Clear Out Anxiety And Fear

Feeling grounded through my body, I clear and release the energy of the day. For an added energetic boost, consider a bamboo brush for more grounding, or a crystal comb, which would have different properties, depending on the crystal type. Nonplastic combs and brushes are healthier for your hair and scalp, generate less static, and reduce strand breakage. While you brush, think about how you are combing out the mental chatter and unwinding the thoughts of the day. Brush these distractions out of your head and out of your hair. Take a gentle breath in and out. Feel the groundedness through your body. Place the comb or brush between your hands and set an intention for clearing or working through an issue. Take another gentle breath in and out. Combing through, brushing out the events of the day. Working it out, working through any knots, entanglements, stress, and tension from the day. Take all the time you need to comb out your hair, breathing gently while doing so.

First Steps

Work out any knots from the day and brush out all the mental chatter from your system. Touch is extremely healing. Babies who are held and nuzzled thrive, while those who aren’t become more vulnerable to health issues and underdevelopment. A loving touch is essential. That’s why hugs from friends and family and snuggling with your companion animal feel so good. And the good news is that doing gentle massage for yourself also releases oxytocin. You might consider this bedtime ritual as a simple yet palpable way of grounding and connecting to your body. It runs through almost every organ, which is why its name comes from the Latin term for wandering. As the largest nerve in the parasympathetic system, it connects your brain to your gut and touches a network of other systems in between. It regulates rest and digestion, so when we make contact with the vagus, we can strengthen feelings of safety and calm and help ourselves relax. This is a wonderful massage to do in the evening. Use your favorite calming essential oil.

Stress Is The Worst Thing

I love all types of frankincense for this ritual, from Boswellia carterii to Boswellia rivae to Boswellia serrata. Frankincense is an essential oil that is categorized as a nervine, which means that it strengthens your nervous system. You might also enjoy using other nervines, such as lavender or clary sage. Rub your palms together to mix. Cup your palms in front of your face and take a long, gentle breath in and an even longer breath out. Massage one side of your head and neck at a time. Start by taking your right hand to the area behind your left ear. Moving slowly, begin to lightly massage with your fingers and palm, then go down the side of the neck to the collarbone, breathing long and deep. When you reach the collarbone, place your index finger on top and your middle finger right below the collarbone and gently massage by pushing out toward the shoulder a few times. This light massage stimulates lymph flow, helping to move toxins and waste and balance and tone the vagus nerve. You might even set an intention to clear out anxiety and fear as you gently move through. Taking as much time as you need, move through each side.

You've Got A Friend

Take long and deep breaths as you complete the massage. Remember to switch hands when you do the second side. Once you have finished both sides, cup your hands lightly around your throat. Breathe long and deep. Breathe in the scent and the feeling of support and safety. If you want to make this a longer ritual and continue to strengthen your vagus nerve, work one side at a time through the auricular branch of the vagus nerve in the ears. To do this, you can take your right index finger into the hollow above your right ear canal and make slow, small circles by very gently moving the skin. Take a few gentle breaths in and out as you continue. Pay attention to the different physiological shifts in your system. You may notice that the rhythm of your breath has shifted or that you need to swallow. Tune in to whatever else your body might be doing, trusting that shifts are taking place. After a few moments of gentle massage, place just the tip of your index finger in your ear canal and gently draw the finger toward the back of the head, holding gently. Taking a few slow breaths in and a few slow breaths out. When you are ready, do everything you just did on the other side. Take the left index finger and gently make circles in the hollow above the left ear canal, and then, after a few moments, use your index fingertip to draw back the ear canal. Take as long as feels right for you. Notice the subtle, physiological shifts in your body. Anchor feelings of safety and calm through your vagus nerve as you breathe in the scent of the essential oil. Essential oils work through the limbic system of the brain, calming our emotional center. It is the energy of the moon that impacts the ocean tide. Our bodies are mostly watery fluid, so why wouldn’t the moon affect the water in our systems as well? The moon is associated with the feminine and the idea of receptivity. Why not tune in to the different phases of the moon for added energetic support? Imagine tuning in to the moon with each breath in and each breath out. Holding the energy of the moon phase with your awareness. Let each breath in and each breath out move like the tides. Each breath in, tide drawing in, and each breath out, tide rushing out. Continuing at your own pace, your breath like the tide. Drawing in and rushing out. Breath and moon energy, the natural flow of water, fluidness through your system. Each breath in and each breath out, fluid and free it.