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Inner Health Newsletter
Summer 2001: Grounding: A Vital
Part of Empathic Protection
From Kyra Mesich, Psy.D.
Author of
The Sensitive Person's Survival Guide
& Modern Meditation: Going Within
Contents
I.
New Classes!!!
II. Answers to Reader Questions
III. Grounding: A Vital Part of Empathic Protection
IV. Modern Meditation
I. New Classes beginning September 6th!!!
Many of you have requested advanced classes in empathic awareness and
development. Now you've got it! September 6th will be the first advanced
class titled, "The Strength of Sensitivity."
This class will be for those of you who have already read 'The Sensitive
Person's Survival Guide,' and may have attended my introductory classes.
We'll discuss concepts that go beyond the ideas presented in the book
including:
Dreams, psychic protection, strengthening your energetic boundaries (aura),
and advanced practice in utilizing your empathic ability to your benefit.
Class size will be kept small, so there will be plenty of time to ask
questions that have arisen for you since reading the book.
"The Strength of Sensitivity: Advanced Class" Thursday, September 6th,
6:00-9:00pm, Southwest Minneapolis, $35 You must call to reserve your space
in this class, 651-735-8880 . You will be given directions to the class
location when you call.
8-Week Psychic Development Course!
For those of your who are ready to seriously delve into your psychic
development, I also will be teaching an 8-Week course titled, "Self, Soul &
Spirit Guides: A Grounded Course in Psychic Development."
Please call 651-735-8880 for more information about this course, or visit
http://www.kyramesich.com/appearances.htm for a more complete description.
Classes will be held at various locations and times around the Twin Cities.
$25 per class, pay-as-you-go.
II. Answers to Reader QuestionsAugust's question is:
"How do I really know whether an emotion I'm feeling is empathic (from
someone else) or my own feelings?"
This is a common question. Certainty comes in time as you develop a better
sense of your empathic ability and how it manifests for you. But there are
3 key indicators to keep in mind that may help you determine that a
feeling is empathically sensed, and not coming from your own life. These 3
words are: Sudden, Foreign and Chronic.
1. Sudden. If a feeling comes on suddenly, out of the blue, and seems to
have no relation to your life circumstances at the time, that is a big
indicator that the emotion may be coming from outside of your own psyche.
A feeling that arises within you, yet seems to have no relation to your
current life circumstances leads to number 2, which is:
2. Foreign. Empathically sensed emotions may sometimes manifest as just
not feeling "right." That is, it doesn't make sense to you why you would
be feeling that way at the given time. Empathic emotions may also seem
unusual to your personality. For example, you may be overcome with anxiety
one morning as you are getting ready for work...yet you have no reason to
be fearful about your work, and besides, you tend towards depression and
hardly ever feel anxious.
3. Chronic. If you have suffered from senseless, recurrent depression or
anxiety for years, this may be another indicator that you are highly
empathic. Empathically sensed emotions may build up over time and result
in confusing psychological distress that just won't go away no matter how
responsibly you go to counseling, take medication, or engage in
self-improvement activities.
These 3 words are clues that point to empathically sensed emotions. But,
of course, the ultimate answer to this question is meditation and empathic
development. Your empathic ability does not have to be confusing or
mysterious. We all can move to a point where our empathic ability is
within our control, and does not seemingly come on randomly. With advanced
empathic development, you can sense an empathic emotion, know that is it
not your own, AND quickly figure out exactly where or from whom the
feeling is coming. This ability comes with time, regular meditative
practice, and a willingness to truly get to know yourself and embrace and
develop your empathic abilities.
III. Grounding: A Vital Part of Empathic
Protection
Grounding is one of the most vital and healthy self-care activities you
can do. It is easy and should be done on a regular basis. But what exactly
is grounding?
Grounding is the process of bringing your energy in harmony with the
resonance of the earth. Grounding slows, calms, and infuses you with
strength and steadiness. It is a vital practice for everyone, but
particularly for sensitive people who may often feel "wound up,"
"ungrounded," or drained by their surroundings.
Grounding is also important because our modern lifestyle sometimes rips us
away from the healing, strengthening qualities of nature and the earth.
Luckily, you don't have to go on a woodland retreat to reconnect with
nature. Grounding can easily be done in various way around your own
home:
6 Ways to Ground
1. Garden Mindfully. The next time you work in your garden, yard, or tend
to your houseplants, take time to truly notice the plants. Pay close
attention to the shapes of their leaves, the saturated color of the
flowers, and feel their textures. We often take plants and trees for
granted, never taking the time to appreciate their spectacular diversity.
