Hello to all my hens and roosters out there. By now, I hope you’ve checked out our newest blog page…Our Flock! We are so excited to extend the opportunity to our bestiest to come and write with us!! WOOHOO 🙌
Today’s post is going to be about grounding. No, I don’t mean like what our parents used to do to us as kids when we got in trouble. I’m talking about the art of grounding ourselves. Grab some hot tea, find a comfy nook to cozy up in, and let’s get started!
What is grounding? Let me first define it for you. Grounding is the act of anchoring yourself to reality, to the physical world. It’s being mindful and bringing your awareness into the present moment. You are conscious of what you’re doing and everything around you. You are fully aware and alert. Grounding is a great way to bring our dreams down from the clouds and into the physical realm for them to be manifested. It can help pull us out of a negative mood or even a panic attack! It is a wonderful art form from which we can all learn a little somethin’, somethin’.
The easiest way to get grounded is to become completely aware of your surroundings. The way I do it is I look at everything surrounding me and start naming off physical attributes, and I use all my senses. Touch, smell, taste, hear, see. The grass is green. The breeze on my cheek feels warm. The sun is shining bright. The the forest floor is damp. The bark on the trees is brown. The leaves crunch beneath my feet as I’m walking. You can list off anything to bring awareness to yourself. When starting out, I’ve heard it suggested that you practice this type of grounding for anywhere between 15-30 minuets a day. Now I know that’s a lot, but you’d be surprised how easy of a task this one is to accomplish because you can do it anywhere at anytime. This exercise is also good to use when having a panic attack. This is where the practice comes in handy. In the midst of a panic attack you don’t want to be learning how to ground yourself, you want to be able to calm yourself as quickly as possible. Practice makes perfect. Try it out and let me know how it works!
Connecting with nature is another wonderful way to ground yourself. Go take a barefoot walk through the woods, plant or weed your garden, go for a swim in the lake, or simply just sit or do mountain pose in the grass of your yard. These things connect you with nature and nature is an extremely healing force. Like a tree, nature reminds you to be grounded by imagining your own root like structures growing deep and strong into the earth, grounding down and remaining sturdy like an old oak tree.
Meditation can be a great way to ground yourself, as well. I’ve used it a lot recently as I’ve been feeling like my head has been in the clouds. I invite you to take a seat on a comfortable chair or couch and try this meditation.
Make sure there’s a nice straight line from the top of your spine all the way to the bottom and plant your feet firmly on the ground. Your posture should be aligned but relaxed. Once you’re in position I’d like you to breathe deeply. In and out, slowly. Once you’ve done a few cycles of breath, I’d like you to begin to notice your body. Do you feel any sensation with the breath? Is there any tingling anywhere? Do you feel peaceful, anxious, worried, happy? Begin to notice these things without judgement. Next, I’d like for you to imagine you have roots growing out of your feet into the ground. Deep into the earth. Your roots pierce through the crust, down through the soil, and bedrock, into the liquid magma, and eventually the core of the earth. It’s hot and bright and full of pure energy here. Now imagine this energy coming back up your roots starting at the core, going through the magma, past the bedrock, up through the crust of the earth and back into your feet. Allow this bright, pure energy to now extend up and through your body starting at your feet, reaching your knees, going past your thighs and hips, into the core of your body, up to your shoulders and arms, swirling past your neck and transcending through your head. Can you feel it? Can you feel the energy filling you up? Now let the energy slowly come back down the body, the same way from which it came, and return to the earth. You should feel warm and energized. You should feel connected to yourself and the present moment. You’ve just grounded yourself! Doesn’t it feel good?!
There are so many different ways to ground yourself. You can find grounding yoga or meditation practices online, you can strike mountain pose barefoot in your grass, you can write in your journal, and so much more. You need to find what’s right for you. Once you’re able to ground yourself, you’ll notice tasks getting done much quicker and with less difficulty, you’ll notice ideas coming to fruition, and you’ll notice yourself being more mindful in each and every moment. It’s a beautiful thing to be grounded.
Do you have a favorite way you ground yourself? Share it with us! We’d like to learn more ways to keep ourselves grounded. Leave a comment, share a story, share a favorite yoga practice or meditation. Let’s stay connected!
Thank you for joining me today on this awesome journey of learning how to ground yourself. I hope you found this post informative and helpful on your journey to health and happiness.
Have a wonderful day!
With light and love,
Kay 💛