I want to share with you my most grounding mindfulness practices that I’ve cultivated over time. I’m a city girl and I love it. I will say, though, that since moving to a major city I’ve had to really focus on my mindfulness techniques to keep my grounded. The number of distractions I face day-to-day can throw me for a loop. Without my grounding practices, it can be easy to take on the energy of the chaotic hustle and bustle of San Francisco.
Daily meditation
Sam Harris was my saving grace with meditation. I have found that the way he practices mindfulness resonates well with what my mind and body need. I believe that a wide variety of meditation practices can work for different personality types and intentions. However, Sam Harris, the founder of Waking Up, really did change my life. I listen to his daily meditations every day and feel an immense amount of peace and comfort during and after the listening experience. The app isn’t free, but is well worth the price. His lessons are also fascinating and have made me think deeply about the nature of the mind.
Music
Listening to frequencies is a daily ritual for me. I listen to frequencies when I first wake up, when I’m cleaning, reading, and walking around in public but want to stay in my own energetic lane. 963, 852, 639 741 are my favorites. Soul food!
Morning and evening walks
Having a circadian rhythm that’s in sync with nature can be a challenge in modern day living. With fluorescent lights, blue light from our phones and computers, and staying inside for long hours can really throw off our systems. That’s why getting natural sunlight, directly to the eyes, is vital for both our sleep patterns as well as many other bodily functions that use light and darkness signals, such as the digestive system. Our bodies send signals to rest and digest based off of our circadian rhythms, so if we’re not getting that direct sunlight it can disturb our digestive system. Getting morning sun will wake up the body and going on an evening walk and catching the sunset is extremely beneficial. Evening walks will trigger a melatonin release and prepare your body for sleep.
Breathing Techniques
Pausing throughout the day to focus on the breath can be extremely helpful in regulating your nervous system. It is very normal for us to get caught up in our minds throughout the day, and lose touch with how our bodies are feeling. Remembering to check in with our bodies and slowing our breath to calm ourselves down can help us relieve stress, enter rest and digest mode, and will allow us to make more grounded, heart-centered decisions throughout our days.
Thanks for reading about my most grounding mindfulness practices! Read more blog posts here.
