.” – Kahlil Gibran

I recently moved to Austin and my nervous system loves it here. The energy in our backyard is delicious. Almost everyday I sit outside communing with nature, listening to the owls, watching the squirrels play, and hawks dance in the sky. Any anxiousness I may be experiencing immediately dispels when I step outside on the wooden planks of our deck. Who knew Texas would bring me such rest and rejuvenation? But no matter where you are, you can connect to the Earth and experience the same with a simple practice.

Here is a grounding exercise I do every evening (and sometimes in the mornings too). The purpose is to connect us to Pachamama (Mother Gaia) who is the mother of all mothers and provides everything we could possibly need in this life. The amazing women who gave birth to us are, of course, instrumental in our lives - they are the vessels who carried us into this realm. They raised us and love us (some more than others), and so much more - but they, too, belong to Mama Earth. All of humanity is mothered by Pachamama because she carries the intelligence of every cell in our bodies.

Facilitating a deep connection with the Earth is the ultimate act of self-care. When we are truly open to the gifts she is waiting to bestow upon us, we are in alignment and flow with Universal Energy and want for nothing - spiritually, physically, emotionally, and mentally. The deeper we are rooted, into the core of the Great Mother (her womb), the more grace and flow, and abundance we experience in this life.

Do this exercise today, on the Summer Solstice (and every other day too!), to stay open and receptive in communication with Pachamama:

• Lie on your back on the ground - no barrier is best (like outside on the beach or grass, but wherever you are is fine)

• Say hello to Mother Gaia (or invoke the name you feel most connected to when you think about the Earth), introducing yourself to her and rekindling your connection

• Imagine a RED umbilical cord from your belly button going straight through the layers of the Earth to the core, the uterus of Mother Earth

• Speak with her verbally affirming that you are open to receive the gifts she has always wished to bestow upon you

• You can also give her anything that is no longer serving you like negative emotions, thoughts, ailments, etc. and ask her to transmute the things you don’t want to experience into fuel and love for herself

• Maintain that connection for some time allowing Pachamama to nurture you and fill you up with her beautiful, abundant energy

Many solstice blessings! If you have any questions or wish to work with me one-on-one, feel free to reach out at assistant@ smudged.co and if you’d like to sign up for a free group breathwork in collaboration with Brownkind, you can do so here. You will reap amazing benefits from both breathwork and this grounding practice.

xo,

Neelou