posted August 02, 2009 06:43 AM         

Most people are out of touch with their bodies. They are not in the present moment, and in order to feel grounded, some people choose to eat, sometimes to the extent that they end up with the opposite feeling that was intended – they feel detached from their bodies, or fragmented. To keep from feeling detached, we must learn how to eat in the way that will promote a healthy root chakra.

Why it is important to maintain a healthy root chakra
The root chakra also represents boundaries and support in our lives. Here are some reasons why keeping the root chakra healthy is important:

It is responsible for the energy of body systems that provide us with physical structure, allowing us to make tangible, meaningful contact with the Earth. These anatomical parts include the joints, bones, muscle, legs, and feet.

The root chakra enforces boundaries in the body by keeping us in check with an internal and external defense system, including the immune system (internal “defense” strategy) and skin (external barrier between us and others).

The root chakra oversees the action of the adrenal glands which allow us the momentum to “fight or flee” when we feel that we are in danger.

Honor Your Body’s Wisdom: Since most people are out of touch with their bodies, it may be difficult for them to know when to eat. Try to get in touch with listening to your body by observing its natural rhythm rather than your imposed rhythm. See if there are certain foods that your body instinctually needs by simply asking yourself what you need. Practice trusting the response. Note whether some foods make you feel “grounded” or “ungrounded”.

GET GROUNDED: FOOD FOR GROUNDING AND PROTECTION
Protein: Protein assists us in reestablishing and strengthening our connection to the earthly vibration within us, bringing us back to our roots. It makes us feel heavy and slower moving, a welcome feeling if we are feeling fragmented or spacey. Animal proteins (e.g., dairy, egg, meat) are particularly grounding since their origin is from some of the most grounded creatures - animals who are “sure-footed” with up to four feet on the Earth and in contact with their instinctual selves. Vegetable protein (e.g., legumes) works perfectly for those who are vegetarian. Too much protein can have the reverse effect, literally creating too much rigidity, ultimately throwing off our physical structure.

Minerals: Minerals, which are stable compounds from the Earth’s crust, impart structure and stability to the body and workings of the root chakra. For example, calcium is needed for a strong skeleton. Iron is needed to ensure that the body can be properly oxygenated and able to function. Foods high in minerals such as dairy foods high in calcium would be nourishing to the root chakra.

posted August 02, 2009 06:46 AM         

“Movement gives Life but Silence is my Grounding.” A few of you have responded in the comments to my previous post that you liked what I have written for my my personal creed. I have shared that it is in meditation that I get grounded in mind-body-spirit. With grounding, my personal creed also says that “I inspire hope, vision and dreams, leaving trails of light wherever I tread.” Based on your responses, I have decided to follow up with a discussion on grounding today.

What Is Grounding?

The earliest understanding of this word is perhaps an order given by our parents that “we are grounded”. However, “grounded” as we know it in this situation, is negative because it is a punishment for kids in place of corporal punishment.

Another definition for grounding is building a strong foundation in knowledge and experience. When you receive a good grounding in a particular subject say, you are better equipped to handle more responsibilities or go for advanced study.

Spiritually, grounding means grounding ourselves to Mother Earth. You establish grounding by using visualization exercises in sending of any excess energy back to the ground. Excess energy can also be accumulated as a result of undergoing spiritual rituals.

Signs of Ungroundedness

Ungroundedness makes you feel as if you are getting out of touch with reality. You feel as if you are not your normal self. The best terms to describe yourself include “being spaced out” or “airy fairy”.

Taken to the extreme, ungroundedness can make you a Drama Queen; you exaggerate your problems, your imagination is in overdrive and you are particularly sensitive. Because you expend a lot of energy unnecessarily and inappropriately, you experience extreme exhaustion. Other indicative signs that contribute to an out-of-sorts feeling include being anxious, worried, restless or lethargic for no apparent reasons.

Not sure if you are ungrounded or not? Take this quiz here.

7 Ways For Grounding

So how do you get yourself grounded again? How do you once again plug into Universal support from Mother Earth? Here are 7 ways:

1. Simple Grounding Exercise.

Being ungrounded happens when you are out-of-balance on the first chakra. For your understanding, your energy field has two “openings”. These opening are through the first (root) and the seventh (crown) chakra. The root chakra connects the body to the earth energy, while the seventh chakra allows Universal energy to flow in. When energy is blocked, you are unable to access the support of the earth and the higher awareness of your spirit.

A simple grounding exercise involves the visualization of yourself as a tree. First, close your eyes. Next, visualize roots growing out from your feet. “Extend” these roots through the ground and going all the way down. Anchor them at the center of the earth.

2. Meditation.

Meditation helps bring about awareness. You notice the subtle energy changes within your body. You know if you are out-of-sync or if you have become ungrounded. Practicing body awareness or “sweeping” meditation is also helpful.

You also bring your awareness into the now, rather than the past or the future. You are aware of your physical existence even while increasing your spirituality. If you are grounded, you are conscious of yourself, surroundings and earth. You develop a strong sense of being.

