Anchoring is a technique to use on a daily basis because it allows you to quickly reduce stress. Learn about the technique of anchoring is one. What exactly is anchoring? What benefits against stress?
Stress is one of the worst enemies of health. It blocks the natural intelligence of our body and thus makes us very fragile to many diseases. But how to get out of stress? How to get rid of this anxiety and find inner calm? Here are anchoring techniques to adopt.
How does stress affect our health?
Stress affects our health through hormonal dynamics. Feeling tense means, in the body, the production of certain hormones which accelerate the heart rate for example, and which result in this feeling of tense muscles, sometimes spasms, irritability, lack of concentration, etc. The production of hormones such as adrenaline or cortisol can be beneficial for a short period of time, in order to have the energy necessary to undertake a given action.
But when we feel tense all day long, and for no particular reason, it becomes very harmful to our health. When the body is in this state of tension, it neglects immune function. We lower our guard in a way to provide maximum energy for action, and as in a war, we become more vulnerable to external attacks. It is very important to understand this so as not to succumb to negative ideas that put us in a state of anxiety and continuous tension.
Anchoring techniques
First you have to understand what it means to be well grounded. The best image to understand it is that of a tree. Observe a tree and notice how the trunk gives you this impression of solidity and stability, thanks to its anchoring in the ground, through the multiple roots that you do not yet see.
Thanks to this very solid trunk, the tree will "grow", developing multiple branches and leaves much more flexible than the trunk. For a human being, it is essential to have this inner anchoring, which is manifested by calm and psychological stability, in order to be able to embark on social or professional life, to have activities and to produce added value for oneself and around self. It would be like branches bearing leaves, flowers, and fruits. Here are practical exercises.
1- The tree pose
It's okay to start with the famous yoga exercise called tree pose. It is simply a matter of gradually raising your arms fully extended, towards the sky, then slightly lifting your right or left foot to imitate the posture of the tree and balance on one foot. We thus feel well anchored in the ground, slender in the sky.
This little exercise is a ritual - of a few minutes - to adopt. Ideally in the morning before leaving home, in the middle of the day (two or three times as soon as you feel tired or tense), and especially in the evening when you return home. There you can take the time to do other exercises, stretching, the position of the child or the cat, which will strengthen your anchoring. There are many tutorials on the internet to help you. And it is very effective, from the first days, you will see it for yourself.
2- Gardening
Gardening, whether in a vegetable garden or by planting a few seeds in pots in your apartment, will give you a good anchor.
You will enjoy watching the seeds grow and honoring nature's work in turning any seed into a beautiful plant. Working the land helps to reinforce the intrinsic confidence that one must have in life, as an intelligent process.
3- Food
Cooking is another manual activity that, like gardening, helps focus the mind on manual tasks; but also to get in touch with the ingredients.
The foods that we will transform to obtain beautiful, very delicious dishes, allow us to exercise this magic of cooking. A magic accessible to all, and which represents spiritual nourishment, much more than organic nourishment.
4- Meditation break
There are many books on meditation, but the practical application is not at all obvious. To strengthen your anchoring, we invite you to devote just ten minutes, each day, to observing the sunset. It should be done daily if possible, and if you miss this moment or there are a lot of clouds, just go for daytime cloud viewing. The idea is to focus your mind on observation and thus reduce the flow of automatic thoughts. You will feel an indescribable stability and inner calm. You have to practice to understand.
5- Walk barefoot in the sand
Walking barefoot in the sand on the beach, or in the forest for the bravest, is a well-known grounding exercise. It reinforces the physical contact with the elements of nature.
The followers of sylvotherapy go further... they do not hesitate to hug a tree, surround it with their arms, lean against it, talk to it, become aware of its roots, let its feet sink and intertwine with the roots of the tree, etc. The main thing is to reconnect with nature, whether through short walks or long hikes, depending on your physical abilities.
6- Grounding Visualization Exercise
Close your eyes and focus on the soles of your feet. From each of your feet, grow roots and let them go deep into the ground. Then visualize your roots spreading, becoming bigger and bigger, more and more numerous, deeper and deeper… They now extend to your whole city, your whole department…
With a deep breath, let come to you all the nutrients of the Earth collected by your roots, all this nurturing energy provided by our mother the Earth, then let this energy go up slowly in your roots, the soles of your feet, your feet, your ankles, your calves, your knees, your thighs, your pelvis, your belly, your spine, your chest, your neck and your neck, your whole head.
How do I know if I am well anchored?
Being well anchored translates into a feeling of security, it is a spiritual "food" that gives the feeling of being satiated. We then develop an intrinsic confidence in life, in addition to self-confidence, and above all the feeling of being in one's place.