Quieting the Mind in Groundedness

 There are many ways to move into quiet mind. I will give you some quick techniques that you can try and discover which ones work for you.

a) Grounding through the toes and heels – Very gently place your awareness on your toes and imagine that there are channels extending from all 10 toes gently into the earth. Go through each toe as you start out with this practice, i.e. breathe through the big toe first on the left foot, then the 2^nd toe on the left foot and 3^rd toe all the through to the baby toe. Then do the same with the right foot. Use the breath to move the energy through the channels all the way into the earth, as if each toe had roots growing down to the earth. Feel and experience the body and mind quiet and move into stillness. The meridians in the body connect all the way down to our feet and when we breathe through our toes, we are moving the energy in the upper part of our body down through the limbs and into the earth.

Breathing through the Heels – Next, when you are done with breathing through the toes and feel calm and quiet, move now to the back of your ankle. Imagine that there is a line of energy extending from the back of the ankle all the way down the back of the heel to the flat part of the heel. Then from the flat part of the heel, imagine that channels of energy, like roots, are extending down into the earth. Breathe down through the backs of the heels and into the earth until you feel very calm and relaxed.

 

b) Golden Glasses exercise – Imagine that you are wearing golden colored glasses. We are going to easily and without effort or tension trace the glasses around the face and along the temples to the back of the ear. This helps to quiet the mind and the energy anatomy connected to the 6^th chakra which can reduce a large amount of mental chatter.

To begin, imagine that you are wearing golden colored glasses, bring your awareness to the point between the eyes. With your awareness, trace the glasses from the bridge of the glasses out along the top edge of the glasses to the outside edge of the eyes. Then from the outside edge of the eyes, with your awareness follow the glasses straight along temples, to the ears, over the ears and then tucked back behind the lobes of the ears. Do this portion of the exercise of tracing the top of the glasses all the way to the back of the ear, 3 times. Once you have done that 3 times, bring your awareness to the bridge of the glasses again at the point between the eyes. Next, trace the bottom rim of the golden colored glasses from this center point to the outside edge of the eye. Then, with your awareness, trace the glasses straight along the temples, over the ears and then tucked back behind the lobes of the ears. Do this portion of the exercise 3 times. I would recommend tracing both sides of the glasses with your awareness at the same time.

This area where the glasses lie on the head is the location of energy meridians governing non-verbal communication between you and others. When we bring our awareness to this area and begin to move the energy from front of the head and face to the back and sides of the head, we are disengaging those communication pathways and quieting the mind. The mind will begin to relax and the body will become calm and balanced.

Deep and Low Belly Breathing - After you have completed with the golden glasses exercise and are feeling calm and relaxed, begin to breathe all the way down to the pelvic floor to the front of your pubic bone. Do this 3 times. Next, breathe easily without strain or effort and drop your breath all the way down through your pelvic floor, through your legs and feet and into the earth. Continue to do this until you are calm and peaceful.