Less Easy, More Smackdown: Top 5 Ways to Find Sanity in a Shifting World

Every sensitive person I know right now is getting rocked, like punched in the face left-right down-for-the-count rocked. I’m even meeting people, who don’t consider themselves to be ‘sensitive,’ who look back on the past couple of weeks or months and say, “Hm, yes, it’s been rough, come to think of it I’ve felt pretty smacked around.” If you feel alone in this, know that you are not. If you are caught up thinking that this is all your energy to shoulder and process, consider that it is not.

We all know: our beloved Earth is re-balancing in awe-inspiring and disastrous ways, governments are being toppled and reformed, countries attacked and occupied. Everywhere we look we experience destruction and rebirth: we witness devastation and hope in alternate breaths.

As we walk our path, we hum along with our palette of introspective work and off-the-mat yoga. We’ve all got the stresses, challenges, and thrills of our work in the world, our relationships, our bills. Dammit, we are always looking at ourselves, and happy to be doing so! Recently, however, life has just felt harder to live, maybe less hopeful, more toxic. Less easy, more smackdown.

Take comfort in the knowledge that you are not alone. And more importantly, if you think all of this is yours, consider that it is not. Everyone and everything is connected, and if you are sensitive, you are feeling the strain of that connection when emotions like grief, fear, anxiety, and loss are amplified in the world. If you are introspective, you might take this on as some discomfort of yours, some ‘issue’ or ‘problem’ that is arising from within you to be worked through or healed as part of your personal process. This pain, discomfort, depression, toxicity – it’s not all yours. When we are empathic and tapped in, it’s easy to get swept up in powerful energies; it’s okay to feel them, and important to know how to let them go.

Steps to Sanity

Below are some tools that have been most helpful to me, my colleagues and friends, and clients. They may seem rote or obvious, but they key is 1) to do them, 2) to do them often, and 3) to do them with pleasure. For the sake of brevity, I listed powerful solutions in a few words without expounding upon them: I could talk for days about what a well-timed shower does for me. Finally, as a resident of the concrete jungle of New York City: I promise, these tools work.

#1 – Get Clean and Clear
Earth energies are dense, and we need all the help we can get down here. Make it a constant practice to clear your field and your space. Seriously, all the time. Use sage, use bells, use water. Essential oils work magic to lift your vibration. Immerse yourself in Nature. Take salt into the shower and do a gentle dry rub before you get wet, let the ions do the work of clearing any gunk from your field. Do any of this often – daily, multiple times a day. Let it go, let it go.

#2 – Support Your Body
The physical body is the gateway to the energetic body. Support both by moving your body in ways that bring you pleasure. Find something that feels good, that helps you wring out stagnant energy. Bounce around, twist and stretch, feel your muscles, let your jaw and shoulders release, breathe. I love yogaglo.com – $18/month and yoga at your fingertips.

#3 – Be with Your People
Where are your friends? Where is your community? Find them, hug them, sink into them, let them rub your shoulders. Dance with them, scream with them, laugh with them. See that you are not alone.

#4 – Trust Yourself
Start to become aware of the difference between the energy that is yours and the energy that is not. Be mindful of staying out of the latter. Do this by grounding your field: connect your tan tien to the core of the Earth and notice what it feels like to be centered within yourself, connected to the home we all share, be present in the here and now. If you don’t know how to do this or want to practice in community, join my monthly meditation group (April is all about pleasure, oh yeah!).

#5 – Get Support
Sometimes we’re in too deep. Sometimes we can’t see what we don’t know. Helpers, healers, therapists – the good ones are trained to gently bring these things to light and help you clear them. Go to one, and let them help you.

I send you love, blessings, and grace in these trying and inspiring times.