Rooting resources & a mindful reminder from a dental procedure that had me chewing at half-speed
Group check-in: How are you feeling? What practices have helped you feel rooted this month and what, if anything, has uprooted you?
Personally, I have my days, and at this point I consider that pretty standard. There are moments where I think to myself, “I’ve finally figured out WELLNESS.” Then something metaphorically punches me in the nose and I recoil, wondering why after 13+ years I still haven’t mastered this sh*t (these are, to be clear, unproductive reactions).
The aim for me now as a Human-Not-Robot is to keep learning—literally over and over again—how to respond and rebound more consciously when things get funky, instead of letting inevitable difficulties derail me to the point of a System Shutdown.
Something that’s helped me stay more grounded as a sensitive person is simply getting to know myself better, mainly so that I can understand:
A. what sets me off, and
B. what helps me feel more balanced.
This ongoing process involves mindfulness practices like inner-inquiry, self-awareness, and self-compassion—all of which can be incredibly rooting because they invite your attention back to yourself in any circumstance.
In this and other ways, I find that simple mindfulness practices help cultivate physical, mental, and emotional roots on both a personal and collective level. It’s invaluable to know how to practice awareness and ground yourself amidst individual or collective dis-ease, because it directly relates to how we react and recover.
Reflection: In what ways has mindfulness helped you both personally and collectively?
Mindfulness & My Teeth
I recently had a long dental procedure (thankfully not a root canal!), and whenever I noticed myself tensing my muscles or feeling jittery—personal protective tendencies that mindfulness has helped me recognize—I took a smooth, deep belly breath and relaxed my body as best as I could.
This simple yet powerful shift helped me stay relatively still for two hours of relative discomfort and calmed me down when I felt especially anxious.
Before it ended, even though it wasn’t necessarily “easy” for me to reman chill and still while they worked, the dentist mentioned that I was “a really easy patient.” (Apparently a patient the day before caused delays by wiggling around in anticipation—I feel for them!)
I credit this to many years of practicing yoga, meditation, and mindfulness on and off the mat—otherwise, I’m not sure I would’ve been so accommodating. I still sometimes get frustrated when my mindfulness practice momentarily crumbles under stress, but this dental anecdote reminded me that mindfulness does clearly work against all odds.
While recovering, mindfulness helped me teach myself how to chew at half-speed on only one side of my mouth for two weeks—including how to create nourishing soups and blended concoctions instead of getting irritated by having to avoid my normal go-to meals (or at least I met any irritation with kindness). It was a true lesson in patience and trust, not to mention a major reality check on what Mindful Eating really means…
Moral of the story: Although seated meditation can absolutely calm and root us, mindfulness is really about how we’re able to apply it out in the wild real world—like when dentists are using sharp tools inside your mouth, when you have no choice but to have to chew a snail’s pace (especially when you’re hangry), or when life just gets a little weird, uncomfortable, or challenging.
Reflection: Any of this resonate?
How have you used mindfulness in daily life outside of yoga and classic meditation?
How do simple, daily mindfulness practices help you feel more grounded and connected in varying circumstances?
Mindfulness Resources
- Bedtime flow (12 minutes): A short and sweet, calming and mindful yoga flow.
- Being Present: Lake Meditation (21 minutes): A guided mindfulness meditation to help you feel rooted in both body and mind—connects you to nature, too.
- Meditative mantra So Hum (“I am”): I use this often and am always anchored by it.
- Mindful Morning ebook: Intentional practices and tools; resources and recipes.
- Mindfulness for Stress Management Meditation (13 minutes): Cultivate awareness, reduce tension, and develop your own stress-relieving practices.
- Holiday Mindfulness & Free Eco Gift Guide: Mindful (and grounding) holiday practices and products for conscious and compassionate EOY celebrations.
- Mindfulness and Meditation products, books, etc: Explore my curated, eco-conscious list on Amazon (I receive a small commission—no extra cost to you).
Work with me 1:1 for holistic lifestyle coaching—or yoga and meditation—to develop personalized, grounding mindfulness practices for your everyday life that feel attainable, sustainable, and deliciously nourishing for your body and mind.
Reflection: Which mindfulness practices might help you cultivate and sustain your roots as we move into the end of 2025 and beyond?
Take good care,
S
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