March is a mix of saying so long to the winter season and getting ready for the start of springtime. After a few months of blustery winds, cold temperatures, and the whirlwind of the holiday season, you may be feeling a little bit frazzled yourself. What better time to get grounded before spring starts to take root and bloom?
Although there are a variety of ways to get grounded, like getting out in Mother Nature, you can also refer to holistic health approaches or integrative health practices that combine physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. This includes modalities like acupuncture, meditation, and yoga, promoting a more comprehensive health view.
Acupuncture
You may have heard of acupuncture, but what exactly is it? Mayo Clinic explains that acupuncture involves the insertion of very thin needles through the skin at specific points on your body. Used to help release pain, tension, and stress, acupuncture is a modality that is growing in popularity in the field of overall health and wellness.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believes that acupuncture is a technique for helping to balance the flow of energy or life force, also referred to as chi. “By inserting needles into specific points of the body along these meridians, acupuncture practitioners believe that energy flow will re-balance,” writes the Mayo Clinic. On the contrary, in the West, acupuncture practitioners use acupuncture to stimulate connective tissue, muscles, and nerves. Photo credit: AndreyPopov
Cupping
Another ancient modality is cupping. Popular in ancient cultures like Chinese, Egyptian, and Middle Eastern, cupping goes back thousands of years. Cupping, also known as dry cupping, uses glass cups that are suctioned to the skin for several minutes. Harvard Health explains cupping is supposed to draw fluid into the area and cause temporary discoloration on the skin. “The discoloration is due to broken blood vessels just beneath the skin, much like a bruise,” writes Harvard Health. Cupping is great for sore muscles and can be used on almost every part of the body, but is most popular on the back, legs, and neck. Photo credit: AndreyPopov
Meditation
Meditation is a popular practice that involves clearing your mind, which sounds easy, but it does require some practice. Thank goodness there are multiple meditation apps you can use. Though there are various meditation techniques, most meditation can help reduce anxiety and stress. According to the Cleveland Clinic, “On the outside, someone who is meditating might not seem to be doing anything other than breathing or repeating a sound or phrase over and over. However, inside their brain, it is an entirely different story. Modern diagnostic and imaging techniques, like electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans, show that meditation can positively affect your brain and mental health.” Photo credit: Jacob Wackerhausen
Tai Chi
Yet another ancient modality, tai chi is an exercise that embodies China’s most profound concepts and principles of health coupled together with movement. It offers true harmony between the body and mind. Tai Chi movements are slow movements that are widely acknowledged to help calm emotions, focus the mind, and strengthen the immune system,” states the Tai Chi Foundation. “Practiced at a slow and even speed, tai chi promotes relaxation, straight posture, and balance. In a very real sense, tai chi helps us to stay younger as we grow older, thus making an outstanding contribution to our overall health and well-being.” Photo credit: DragonImages
Yoga
Another ancient practice, yoga is probably by far the most popular grounding technique on this list. An ancient Indian physical and spiritual practice that combines physical postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama), and meditation or relaxation, yoga aims to unite the body, mind, and spirit to achieve inner peace and well-being. There are a variety of different yoga practices to choose from including heated yoga, vinyasa yoga, and yin yoga. Find the one that resonates with you the most or rotate between a few of your favorites depending on your mood that day. Photo credit: CarlosDavid.org
As winter fades and spring emerges, grounding yourself can bring balance and renewal. Whether through acupuncture, cupping, tai chi, yoga, or meditation, each practice offers a path to reconnect your mind, body, and spirit. Find what resonates with you, and welcome spring feeling centered, energized, and ready to thrive. We're ready!
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