Earth Energy: From Feeling Overwhelmed To Tranquility and Grounding in Nature

The world spins at a relentless pace,  sometimes causing overwhelming feelings but in this session of the Gentle Yoga Warrior podcast, we embrace the energy of April and steer through the changing tides together. With an unexpected twist, our anticipated guest couldn't join, but the conversation flows richly, offering insights into the joy of turmeric lattes and the simple act of walking barefoot to reconnect with our planet's healing energies.  Feel the steadiness grow within you, anchoring you in the present amidst the whirlwind of life's challenges.

Step off the beaten path and into an imaginary forest where the mind's eye can wander and the soul can flourish. Posture and environment intertwine as we sit back-to-back with tall trees, inhaling the stillness, exhaling the stress. I invite you to take that first brave step toward change and personal growth, setting forth on a path that winds away from comfort but promises a vista of ease in the horizon. Reflect on personal missions, savor the textures of life, and as our meditative journey concludes, capture the actionable steps that resonate with your heart. This episode is a tapestry of mindful practices and intentional living—all waiting to be woven into the fabric of your daily life.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:38

So hello, dear listeners, and welcome to another edition of Awakened Conscious Conversations podcast. I'm your host, the Gentle Yoga Warrior, and, as always, we are navigating our way through life, and today we are working with the energy of April and that kind of sense of vibrancy and action, as nature has begun to well and truly wake up. Before we start with today's show, I was just looking on my podcast hosting platform and I'm really happy to see that my show has been downloaded in 1,085 cities and 82 different countries, and that's I find that absolutely a joy to see people all around the world, from Western Australia, america, new Jersey, the UK, austria, germany, canada, romania, ireland, to name but a few of the many countries where my show has been downloaded. So I would just like to say thank you to you, dear listener, for without you I do not have a show. So a big hug sent virtually to all of you who have either been seasoned listeners who've been listening through the whole duration, or you're just new to finding the show. Either way, I'm internally grateful. So thank you so much. As always, we start today's show with taking a few calming deep breaths, a moment to be within ourselves, a moment to go within as we inhale, take a nice long, deep, calming breath and as you exhale, just let it all go. So there's a little bit mixed up with some of the guests that I was meant to have on the show, but these things happen and I think when it does, it kind of inspires me to dig within myself and see what would be of value to you, dear listeners.

Speaker 1: 2:39

And I'm thinking as we're going through April, which is quite a watery time of year. Well, it is where I am, maybe it's not where you are, but the season of April kind of can bring a sense of renewal and change, and but it could be also very uncomfortable at times, in the sense that one can question where to go next or what to do next. Since it's a very difficult time, I thought what better thing to do than to find some ways to really earth and ground ourselves as all this activity is going on around us, with the change of seasons, with life trials and tribulations. I am not immune to having times when I feel that are overwhelming. Everything's too much negativity. Sometimes all those things can sneak through into my sphere and it would be say you would have to kind of be superhuman not to feel these things and if you don't feel things, that's another, that's another discussion. But we are meant to kind of be and feel and be fully in this world and things that can help when things feel like overwhelming too much or it's not going to help. It's planned is to really tap into our inner earth and connect to the earth within ourselves and around us, and there are a number of reasons that you can do that.

Speaker 1: 4:11

The first thing that springs into my head is how earthy and grounding it is when I have like a hot turmeric latte. Quite random, I know, but turmeric is so healing and grounding for me. I find it really a place it brings me into, place of I don't know, it's just the earthy richness of it and there's a number of reasons why turmeric, I feel, is something that is coming into my sphere right now. So did you know that turmeric is actually a member of the ginger family and that makes sense because it looks quite similar on the outside to a ginger root and there's so much known about like ginger and turmeric and how it's so good for us and how it can kind of really help. But I just think when I feel like all the way I'm gonna put turmeric in something. It really helps to ground me and, um, obviously, if turmeric is suitable for you and it's been used for many years in the ayurvedic and chinese medicine traditions because it can be good at kind of helping with things like digestion and inflammatory conditions etc. And it actually tastes nice in my opinion but really you really don't want to get it on anything. If you're cutting fresh turmeric it has a tendency to stain. It's also been linked with helping things like arthritis and, um, alzheimer's allergies, all that kind of stuff.

