by Dr. Bridgett B. Simon, ND LAc
Hello AIM community, it is a pleasure to talk to you. My area of specialty is acupuncture and energetic medicine. I know another acupuncturist is speaking to you on the acupuncture so I will focus on reiki, chakra healing and grounding work.
- Grounding – being connected to the earth is very important for athletes, our balance and speed and coordination depend on it. When you feel grounded you feel solid on the earth, you feel steady on your feet and you feel ready to take on the world or the match! Improve your grounding by having your feet directly on the earth for a few minutes each day. Before a game, visualize energy from the earth coming into the soles of your feet and traveling all the way up to your head. Even if you are not on the grass or the beach or the soil itself, you can still take some time each day by asking mentally to be connected to the earth’s energy and for that energy to ground you. Confidence is huge in sports and more grounded people are more confident and less anxious.
Reiki – a talented reiki practitioner and energy worker can do a lot of the things an acupuncturist can do. Using gentle, hands on techniques that are non-invasive and do not cause pain, energy healers can encourage pain reduction and swelling reduction which speeds up healing. These types of healers work on actually “talking” to the joint or region of pain and encourage smooth healing and reduced inflammation. They also encourage the proper flow of energy and circulation around the body. Reiki and energy work are needle free alternatives to acupuncture.
- Visualize – Our mind is a powerful tool to affect our body and our sports performance. No matter your sport, visualize yourself playing your best, healing quickly and feeling supported by your body. Quiet the mind with a meditation that is short like the ocean breath. Breathe in and picture an ocean wave coming onto the shore breathe out as the wave goes out and think of relaxing. No rules, no structure just think of the ocean. Once you quiet down for a few minutes, (you don’t need to lose all thoughts, just quiet down) begin to picture yourself hitting the perfect forehand or the ideal jump shot in crunch time. Feel the excitement of performing well, hear the cheering if you like, or the swoosh, feel the sense of accomplishment. Use your senses… your sight, your hearing, your touch, the more you sense it, the more of a reality it is for you.
Don’t forget the energy behind sports performance and sports medicine. If you need help with this, let me know, we are here for you.