5 Ways to Feel Centered Amid the Stress

Posted by Katarina on November 17, 2016 in Health Coaching

reverse-prayer

It’s come to my attention that the word “grounded” no longer serves me. It’s not because I’ve felt stable, settled, and connected to a foundation. In fact, my life has been quite the opposite. I’ve been traveling and mobile (or homeless, as my girlfriend so eloquently puts it) since January 15, 2016. That’s over nine months.

I’ve taken trains, planes, automobiles, and boats. I’ve been to two countries, 15 states, 30+ cities, and four national parks, staying in each place for no longer than two weeks at a time. With all of this bouncing around, I absolutely have felt the need to feel stable, settled, and connected. The word “grounded” is thrown around a lot in the yoga and personal development community, so naturally I thought that was the thing I needed.

In the beginning of my journey, I used my knowledge as a holistic health coach and would eat things that grounded me, like root veggies and heavier proteins. I would visualize rooting my feet down wherever I landed. My yoga practice mirrored poses that were grounding, like triangle pose. But just as I was getting settled, I’d need to pick up and move again. It was like my body, mind, and heart were being tossed back and forth from needing and wanting to fly but also needing and wanting to be rooted down.

This yo-yo effect was exhausting, going from one extreme to the other. Therefore I asked myself, how could I be open, free, fly, and leap while also honoring my need to feel steady, settled, and connected to something stronger than my bouncing energy?

The answer …  READ MORE…