If not, here’s a guide on how to ground yourself.
Being grounded is the ability to ‘be’ completely aware and conscious during a present moment. If you are grounded, you are more than likely able to practice a deep sense of mindfulness. You activate from there here and now and hardly ever disappear down ‘what-if’ or ‘how’ rabbit holes and are at peace with where you find yourself in the universe. You feel totally present in your body and are connected and supported by the earth.
With groundedness comes an experience of clarity, wholeness, ‘rightness’ and harmony in one’s life. Sounds like utopia doesn’t it?
Yes, it does – and yet the act of grounding us is something we seldom think of or even physically do daily – unless we’re quite evolved in our spiritual practice. And yet it’s the simplest act of kindness and self-care we could show towards ourselves.
Instead, we keep ourselves really busy in our daily activities running from one thing to the next, always in ‘doing’ mode or we’re glued to our PC’s and cellphones disappearing into the either – floating outside of our world in a world of gaming or pretence on social media. Soon being ungrounded becomes our new normal – and we don’t even recognize that we’re in an ‘ungrounded’ state.
And how does being ‘ungrounded’ show up in your life… well for starters it is the very reason why fear and anxiety shows up and starts causing us to start ‘sharing’ our pain with our world. Our pain is easy to see to our tribe – it shows up as negative behaviour and is soon not appreciated by those in our circles.
You are ungrounded if you:
- Are easily distracted
- Are constantly over-thinking things
- Are unable to follow normal conversations
- Feel scattered and not in control
- Are physically stepping on, bumping into, falling over and are generally very clumsy
- Are constantly engage in personal drama
- Are experiencing fear, anxiety and continuous worrying
- Are possessed by an excessive desire for material things
- Are overly sensitive and emotional when engaging with people
- Are easily deceived by yourself or others
- Are obsessed with your personal image
The body shows up with physical proof of ‘ungroundedness’:
- Inflammation
- Poor blood circulation
- Poor sleep/insomnia
- Chronic body pain
- Low energy levels/Fatigue
The layman’s guide to grounding yourself:
You’re walking barefoot on the beach.
Feel the warmth of the sun contacting your skin. Listen to the rhythm of the crashing waves. Smell the fresh ocean breeze as it brushes through you.
Now, notice your feet. Do you feel a tingly sensation in your feet or legs as warmth rises up your body?
Perhaps you’ve noticed a similar feeling while walking barefoot on the grass. In those moments, you are grounded. It’s one reason many people are drawn to the ocean, nature and being outside barefoot.
We’ve all experienced being grounded. We feel “at home”. But this is a fleeting experience.
Thankfully, there are ways to help ground ourselves and stay rooted in our bodies.
Being grounded means being present in all three aspects: Physically, Mentally, and Spiritually.
Physical: You give authority to all of your physical sensations – taste, smell, sight, hearing, and touch.
Mental: You allow your mind space and the time to properly dissect every new thought, question, and idea you encounter.
Spiritual: You allow yourself to feel all your emotions, and give yourself the freedom to dissect and reshape your beliefs.
Grounding provides us with powerful methods for increasing your awareness of your body. These exercises offer a range of health benefits:
- Reinforcing your connection to the Earth
- Reducing inflammation
- Quieting and clearing your mind
- Recharging your energy levels
- Strengthening your instincts
- Calming your emotions
Grounding exercises will help increase your overall mental and physical performance.
Besides – as you will discover – it’s a calming and joyful experience to walk barefoot on the Earth.
Let’s see how we can use grounding to:
- Barefoot in Nature
Take off your shoes and socks and get outside. Stand on the Earth: grass, stone, sand, or dirt. You can stand in one place with both feet on the earth, walk, or lay down for at least 20 minutes, twice a day.
- Cover the top of your Head (Your Crown)
I don’t fully understand why this grounding exercise is so effective, but it almost always works for me. Close your eyes to avoid distractions, place one hand over the crown of your head (on top) for 1 to 2 minutes. That’s it – that’s all you’ve got to do in this exercise – it’s almost as if you close off the mind to the mental jabber.
- Feel Your Feet
I often use this technique at work when I’m busy because it’s so fast and effective. Sitting or standing, place all of your awareness on the bottom of your feet. Pay attention to any sensations for 1 to 2 minutes, as many times as needed when you feel a bit all over the place and lack focus.
- Follow Your Breath
Close your eyes, and as you inhale, follow the air as it enters your nose and goes into your lungs. On the exhale, follow the air leaving your lungs and exiting your nose or mouth.
The key is to observe the breath instead of forcing it with your mind, allow it to flow and just focus on your physical breathing. Let your body lead and your mind will follow for 5 to 10 minutes. This grounding technique gets more effective with practice.
- Mindful Walking
You can walk wherever you feel drawn to; the ocean, forest, park, pavement, garden, etc. Simply walk and stay present with your environment and surroundings. Bring your focus to you and the environment around you, see what you see, hear what you hear, feel what you feel.
Depending on how active my mind is, it takes only a few minutes before I am more mentally calm and centred. Walking barefoot has the added benefit of massaging acupuncture points in your feet like in reflexology. Be sure to use your whole foot when you walk: heel, ball, toes.
- Take a Cold Shower
This grounding technique has many health benefits. Cold exposure has shown to increase immunity and elevate the mood (by triggering dopamine). If you’re not accustomed to cold showers, at the end of your hot shower, make the water warm/cool for 30 seconds.
Over the course of the next three weeks, make the water slightly cooler and stay under it for longer, 30 seconds to 5 minutes. By the end of the three weeks, your body will get used to the cold temperature. It’s an invigorating and grounding experience. I can highly recommend it -unless you have high blood pressure – in which case, consult a doctor before you try this one.
- Stand Like a Tree (Mediation)
This exercise works best in nature (in fresh air) and even better when done standing barefoot on the Earth. Stand with your feet parallel and at least shoulder’s width apart. Keep your head floating above your body, chin tucked, and spine straight. Rest your hands at your side or place them over your navel.
Sink all of your body’s weight and tension into your feet (keep your posture: still standing firm and strong). Imagine roots growing out the bottom of your feet, extending deep into the ground beneath you, connecting to the core of the earth. Now allow and see how the earth absorbs all tension from your body into the ground. Allow for 10 minutes out of your day to do this.
- Grounding Visualization
Close your eyes, feel the ground beneath your feet and centre yourself, by taking a few nice deep, slow breaths in and out. When you feel calmer and centred, move your focus to your heart.
Become present and aware of the life force emanating from your heart. Now, imagine the centre of the Earth. It could be a magma core, a circle of light, a crystal or whatever comes to mind.
Next, visualize a curved beam of light or energy going from your heart down to the Earth’s core. A complementing curved energy beam extends from the core to your heart (completing a pointed oval). Be still for between 2 to 5 minutes, can be longer and feel the connection between your Heart and the Earth’s core. Feel the love, comfort and support you have around you and that you are connected with every day.
I’ve listed quite a few grounding techniques for you to try at home. Find the one that works for you and stick with it.
Remember the most important thing as you attempt these techniques is for you to be brave. Be brave enough to make the changes needed in your life to implement these grounding techniques and be diligent at it in order to make it part of your daily routine – going from strength to strength and helping you to connect to the earth and your inner power daily.