2. Grounding Bath. A bath can be made grounding with bath salts (or with
Epsom Salt from your drugstore for a less expensive alternative). Salt is
very grounding and purifying. In your next bath, add salts and picture the
salt extracting your worries and unwanted energies, while you feel
yourself connecting with water and earth.
3. Eat Grounding Foods. Many foods are very grounding including root
vegetables (such as carrots and potatoes) and unrefined grains. Cooking
with plenty of herbs and spices enhances the grounding quality of your
meals.
4. A Regular Routine. The times when we feel most "spacey" and vulnerable
often coincide with feeling our lives are "out of control." You may be on
autopilot all day, meeting the needs of one demand after the next. Bedtime
comes and you realize another day has past during which you never stopped
to breathe, ground, or take care of yourself.
Setting a regular routine of self-care may help
you. Allot time in the early morning, afternoon, AND evening for yourself.
Even if it is just 5 minutes each time, use these times wisely to breathe
slow, deep breaths, meditate, and ground. Your day will take on a much
different tone with this slight adjustment to your schedule. Make these
self-care times part of your daily routine, and stick to it!
If you are a parent with small children, use your child's nap time,
favorite TV time, and a time when your partner can watch the children to
implement these small, but extremely important self-care rituals.
5. Trees. Get to know the trees in your neighborhood and nearby parks.
Many of us walk, jog or run for stress-relief when all the while we are
zooming past one of the best stress-relievers on the planet - trees! Trees
are more than happy to help teach you how to ground. During your next
walk, take time to stop and notice particular trees that stand out to you.
They may be particularly majestic or unusual. Feel the tree's bark,
appreciate its form, and let the tree's energy flow through you.
Especially take the time to get to know the trees on your property.
6. Grounding Meditation. Grounding meditations should be a regular part of
your meditation practice. Following is an example of a grounding
meditation. If practical, try this meditation outside sometime, on the
ground, or near a tree. If you are sitting inside, make sure your feet are
planted firmly on the floor.
Quick Grounding Meditation
[You can also listen to this meditation in mp3
audio format at
http://www.kyramesich.com/meditations.htm.
]
Sit peacefully and relax. Let the ground or chair support you. Let your
muscles go. You don't have to exert any effort to sit there. Take in an
easy, deep breath...and let it out your mouth, parting your lips slightly
as you exhale. Let your arms feel heavy, pulling down your shoulders.
Breathe... Let that heavy feeling flow down your torso and legs, so you
feel heavy and relaxed all the way down to your feet on the ground.
Now picture and feel roots growing from your feet down into the ground.
Just like a tree's roots...going down into the layers of cool
dirt...growing around rocks...traveling further and further down into the
earth. Let the roots grow as deeply as you wish.
Now feel the healing, rhythmic energy of the earth itself flowing up
through your roots...slowly traveling up...through your roots, up to your
feet and quickly filling your entire body. Feel this positive, grounded,
earth energy throughout your being. Take in a deep, cleansing breath...
and release.
When you are ready, open your eyes and know that this grounded energy will
remain with you throughout your day.
End of Grounding Meditation.
IV. Modern Meditation
The hand-made, limited edition of 'Modern Meditation: Going Within' is
going fast! It will only be available through the remainder of 2001, so be
sure to buy your copies before it's too late.
Modern Meditation: Going Within
By Kyra Mesich, Psy.D., hand-made book, $12.95
Modern Meditation is a beautiful, one-of-a-kind, hand-made book. With
poetry, illustrations, and highly effective techniques, you will
gracefully enter the calming, intuitive world of meditation. Meditation is
the means to relax, go within, and connect with your intuition and inner
resources. In this book you'll learn a new approach to meditation that
fits in with your contemporary lifestyle, plus you'll learn innovative,
highly effective tools to overcome the common blockages to deep
meditation. Each copy of Modern Meditation has a lovely velveteen cover,
is hand-sewn, and numbered & signed by the author. Edition limited to only
300 copies.
Now available through
http://www.kyramesich.com/Books/modern_meditation.htm.
About Kyra Mesich:
Kyra Mesich earned her doctoral degree in clinical psychology from the
Florida Institute of Technology APA-approved program in Melbourne, FL. In
the years since her training, Dr. Mesich has studied extensively in the
field of alternative health. By studying such practices as herbalism,
flower essence therapy, energy healing, and meditation, Dr. Mesich seeks
to uncover the true meaning and underlying source of the emotional
suffering so many of us endure. Dr. Mesich is the author of the
award-winning book, 'The Sensitive Person's Survival Guide' and 'Modern
Meditation: Going Within.' She works and resides in Minneapolis, MN.
www.KyraMesich.com
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