Getting Grounded
We often hear the importance of being “grounded.” Getting grounded is a good daily practice and particularly important if we are under stress or navigating a challenging situation or phase of life. Personally, I recommend we all do this often. But many ask the question, “What does that even mean? How do I even get grounded?”
In a nutshell being in a grounded state means being fully present in both your own body and in the moment. There are many benefits to staying in the present, in fact that is where all of our power lies (but we’ll save that for another article). For now, let’s focus on the main benefits of getting grounded. Such as, lower stress, lower tension, lower anxiety and an overall mood enhancement. We feel more comfortable, confident and we handle challenges more calmly. We’re more empowered and we handle the day’s activities with more ease. In short, it just feels better when we’re grounded!
Below is a step-by-step meditation for grounding. You may be rolling your eyes and saying “meditation just isn’t my thing” or perhaps you have felt frustrated by attempts to meditate in the past. If that’s the case, let’s pretend I didn’t say meditation; let’s just say “exercise” instead.
I recommend doing the below steps daily and preferably in the morning. The earlier the better and if possible before eating a full meal. This ensures we are setting the tone for the day in a grounded state. These steps can take 5 minutes or 20, that’s entirely up to you. Adapt the below instructions to what feels good and resonates with you. We can all at a minimum spare 5 minutes; it’s just one less tap of the snooze button! Determine where you can fit this into your day and then stick to it. The benefits of these types of exercises are cumulative – meaning, the more often you do it the more the benefits increase for you!
Grounding Exercise
- Sit comfortably with your feet on the floor.
- Find an ambient sound in the room. It can be anything, even things that seem mundane. Maybe the air-conditioning, or the hum of the fridge for example? Isolate your chosen sound and listen only to that. Listen for as long as feels right to you. If you find your mind wandering, remember that that is OK! Don’t tell yourself off or get frustrated, just gently bring yourself back to the sound.
- Next, bring your attention to the bottom of your feet. Notice; is the floor warm? Cold? Soft? Hard? Hold your attention there briefly.
- With your attention at your feet, visualize roots beginning to form and stretch downward from your feet. Feel these new extensions of your body stretching down through the floor and into the earth. Watch and sense them growing thicker and stronger, branching out and extending down into the earth. Notice as they grow, stretching in all directions to every edge of your home and continuing outward.
- Next, notice that some of these roots grow directly downward, stretching further and deeper into the earth. Visualize these roots extending deep into the earth and directly down into the earth's core. At this time, set the intention in your mind that the function of these roots are to continuously pull all stress, tension, blockages, lower vibrational energies, anything negative, from your body and send it to the earth's core where it will be burned up (never to return to you or anyone else again). TIP: Sit for a moment and feel any stress or tension in your body melt downward to your feet and out of your body through these roots. See this energy, what does it look like to you? Watch it travel down to the earth’s core and be transmuted. Enjoy the sense of calm that it can never return to you again.
- When ready, bring your attention back to the roots extending outward in all directions. Notice the distance these roots have traveled. Feel them stretching farther away and visualize them stretching to all corners of the earth. At this time, set the intention in your mind that these roots are there to bring back healing, loving, pure positive energy to you mind, body and spirit. At this point, you may wish to thank the earth (or Gaia) for this connection and healing energy. TIP: Visualize this energy coming to you from these roots, up through your feet and into your body. Feel it flowing upward, filling your body and extending outward into your entire aura. What does it look like? What does it feel like?
- Sit in this energy and enjoy it for as long as you like. I recommend this entire process take approximately 15 minutes, however you can choose to move through these steps faster or more slowly – do what resonates with you, as long as it feels good!
- When you feel ready to end this exercise, bring your attention back to the bottom of your feet. Slowly bring your awareness upward through your body. Take a moment to notice all the various parts of your body; your fingers and hands, your back, your neck and head and finally your face and eyes. When ready, slowly open your eyes and start your day firmly grounded! Enjoy!
This exercise will get you started with your day in a firmly grounded tone. However, it will always be important to check-in with yourself throughout the day. Should you begin to feel ungrounded, or you are having an unusually stressful day, take a few minutes to reground yourself. You do not have to complete all of the above steps a second time, but feel free if you have the time and desire to!
Sit for a brief moment with your feet on the floor. Close your eyes and bring your awareness down to your feet. Visualize and feel all of the roots you firmly grounded into the earth earlier. Visualize them, still strong and deep within the earth. Notice again how far they have stretched. Feel the stress and tension melting down through your feet and into the roots delivering it to the earth’s core. Feel, even just for a moment, the healing, loving, pure positive energy coming into your entire being from the farthest reaches of the earth. Sit in this energy for as long as you need. When you are ready to end, once again, bring your awareness to your feet, up through your body, and then slowly open your eyes. This can take as little as 1—2 minutes (or a slightly extended restroom break) and will help re-ground you. It’s simply taking a moment to remember and sense those roots and your connection to the earth. Do this as many times as you like throughout the day. If it is a particularly stressful or hectic day, plant some new roots (reinforcements) while you are re-grounding!
If you, like many, have trouble visualizing, try engaging your other senses instead. As you plant your roots deep into the earth, can you hear them breaking through the soil? Can you smell the soil as the roots grow and stretch? What does the negative energy, stress and tension sound like as it drains from your body through your earth’s core roots? Does the healing, positive energy returning to your being have a smell or sound? What does it all feel like?
Remember, while you will likely notice immediate benefits, the more you put this into practice, the more beneficial it becomes. Commit a few minutes, make this part of your morning routine, and feel the ever-growing benefits of staying grounded!
Thank you for reading,
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