Speaker 1: 5:47

The reason I'm such a fan of turmeric latte and turmeric drinks or anything with turmeric in it is that I do feel like it grounds and helps me come back into myself and and that's all we need to do is kind of ways that soothe us. There might be something else that you like, that you find soothes you, as long as it's something healthy, so like, obviously, um a packet of crisps or um a can of cola. It's not really going to have the same effect, because this has come right. The reason is this this has come right from the earth, it is part of the earth, it has this, it is grown in the earth, it's grown in the ground, so it's, it's got that feeling of kind of really connecting us to the earth. And the overwhelmment may kind of still come in different ways and as it gets warmer this might be more of a thing that you can do, at least walk kind of barefooted on the ground and kind of connect with the earth. And the feeling of that as it kind of barefooted on the ground and kind of connect with the earth, and the feeling of that as it kind of comes through your body and you feel that grounding because, um, I don't know, like I'm not one for walking over terrain, that I don't know what's there, but um, I am a fan of walking on a nice, nice lawn and then feeling that downward connection with the feet upon it, as if it was a navigate through the day.

Speaker 1: 7:10

So I find that kind of helps a lot, connecting or and then connecting to that earthy element within. And I like to do that by doing slow yoga, so kind of holding poses like for periods of time in a slow manner. So I find like if I'm feeling on ground and I go to a very fast vinyasa class, it's kind of going to make me feel a bit more like. For me personally, nothing against vinyasa, I love it as well, but if I'm feeling like I'm really a bit overwhelmed or a bit calm, as I find doing like a yoga practice where you're holding the poses for a period of time, but not so that you kind of get into the ego, where you feel like you've got to hold them, so like you're torturing yourself, but more. That's not what I mean. I just mean like holding it for about the time that feels like it's really kind of getting it.

Speaker 1: 8:09

You're getting and you're being in the body via the tool of the breath, and I might say this every single podcast, but the breath is key to so many things and that is that instant access to the present moment, to calming and to being grounded, is to use the breath and then like, do activities, um, and then also doing activities that help us connect with the earth, gardening, and like, as it is, as I'm speaking, this month is a good time for planting and just getting with the soil. Even if you don't have a garden, you can do stuff with your house plants or in the house, something that feels like you really feel that warming, so warming, loving, connection to the earth and then saying gratitude to the earth, like I stumbled across the other day this beautiful nature reserve which was somewhere near where I live and I didn't even know existed and I could feel the energy was in. It was so beautiful that it actually brought a tear to my eye, because I just thought it made me realize that in many ways that we take so much from the earth and it just felt like this beautiful nature reserve was given back to the earth and you could see the joy and all the nature, like all the birds, the insects. It was a buzz of life and activity. So what better way to overcome overwhelmment and feeling lost than to do something in service to the earth? What could you do that can say thank you to Mother Earth? The earth could. What could you do that can say thank you to mother earth? How can you help the planet and how can you help it with love and kindness?

Speaker 1: 9:55

And there's all this drive to recycling. I recycle and I'm sure most people do recycle, but I've heard these awful stories that it just ends up getting dumped in other other countries and stuff like that. If anyone knows any more information about that, then I would be very interested to hear. But that is a bit sad. I think it needs to come from the top. It needs to come from the supermarkets to show their gratitude to the plant and stop producing everything in plastic. Like why do vegetables have to be wrapped up in plastic? Like, whoever thought that was a good idea?

Speaker 1: 10:28

I just remember as a kid you'd buy things loose in paper bags, and not that I drink milk anymore, because it doesn't agree with me, but back in those days the milk was put on your doorstep, the orange juices and and and in glass bottles on your door. So even um, fizzy drinks came in glass bottles on your door. So even fizzy drinks came in glass bottles, which you took back. So everything was recycled. And then some, for some reason, everything lost its way and people stopped cooking home-cooked food and started buying convenience food and thinking that was the way forward. And I thought what way to kind of ground and be with earth than to cook ourselves a wholesome, healthy meal.

