In today’s fast-paced world, there are many nooks and corners through which stress can creep into our lives. And when it does, our entire wellbeing goes for a toss. The negative effects of stress are not limited to our mental wellbeing. Our physical health, especially related to our heart and brain, is also at risk.
Stress is contagious. It spills over to those we love and adversely affects our relationships. Hence, it becomes all the more important to keep stress in check in order to lead a healthy, happy, and fulfilling life.
There’s a simple yet highly effective technique that you can practice at any point of the day to de-stress yourself. After doing this exercise you feel refreshed, rejuvenated and full of positivity.
Visualisation Technique
To begin with, find a quiet spot where you won’t be disturbed. Sit in a relaxed posture on a chair, mat, or bed. Make sure your spine is straight and comfortable. Now close your eyes. Take ten deep breaths – as deep as you can – breathing in through the nose and breathing out through the mouth. Now relax. Loosen up yourself. Feel your body relaxing. If there are any sore muscles, feel the tension from there leaving your body.
Once you are completely relaxed, bring your focus on the base of your spine – the point where your body touches the surface beneath you in a sitting posture.
This is the zone of your Root Chakra. Visualise a red coloured ball in this area. Take your time to focus. Visualise your Root Chakra as a red coloured ball of energy vibrating at the base of your spine. Feel the energy emanating from this chakra.
Now visualise roots – like the roots of a tree – emerging from your Chakra and moving down your legs and feel them going down and entering the Earth beneath you. Visualise the roots growing and going down deep into the Earth. And these roots continue to multiply. They are growing in all directions. They are going deep into the Earth and travelling in all directions. Visualise them getting stronger as they continue to grow and multiply in all directions.
Now visualise the roots going so deep that they reach the core of the Earth. Now picture this image in your mind’s eye – from the base of your spine roots have grown and fixated into the core of the Earth. It’s such a beautiful image. Let the image soak into your energy system.
You may feel a deep connection with the Mother Earth. You are safe in her gentle and protective care. Just like a child feels most protected and secure in his mother’s lap – you are safe now. This is your safe place.
Mother Earth has always been there for you right from the day you were born. She gave you food and nourishment. She gave you shelter and support. She gave you safety and security.
Feel inside you compassion and love – the emotions we associate with Mother Earth. Pay your gratitude to the Mother for her endless and unconditional love and support for you. Feel the warmth within you. Feel the gentle care. Feel the strong support, the uncompromising safety net. In this very moment, you are safe. You are secure. You are protected.
Stay in this feeling for a while.
Now bring your awareness back to your body. Do you have any physical stress or pain? Feel all your stress and fatigue turning into black coloured fog and being released from your body. Visualise this fog of stress and fatigue moving towards your Root Chakra, and from there visualise it entering the Earth through the roots. The Mother Earth is gladly accepting all your stress and fatigue. Free yourself of all your physical blockages, all the physical pains and ailments that have been troubling you. Take this opportunity to unburden your physical self. The more negativity you release, the lighter you feel. Feel your body getting lighter and lighter. Feel completely relaxed.
Having rid yourself of the physical blockages, move on to the mental ones. Feel as if all your negative thoughts, all the anxiety, all the stress in your mind turning into a black-coloured fog. Visualise the fog moving from your mind towards the Root Chakra and entering the Earth through the roots. This time also, Mother Earth is happy to accept all your mental stress and traumas. Feel your body getting lighter and lighter as you let go of every negative thought, every ounce of stress from your mind. Release yourself from all the self-created mental barriers. Feel free, feel relaxed.
Next, we move on to the emotional blockages. Visualise your heart chakra, located in the centre of your chest and see inside it all your heartbreaks, neglect, loss of loved ones, and your own emotional imbalance. Visualise all these blockages turning into a black-coloured fog. Feel this fog being released from your Heart Chakra and entering the Earth via your Root Chakra. The Mother Earth is embracing all your heartaches and emotional blockages. Break free from the shackles of your past traumas and toxic relationships. Once you are done with the letting go part, feel your Chakra shining brightly.
Bring your awareness back to yourself. Now for the last time, you have to let go of any sort of negativity that is still left within you. Anything that does not serve you has to be done away with. Make the final effort and visualise a dark-coloured fog from all corners of your body moving towards your Root Chakra. This is the hidden negativity that you might not be aware of. Feel this negativity leaving your body through the Root Chakra and entering the depths of the Earth. As it happens feel your body and mind getting more and more relaxed. Feel yourself completely free. Feel yourself as light as a feather.
Thank the Mother Earth for gladly accepting all your negativity, stress, and blockages. Feel the gratitude deep in your heart. Take your time and let this feeling sink deeper.
Once you have expelled all your negative emotions, it’s time to imbibe positivity from Mother Earth.
Visualise a bright white light of healing energy originating from the core of the Earth and travelling upwards at a lightning speed, striking at your Root Chakra. As soon as the healing light enters your Root Chakra, it heals the chakra and rejuvenates it with positivity. From here, the bright healing light from Mother Earth passes to all parts of your body. Feel the healing light flowing at a very fast pace and healing all your cells, muscles, joints, and organs. Each part of your body is shining bright with this healing light of positivity. Send the light to any organ that needs healing. Feel your mind filled with positive thoughts and your heart filled with positive emotions.
Visualise yourself living a healthy, happy and prosperous life. Take your time.
Once you are done, stabilise the healing light in the centre of your chest. Feel as if it has been locked in there. You can retrieve this healing light anytime in future.
Once again, thank the Mother Earth for the Healing Light. Thank her for unconditional support throughout your life. Thank her for proving security, safety and nourishment.
Bring your awareness back to yourself. Gently open the eyes.
Crystals for Stress Release
You can use the following items in the form of a Mala, pendant or bracelet. Or you can keep a tumbled stone or a Rudraksha bead in your hand while meditating. Additionally, keeping these stones in the form of large clusters or as pyramids will help create a soothing ambience around you. These crystals are there to enhance your practice. Your sincerity towards the practice is of utmost importance.
Black Tourmaline: Black Tourmaline is the best absorber of negativity. If the stress in majorly from outside sources due to jealousy, dispute or evil-eye, it is recommended to always keep a black tourmaline with you. Also, keep a large stone of raw black tourmaline near the entrance of your house, to prevent negative energies from entering. Keeping black tourmaline in the form of a pyramid also helps keeping the vibrations of the home or office stress-free.
Hematite: When the root cause of stress is fear, use hematite. It is the crystal of the Root Chakra and absorbs your fear. Remember to cleanse your hematite crystal under running tap water every once in a while to release the stress it might have absorbed from the surroundings.
Clear Quartz: It is an all-purpose crystal. It will protect you from psychic attacks and at the same time amplify your positive energies. You can use this crystal to charge your other crystals, stones and Rudraksha beads or mala.
Rudraksha: When the stress in your life is more or less due to the inauspicious planetary influences, wearing Rudraksha is your best bet. It will protect you from all sorts of external negativity and evil-eye. Rudraksha also has healing properties and can help reduce stress and anxiety. Also, rudraksha beads have the property to calm the mind and promote vitality and strength. They also induce mental clarity and improve concentration.