Roots

Photograph by Rui Xu

Grounding Techniques for Women’s Health Issues

“Storms make trees take deeper roots.”-Dolly Parton

We can’t control all of the storms that come into our lives. When this particular storm involves chronic pelvic pain, flare ups may happen without warning. To be honest, sometimes it feels like when it rains it pours and chronic pelvic pain can become incredibly overwhelming to navigate on top of other life stressors. However, if we are willing to seek out tools to ground ourselves when storms come our way, we can learn to weather the storms while building stronger roots. 

We can learn so much about living life from connecting with the world around us and the beauty of nature which surrounds. The lotus flower is beautiful, yes, but its impressiveness is even more significant below its surface. The lotus flower is incredibly durable, adaptive and able to survive in the harshest extremes of conditions. The roots extend to the bottom of the water, buried deep within the mud and muck. 

The essence of strong roots provide connection. In the lotus flower, roots connect to life giving nutrients and provide stability for continued growth. In our lives, roots provide connection with our loved ones, our communities, our schools or workplaces and most importantly, the connectedness of our mind and body. These connections create nourishment for our mind, body and spirit. 

Rootedness, or groundedness, is a key part of mindfulness. Here are a few grounding techniques to try if feeling anxious or overwhelmed:

-Take ten breaths: take ten slow belly breaths, inhaling and filling the diaphragm through your nose while exhaling through your mouth as if you were exhaling through a straw.

-Notice 5 things: notice five things you can see, hear, touch, and smell around you.

-“Sky and the Weather” meditation: set a timer for 3 minutes and imagine any thought or feeling passing through the sky as just weather (cloud, rainstorm, thunderstorm, etc). If you get distracted, do not get discouraged or judge yourself. Simply bring your thoughts back to the sky and let thoughts or feelings pass through.

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