You will always find a large bowl of sand in my sessions - and a whole tub full hiding somewhere.
I almost always see an instant drop of shoulders and a deep exhale
as soon as my clients digs their hands in.
As if the earth granted them permission to release and let go.
Many of us don’t spend enough – or more accurately – enough intentional time with nature and it’s resources. We’re time poor. Our anxiousness keeps us mostly in the comfort of our own home. It’s a drive from the city to the nearest park or beach. We’re rushed taking the kids to the park for a quick play before we rush back home.
One aim of working with natural elements is grounding or ‘earthing’ – putting your body in direct contact with the earth through skin touching soil, sand, grass or water and connecting to earth’s natural energy.
This brings about the benefits of restoring internal stability and becoming fully present to yourself and to the moment.
Grounding is not intended to subdue you from addressing whatever issue might be causing stress of anxiety. But to break up the intensity of your stress, as you invite rest to your body. As you do so, you also allow the experience of stillness, strength, stability and resilience to live within you enough for you to move onto your next step.
A while ago I made sandboxes for friends and thought I’d share the making with you.
You can make one for yourself or for someone who could use the benefits of grounding at home or from work. It can be as simple or elaborate as you want. All you need is a tub, with sand. Simple. Affordable. Stress free.
You will need:
Sand. Usually sold in a 20kg bag full. You can store the rest for later, use for a sand pit for kids, or share with other friends interested in making sandboxes of their own!
A deep box that contains the sand and allows your entire hand - or both hands in. This could be a wooden box, a plastic tub with an airtight lid, or a sturdy gift box.
Natural dry materials of your choice. Examples include pebbles, rocks, dried pinecones/ bark/ lotus pods, twigs, agate and seashells.
A safe spot to put it in!
Most of these materials you can find at your local hardware store, a plant nursery, an art store or even a $2 shop. Shops I sourced materials from include: Bunnings, $2 shops, Gardenworld nursery and Zart Art.
Instructions:
Dry the sand for it to be easy to sift through and to avoid it from moulding. If you buy a bag of sand, chances are it will be moist from being washed. Lay the amount of sand you need out on a tray and let it air dry for a couple of days. Turn it over every now and then to ensure it is thoroughly dry. You can then sift it through a sieve to get rid of any small rocks.
Pour the amount of sand you want in the box. Keep it deep enough for you to dig your entire hand(s) in.
You can stop here if you feel that fulfills the purpose or keep going!
Add natural elements that could further soothe or ground you. My recommendation is not to overcrowd the box if you feel it will overwhelm you rather than create space and assist presence.
Air the sand every now and then. This ensures it doesn’t mould from sweat or moist we might have on our skin.
Below is a guide you can use for your grounding moments.
TIP: You can save the image on your phone or tablet and use these steps whenever you need.
Suggestions:
When working with the sand, only keep what you feel works with you at the moment – texturally or colour wise. Take out anything that doesn’t.
If you still have sand lying around in the bag, use a tray or find a space large enough to pour out sand for you to stand on or dig your feet into.
Would love to know how you go!
Share an image of your sandbox with me or send through any comments.