Grounding your Energy to Increase Vitality

There is an old Chinese proverb which says

“When you have a disease do not try to cure it.

Find your center and you will be healed.”

This proverb holds more gems than one can imagine, for it offers a bridge to healing which our ancient healers knew, but modern man has long forgotten. The secret to restoring your health and vitality is in understanding that "finding your center" refers to balancing the flow of life force energy through the body and making sure we have a strong balanced foundation in our lower energy center. The Chinese divide the body into three energy centers which they call the three dantians.

The lower energy center or lower dantian is located just below the belly button, the middle dantian houses the heart and lungs, and the upper dantian houses the throat, eyes, ears and mouth as well as your intuition and your mind. The lower dantian energy center is said to house your vital energy which is stored in the kidneys. In Ayurvedic medicine the energy centers are referred to as the chakras. The lower energy centers consist of the solar plexus, sacral and root chakras. It may helpful to think of the chakras in terms of acupuncture, the chakras being the main points where energy and information flow in and out of the body. Meridians are the pathways on which this energy travels through the body, and the acupuncture points are minor energy points located throughout the body.

We have all heard of the saying “being rooted and grounded”, this originates from the association with the energy centers I just explained. The Root Chakra is most associated with this term, but it really applies to all three of the lower chakras being in balance, so the term lower dantian embraces all of them. When you are rooted and grounded, your energy is connected to the earth. You feel like you have a firm foundation, good vitality and good physical strength and strong sexual energy. Emotionally you feel secure, able to stand on your own two feet, you have a strong sense of who you are and where you fit in society, home, or the workplace.

The root chakra energy is all about survival and meeting basic needs such as food, shelter, work and the need to be part of a group. Your cultural upbringing, religious beliefs and family values shape your root chakra energy. Because of the ties to survival your adrenal glands are said to be governed by root chakra energy. Your flight or fight response can be easily triggered when you do not feel grounded. Feeling grounded reflects on how secure or connected you feel about the areas which this energy center governs.

A person who is not rooted and grounded will feel a lack of physical strength and vitality, they may feel insecure and unsure of themselves – unable to take steps forward. A weak root energy makes you feel like you are disconnected with your body and with the earth - You may feel like you “don’t fit in”. You will tend to be fearful, anxious or defensive as your world does not feel like a safe place to you.

The flow of energy through the body must be balanced. One can also be too focused on the root chakra energy center. This person is overly confident, they may be pushy or aggressive. They may be domineering or greedy. Because they do not tune into their heart energy, they fail to take other’s needs or feelings into consideration. With so much energy focused in their root chakra, they lack balance in their upper energy centers, so they do not think about their actions, or know how to use their intuition to perceive situations properly. This person may choose to risk their life savings on an idea for a business without forming a business plan first.

Grounding our energy helps us to become physically strong and emotionally secure. It also helps you to have a clear mind and good focus. There are many practices you can do to help you feel grounded:

Taking walks in nature, gardening, outdoor photography and exercising outdoors. Connect with plants and trees, notice the rocks and the vibration of the outdoor world. Even listening to music with the sounds of nature can help move you into a grounded place.
Simplify your life, strip back of things which overstimulate you and create clutter in your life.
Eat natural foods, get plenty of fruits and vegetables Preferably gown organically as the farmers are more connected to the earth and respect the circle of life.
Listen and dance to music with tribal beats of drums, flutes and other native instruments.
Wear or surround yourself with the colors red, orange and yellow as they connect you with the lower energy centers and vibrate at the frequency of these chakras.
Use essential oils which help to ground you, Core Blend, Sandalwood, Cypress or Patchouli are wonderful examples. These oils have strong earthy scents. I like to apply them to my legs and feet to help me feel more grounded. You can Combine any of these oils with several drops of orange or lemon essential oil to lift their energy a little. The yellow and orange colored fruits carry the vibrations of the lower dantian and resonate with the sacral and solar plexus chakras. Diffuse them in the air to help you stay grounded and centered
Practice deep breathing exercises to learn to breath into your lower dantian. When we breathe into our lower abdomen we bring the oxygen and energy into the lower dantian. This activates the Vagus nerve which turns on the parasympathetic nervous system. This makes you feel strong and secure. In contrast, when your breath is all up in your lungs, you turn on the flight and fight response of the body and will feel anxious and insecure.
Connect with your body, learn to listen to the language it uses to get your attention. Notice when and where you are holding tension.
Supplements - Use supplements which support your base chakra energy centers.

Here are two herbal supplements worth mentioning which support the root chakra and help you stay grounded:

Chinese KB-C – This formula supports healthy kidney function. The kidneys are in the lower energy center and are said to house the life force energy (Qi) of the body. The kidneys regulate fluid metabolism, waste removal, and balancing the pH of the blood. The kidneys support keen hearing, healthy hair, and strong sexual function. Problems with dryness or excess fluid in the body can be attributed to kidney imbalances. The kidneys help regulate blood pressure, support bone and joint health, flexibility, and the maintenance of optimum mineral levels in the body. The adrenal glands sit on top of the kidneys and are a key gland for the root chakra.

Emotional / Mental Signs of weak kidney function - Feeling deeply drained, fear, anxiety, paranoia, panic, lack of inner calm and strength, Will-Power: memory and concentration problems or feeling spacey. Nature's Sunshine's KB-C formula The ability to use our will power to express our unique creativity is dependent on good Kidney energy. With strong Kidney energy (Qi) we can overcome fear and pursue goals. If you are feeling ungrounded and your physical body is feeling weak you may benefit from taking this formula for a couple months. I use which comes in regular strength or TCM concentrate.

Maca – is a root vegetable plant which grows in the high Andean plateaus of Peru and is sometimes called Peruvian Ginseng. Root vegetables help you to feel more grounded. Maca really focuses on the root and sacral energy of the body. It builds stamina and endurance. Maca is well known to be an aphrodisiac for both men and women. This herb is favored by women for balancing hormones and increasing fertility, yet it has no actual hormonal properties which makes it a very safe choice. Maca also builds the adrenal glands, so again we can see it balancing the lower dantian energy.

Nature's Sunshine uses a Maca extract which has been dehydrated back to a powder, this makes it particularity potent. Research has focused on these key benefits of Maca: increased energy, increased mood, increased libido, improved hormone balance for women, increases fertility for women and increases sperm count for men. I really love this herb and take it daily.

With a strong balanced root chakra energy you will be able to stand in your own personal power, your body will have good vitality and your mind will become clear and focused.

Blessings, Valerie

Disclaimer: Supplement recommendations are not designed to treat a disease condition. Discussions are for educational purposes only. Supplements should be used to nourish and strengthen the natural function of the various body organs and systems so that they will have a greater capacity to heal themselves. It is not intended to replace your doctor's recommendations. Any questions or concerns that you have regarding existing medical conditions, or the use of medications with supplements, should be discussed with your nutritionally oriented medical doctor.