Speaker 1: 11:09

I know that life is so hard these days. It's not always easy for people to to buy organic. But could you start growing some things? That's what I'm trying to do. I don't know. Succeed. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't, but I think it's better than kind of not trying, and I tell you what my garlic is really nice, so there is ways around, kind of finding ways to eat more healthy and remembering all the stuff that our ancestors knew about how we used to live in a lot more harmony with the planet than we do now. And then it makes me worry about all these things where we're going electric and everything, but then I'm thinking about what's going to happen to the batteries and who's producing all these things, I'm guessing not in the best conditions either. So we have to have a lot more consciousness and how we're being, and it is so easy I completely understand how easy it is just to get into habits and do the same things, because life is hard at the moment it's really hard, but then the only way we're going to navigate through this and overcome the overwhelm and find the peace is to do things that we can't have control over. So healthy drinks, healthy food, healthy movement, healthy connection with Earth, healthy things to say thank you to the planet and, finally, some healthy thoughts. And healthy thoughts could be a wonderful mind-clearing meditation where you're walking in nature and you're out and about in nature, and I'm going to end today's podcast with one of my favorite meditations which are recorded outside in a private forest, and hopefully you will feel the beauty of that earth and the beauty of the being. So try and get outside more than what you normally are, say thank you to the planet and go forth.

Speaker 1: 13:01

Dear and thank you for listening to the podcast. If there's any particular shows that you would like to hear, then do reach out. I do have a guest schedule for next week so hopefully I will be able to bring you a guest, but either way, I do really enjoy these intimate chats that we have as well in between our guests. So thank you so much, dear listener chats that we have as well in between, I guess. So thank you so much, dear listener. If you would like a shamanic healing session or an energy healing session to help you on your way, then go to shamanichealingsorg. That's shamanichealingsorg for more information. As promised, here is your meditation inspired by today's show.

Speaker 1: 13:45

Top tips for the meditation is either sit nice and cross-legged on the floor with a nice straight back always nice to sit on a block or a cushion, or that's not available for you. You sit in a chair with the back nice and straight. The important thing is you're not slouching and if you're doing something that requires your concentration. All you need to do is just pause this and you can reconvene the meditation at a time that is good for you. If you're doing the meditation, let's begin recorded.

Speaker 1: 14:18

Live in a private forest and I'm surrounded by birds and you can hear the water from the brook and the little river behind me. I'm going to take some slow, calm, deep breaths and just start to take steps Via your imagination. You can also be in a forest with all its noises, and as you breathe slowly, calmly and deeply in this forest, you start to take a little journey. So you're walking slowly on the ground and as you walk along in your imagination, you know that change is made up of steps, always done from a place of mindfulness, as much as we can. Sometimes we have to dive in deep and sometimes we have to step in slow, but whatever we do through life, everything happens by making the first step.

Speaker 1: 15:58

So, what first steps can you make today? What changes, yes, you make today. What changes? Perhaps to slightly go outside one's comfort zone, which isn't always what we want to do. However, remember, there's more discomfort in life by not making changes that are for our good than by being in the comfort of unease. Disease in the body is when we're at disease disease.

Speaker 1: 16:54

So what small steps can you make today as you walk through this imaginary forest? The feet on the ground, the smell of the flowers, the wild flowers, the rustle of the little creatures, the song of the bird what is your song? What is your goal? What is your mission in life? The textures of the leaves, the ground, what can you show up today to do? That might be slightly discomfort but in the long term will bring ease and whatever that is for you. Perhaps as we come out of this meditation, as you inhale, as you exhale, you begin to make a note of it and with each day you can make a note of which step you can make towards that. It can be a little step, sometimes it's a giant leap, sometimes it's just a tiny micro step, but whatever it is, just step into your flow.