Many years ago, and I mean way back at the beginning of my healing journey, I was suffering from constant low grade agitation, difficulty focusing, and insomnia. At one point, I went to see an energy healer and was told that I was "very ungrounded". The practitioner didn't elaborate, and I didn't feel comfortable asking further questions. Apparently she assumed I knew what she was talking about. I did not. It took me a long while to fully understand what it was, why it was important, and how to get "grounded".
Simply put, being grounded is the state of being fully present in your body, which then connects you to the earth - energetically speaking.
Being well grounded has many benefits. It supports improved mood, stress reduction, and a general sense of well-being. It allows you to feel settled and able to focus. Sleep is often easier and deeper. It can also help create space from distressing feelings such as anxiety and depression.
Modern life takes us into our heads and outside our bodies on a regular basis. Getting lost in our devices - going down the rabbit hole of scrolling social media or texting is a prime example of how we literally leave our bodies while performing daily tasks. And we've all had the experience of pulling into the driveway and wondering, how did I manage to get here with no recollection of the drive?
Being ungrounded isn't just unsettling. It can actually be dangerous when you don't have enough presence to respond when the unexpected happens and you need to think and act quickly.
When I'm in a session it's very easy for me to tell when someone isn't in their body because all the gemstones attempt to place above their head. Meaning that a person's energetic self is out doing other things besides being present for their therapy!
When that happens, I stop what I'm doing and invite that person to set aside the other things they're focusing on - like their grocery list, the discussion they're not looking forward to, etc...and return to their body. They usually seem surprised that I knew they were preoccupied with other things.
So how can you get grounded when you don't have a therapist here to guide and support you? It's easy - energy follows attention - by bringing your awareness back to your body. It's as simple as wiggling your toes with focus. That's right. Bringing your attention to the present and focus on feeling your body. The sensation of the soles of your feet meeting the floor, noticing how the chair you're sitting on supports your body, the movement of your breath as it flows in and out of your nose and mouth.
You can also use visual cues. Look around the room, and place your attention on the objects around you. Pay conscious attention to the tiniest of details - where they are located, their shape, and/or color. You get the idea.
Smells can be very grounding. The aroma of coffee or something delicious wafting in our direction will bring us immediately out of reverie. Even more jolting is an unpleasant odor. Remember the last time the smell of something burning snapped you into full attention? All of these serve to ground you into your physical body.
You can take it a step further, and ground into the earth. This is a wonderful way to add stability and strength to your presence. The process is largely the same. Intend your energy to move down your body and into the ground beneath you. Again, with your attention. You can use imagery to make it easier to follow. I like to imagine an anchor dropping from my tailbone down into the earth. I encourage it to keep going until it finds somewhere to settle. But if that gets too esoteric for you, just stick with the anchor and know that it will find its point of contact without any further assistance.
People have asked me how our bodies can ground when we're laying down? Or what if you're in a building, many floors up? It works the same way. The earth is vast - the distance of a few feet, or a lot of feet, has no effect on our ability to connect with her.
So the next time you're feeling unsettled or need to be present and focused, trying these grounding techniques and see if they help. With practice, you'll find yourself more and more where you truly belong, in your body.
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