The other day my husband noted that he could feel the fall in the air. Even though we are still getting days of strong sunshine, we have been transitioning to Autumn. According to the 24 Solar Terms, the “Limit of Heat” or end of the hot summer was August 22.
We are most vulnerable in times of change as we are dealing with various movement patterns. Our body naturally moves to equilibrium, which is more dynamic and unstable in these times. In Chinese medicine, the energy between seasons is Spleen and Stomach, earth energies. Grounding is essential. Between seasons, energy from one is also moved to the next. Spleen and Stomach energies also govern the season of Late Summer. So supporting these two function energies can be very helpful for well-being.
As a Jin Shin Jyutsu practitioner and Human Design Coach, I remind my clients to decide on which paths to follow from their own personal authority. The beauty of Jin Shin Jyutsu is that all adjustment flows are helpful and relational so you can start with a foundational one, such as the Main Central or holding your fingers and follow your inner pull to the next.
Suggestions for grounding
People ground in different ways. Here are some of the common ones that you may already do naturally or you may want to explore:
- Look at your surroundings – take note of what’s around. How does the air feel? What’s the temperature? What sounds do you hear?
- Pick up an object and touch it. What does it feel like? Is it heavy or light? Is it smooth or textured? What colour is it?
- Focus on your breath. Notice its quality. Where in your body do you feel it? Does your breath change when you pay attention to it? Explore slowing it down. What happens to your body?
- Pay attention to your body. How does any clothing feel? What else do you feel on your body? Perhaps strands of hair? Your dog’s paw?
- Some people find they naturally ground more easily in nature. Some prefer walking barefoot on the beach or in the forest. Some enjoy sitting against a tree or in a wide open field.
5-4-3-2-1 method
The 5-4-3-2-1 Method is a sensory grounding technique. This can help when you feel overwhelmed by pulling your attention from anxious thoughts to your physical senses. It helps anchor you in your body and activates neural pathways for awareness.
- 5 things you can see
- 4 things you can feel
- 3 things you can hear
- 2 things you can smell
- 1 thing you can taste
Jin Shin Jyutsu
Jin Shin Jyutsu is a wonderful way to release blockages in your body and to correct energy flow patterns that may have deviated due to stress. To support and harmonize your Spleen and Stomach Function Energies, give the following a try:
- hold your thumb with the other hand. Wrap your fingers of your left hand around your right thumb and switch sides.
- to support the stomach energy – place your right fingers just under your left cheek bone and your left fingers on your left collarbone. (Switch sides)
- to support the spleen energy – place your right fingers on the inside of your right ankle and left hand on your tailbone. If you had your spleen removed, this one can be very helpful.
To learn more about Jin Shin Jyutsu, here’s an email course – Energize, Digest & Cleanse – I created.
Human Design
Your Human Design Bodygraph provides incredible insight, including why you may feel ungrounded and feel pressured to make decisions or take actions prematurely. It can also show some health challenges as well as pointing to what is actually unique about you that you may have taken to be wrong.
The Bodygraph is pulled from your birth time and while having an accurate birth time is important, sometimes we are able to get some good information based on an approximate time. This depends on the transits at the time. Some people also get their birth time rectified.
If you’re curious about Human Design and getting a session with me, feel free to contact me to set up a complimentary call. There is also a number of Human Design articles on What Therapy.
