The Power of Being Grounded

I’m not a naturally grounded person; I’m actually quite airy. I have to work at being grounded, but it’s the best thing I’ve ever done for my sanity, my reality, and showing up fully in present time.

When I first started learning to ground myself, I hated being in my body. It felt so heavy. I loved being able to multitask and flit around. But all that does is scatter your energy and keep you from having all your power in the present moment.
After doing it almost daily for over 27 years, I now very rarely miss a day, and boy would it be evident if I did! Doing it for so long, it’s still something that I both value and have to be conscientious of. Especially during my day, not just starting the day grounded, but continuing to bring myself back into my body and present time throughout the entire day.

Let me clarify, being grounded isn’t necessarily the same as meditating because sometimes meditation will take you out of your body. I’m talking about getting fully into your body. For me personally, I use grounding myself as the starting point for my meditation.

One of the main advantages to being grounded is being able to handle whatever comes up in your life, with more ease, while also being able to think clearly. Grounding yourself is a way to bring you back into the present and only in the present can you get the clarity and answers to move forward in an empowered way, while keeping all of your energy within you.

If you ever notice yourself being swept up in emotional reaction and meltdown, that’s a signal that you’ve completely left your body and present time. It could be as simple as being reactive to something someone says, or being overwhelmed by a problem in front of you.

If you’re chronically anxious or fearful, you’re not grounded. Anxiety usually arises from having too much of your energy in the future, in the unknown, the “what if‘s” and the fears, worries and doubts. Bring all your energy into the now and from there you can respond lovingly to your body, asking what’s being triggered and dealing with it from an aware state. The more you try to escape those energies, the more revved up you’ll be. You need to become more present, not less, as uncomfortable as that may sound.

Connecting to the earth is the way to ground out all of that angst and emotional trauma.

Before grounding yourself, first and foremost, stop and take a deep breath. I mean deep, to the belly, fully body breath during which you release all of the tension you’re holding. Then, one of the best ways to ground, is to connect to the first chakra, which is at the base of your spine. This chakra is red and deals with issues of safety and security. You could simply put your focus there and breathe into that area, while feeling yourself grow roots from your feet down into the planet. While sending those roots down, you could call up some earth energy to swirl through your feet.

Or you could create a grounding cord, which for me is the most effective method, picturing a thick cord of energy connecting your first chakra to the center of the planet and allowing that cord to pull out all the whirl of emotions etc., while helping you feel the earth. (I teach how to do this in more detail in my meditation on the resources page). You can also picture that cord going from the top of your head, down your spine, and into the planet. That way your whole body feels more solid and connected.

And finally, you could literally go outside, take off your shoes, and stand on the Earth. While you’re out there, you could hug a tree, because trees are great for grounding.
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There are many ways to ground but the key is to find one that works for you and do it with consistency. When you make friends with your body and get fully into it, the calmer and more empowered you’ll feel and the better able you’ll be to respond to what’s right in front of you with wisdom and understanding.