You don’t have to spend hours in meditation. In fact, just half an hour a day is enough to expand your awareness. For grounding purposes, sitting on the floor, which puts your body (buttocks and feet primarily) in touch with Earth to meditate is a much better option to sitting on the bed.

3. Work With Soil or Clay.

Working with soil or clay helps in grounding. Simply touching earth helps. Gardening in fact is a wonderful grounding activity!

Working with clay adds an element of fun! I used to attend pottery lessons in a factory that manufactures earthern pots and clay plates. A simpler option is to take some children’s clay and play with it for some time.

4. Get Physical.

Physical activity also helps to remove any accumulated toxic energy in your aura. When you shift your energy from an overloaded mental focus to a physical one, you are able to clear away mental debris. A clear pathway in your mind allows for a magnification in your auric field.

Getting physical puts you in touch with your body. Where previously stagnant, life force starts to circulate in your body. You experience a sense of wellness throughout.

5. Connect with Nature.

Getting connected through physical activity does not necessarily mean that you have to join a gym. All it means is to allow your mind a chance to take a break. Going out by the ocean or just being in nature is a wonderful way to revitalize.

While outdoors on the beach or in the park, you may also wish to consider taking off your footwear. Experience the sensation of Mother Earth beneath the soles of your feet and feel the gentle breeze on your hair! Enhance the cleansing effect by breathing deeply and being present to the moment.

6. Eat Grounding foods.

According to Ayurvedic Medicine, there are grounding foods that you can eat. Grounding foods include those that come from the ground. Hence, these will be foods like potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots and ginger. Other grounding foods include avocado, mango, papaya, grapes, olives, berries, coconuts, figs, melons. Vegetables include green beans, egg plant, and yams.

For flavoring your food, use warming spices such as ginger, nutmeg, garlic, cinnamon, cumin, coriander and cloves. A dash or two of fennel and/or sea salt into your food will be great! Drinks should be warm and not cold.

7. Use Crystals For Grounding.

Different crystals can help you ground in various ways. For instance, Obsidian is a volcanic rock, which is black and opaque. Its properties make it excellent for blocking energy and suitable for people who are hypersensitive. Other grounding crystals include Black Tourmaline, Smoky Quartz or Jet.

To pick out the most suitable rock for yourself, seek the advice from the owner of a crystal shop or outlet. It may also be the case that you find yourself drawn to a particular crystal.

Simply hold the crystal in your hand and imagine any unwanted energy flowing out of you and into the crystals. Occasionally, put your crystal on the ground to drain and clear it of its negative charge. Putting in a dish of sea salt overnight apparently helps too.

Conclusion

It is possible to neglect taking care of the physical “homes” for your spirit. Becoming grounded helps you in re-balancing energy. With excess energy being channeled to the ground, you also become better activated in higher awareness. In fact, those who do a lot of energy work should perform some energy grounding.

Doing the exercises in this post is also a good practice for those who have simply become ungrounded. Your mind becomes sharp, clear and focused. Creativity also goes up in the process. With less mental noise, you are much better able to “catch” inspired thoughts whenever they arrive from your guides or angels.

Recommended Free Resource

Need help in meditation? Here’s a great way to get started! You can get a free guided audio meditation that helps to center you from the Silva Life System by clicking here.

As a Silva graduate, I would like to share that I have benefited from the techniques that I have learned for creative visualization, accessing into intuition and problem solving. I have paid more than US$1,000 to attend both the basic and advanced classes and you can now get a peek into the active meditation that I continue to use, since learning it more than a year ago!

While Jose Silva has since passed on in 1999, his work has greatly influenced famous personalities like Jan Canfield, Richard Bach, and Wayne Dyer. How do you think they came upon their inspired ideas for their books? Before Laura Silva (daughter of Jose Silva) changes her mind about giving away a valuable resource, it will be wise to Grab the Free Audio Here!

Share Your Ideas For Grounding

What do you do when you feel out-of-sync or “spaced out”? Do you take a break, go to the park or do any form of grounding exercise. Do share your ideas!

posted August 02, 2009 06:51 AM         

History of Food Myths

To understand the seed of truth that may lie at the heart of these and other food myths which are so prevalent in yoga communities, begin by tracing their roots. Many theories stem from yogic scriptures, and others are aberrations of theories found in Ayurveda, the ancient Indian science of preventative health and healing. To understand the relevancy of these yogic food myths to your diet, it's essential to examine them in their original context.

Yoga from its earliest inception has been integrally tied with Ayurveda. Central to Ayurveda is the concept of varying body types, each of which thrives on different kinds of foods.

Vata types, for example, need grounding foods like oils and grains. Pitta types are supported by cooling foods, such as salads and sweet fruits.

Kapha types benefit from heating and invigorating foods, such as cayenne and other hot peppers. A classic premise of Ayurveda is that few people are strictly one type, and most in fact are a blend of at least two types. Each individual must therefore find a personal balance of foods to fit his or her own unique constitution.