What does Grounding mean?
Grounding is a practice of energetically connecting to yourself, your values, and your vision. Grounding at its root is a practice of energetically connecting to the earth, like a plant growing from the stable and nourishing soil.
When you are grounded you are present, your thoughts are organized. You grow in a way that is in alignment with your vision. You become your energy source, drawing on a strong foundational relationship within yourself. Grounding allows you to access your talents and your power. This will nourish your visions and goals to create the best life for you.
When you are ungrounded you feel frantic, stressed, in chaos, easily distracted, powerless, spacey, and unconnected to your body and life. Being ungrounded can make you feel out of control and trigger anxiety because you become easily influenced by other people, the surroundings, and the environment.
We all have those frantic days where there don’t seem to be enough hours, or where we are overwhelmed, involved in people pleasing, trying to meet others’ expectations, and feeling scatterbrained, or lost. These are the times when it’s really important to re-ground, bring your energy back to you, refill your cup, and realign with what is important to you.
Ways to Ground
Find a hobby or activity you love
Finding a hobby that you love is crucial to grounding because it encourages you to set aside time to do something for yourself that fills you with joy. Anything counts, whether that hobby is yoga, drawing, hiking, playing a sport, going to the gym, calligraphy, or cooking. So often we forget to give ourselves the time to do something we enjoy outside of our responsibilities.
Get outside regardless of the weather (dress for it)
The more time we spend in nature, the more we remember we are nature. Getting outside to breathe fresh air is a great and easy way to ground and reconnect with yourself and your surroundings. Going outside to walk, hike, have a picnic, or simply sit and breathe will give you more perspective on everything else going on in life. Don’t forget to hug a tree, acknowledge and give some love to the plants you pass.
Breath work; breathe yourself into your body
My favorite breathing exercise for grounding and centering is Box Breathing or breathing with a pause. Sit tall and slowly inhale through your nose for 4-6 seconds, at the top of your breath hold for 4 seconds, then exhale through your nose or mouth for 4-6 seconds, and hold for 4 seconds after the exhale. Breath is our life force (prana) yet that moment between our breaths will bring us fully back to our senses and reconnect us with ourselves. When you hold between the inhale and exhale, your body’s nervous system will calm and you become more fully aware and present.
Move your body to release anxious energy- it feels good.
We are energetic beings at our core, and when that energy gets pent up it can lead to anxiety, restlessness, and exhaustion. Movement allows us to move through any stagnant and stuck energy, reconnecting to our bodies and making it easier to ground ourselves. Moving through energy can look like Yoga, dancing, running, or simply taking a walk. Moving your body intentionally and organically is a quick way to ground.
Create a morning routine.
A consistent morning routine will make a huge difference in your life. Starting your day with an intentional routine sets the tone for the entire day. It doesn’t need to be long, even a 5-minute routine of breathing, mindfulness, or meditation when you wake up before looking at your phone or starting your day is a great way to find grounding, and taking control of your day.
Journaling
Journaling is useful for grounding and living intentionally. It is a powerful way to organize thoughts and get a better understanding of where you are at a given moment. Journaling helps you discover what you want so that you can align accordingly in a grounded way.
Meditation
Meditating is the act of becoming present – so you become an observer of your thoughts and can release any unwanted thoughts. A simple meditation you can do is the 5-step meditation, specifically useful for grounding. Simply, list in your head, or visualize in your room; 5 things you can see, 4 things you can feel, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste. This meditation creates presence and grounding.
Grounding is a powerful step to living a life of joy, peace, and harmony, where the power center of your life is you!!