HOW TO FEEL REAL

 Notice, I did not say, "How to BE real." That will be another blog post. This one is on how to feel grounded, to reconnect with our deepest selves, how to sense that we are standing in the place we are meant to be in.

 Given that the weather has been so cold and rainy for weeks, I have found myself feeling untethered to time and the earth. At times I almost feel as if I am floating off into the ether, which is not a good way to be. Monkey videos help, but I need something more rigorous to link me to reality again. And just so ya know, this is not depression; it is just a sense of irreality. I do think that I have been pummeled and cracked by the ongoing dire news from Gaza; the worries about whether Ukraine can resist Putin; the crazed speeches from DT; his trial in NY; and the realization that climate change is wreaking havoc in so many places on our blessed earth.

 So, what to do when you are floating in space and time and wish to be more grounded? If you are at all like me, perhaps some of these things can help to tether you.

-Get out in nature and breathe deeply. You probably know that trees give off phytochemicals which lift one's mood. Just sitting outside on the grass and sniffing the air can truly help. As long as it is not in a downpour.

 

--Put your fingers in the dirt, even if you are not a dedicated gardener. Again, research has shown that having physical contact with the earth can help depression and lift one's mood. I like to go down to my raised beds, dig holes with a trowel, and set in my homegrown broccoli, cabbage, two kinds of lettuce, and plant seeds of spinach, beets, and kale. Just feeling the soil with my fingers is a lovely experience.

 

--Learn about birds and watch them. Download the free Merlin ID app which is astonishing. I like to sit on our deck, turn on the app, hold up my iPhone to the landscape, and press, "Sound On". And then, lo and behold! Small pics appear on the left while on the right the yellow ID bar tells me I am hearing: Black and White Wood Warblers (these are past my hearing now), Chestnut-Sided Warblers, Ovenbirds, Yellow Warblers, Indigo Buntings, Baltimore Orioles, Crows, Red-Bellied Woodpeckers, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, American Redstarts, Cerulean Warblers, and more. I especially love the identification of warblers, as they are so difficult to see. Ah, a Black-Throated Blue Warbler came to our mealworms one day. All of this festive, abundant life cheers me and links me to the planet I live on, reminding me that I am a part of this life about me. I am held in this web of life, even when it seems it is tangled.

--Tasting the Eucharist on my tongue grounds me, links me to God and always--how does this happen?--thrums in my heart and body. I truly feel God within, and this chases away all worries and obsessive thoughts.

--Cuddling with my dog. There is something about putting my hand on the soft fur of my dog and feeling her warmth, her heart pumping away that connects me to reality.

 

--Being in community. This will be different for different folks, but for me, sitting in a pew in our beloved Haydenville UCC Church, hugging long-term friends, and listening to our choir and fabulous Pastor Mark settles and grounds me. I feel connected, tethered. 

 

--Hugging a beloved. When Rick enfolds me in his arms and I hug back, all is right with the world for that time. I forget myself in this loving embrace. It is a bit like the Eucharist, sending all worried thoughts fleeing into the ether.

 

--Listening to music. I grew up hearing many classical composers as well as jazz every night, as my dad was devoted to music: Handel, Bach, Bartok, Mozart, Beethoven's Quartets, and more, plus the Blind Pianist, Dave Brubeck, and many others. Music sets my veins humming and settles my heart.

 

--Reading a good book. Is there anything better--well, maybe a few things--than lying down and reading a wonderful book? For comfort I adore all the Miss Read books, the Fairacre series and the Thrush Green books. Any English mystery, especially set in Victorian London will do t'job. And for non-fiction, explore both Ed Yong and Gretel Erhlich's wonderful books.
 

  So, dear peeps, I bet you have things which make you feel grounded and tethered to the person you are. Feel free to add them to this list in the Comments Section. I have to vet the comments, so it may take a day or two for them to appear. Do not despair. Your voice is heard!