What Does It Mean To Be Grounded?
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE GROUNDED?
Grounded is a term you hear a lot in various circles. It may sound a bit strange, and maybe you’re not quite sure what it means.
Chances are, you have had experiences where someone has told you that you need to become grounded, but really had no idea what they were talking about.
Grounding is a physical act as the most basic and fundamental level that often affects everything in life.
When you become ungrounded, this is your mind connecting with your higher self to get the body, mind ,and spirit back in sync in perfect harmony.
The body, mind and spirit ideally are a packaged deal , but they are often treated as separate entities within the human structure.
When we lose focus, we blame our mind. When we are physically not well, we blame our body, when we are wrought with emotions, we often blame our intellect or spirit. Whichever the case may be, we are not being in the present. We have become ungrounded.
Losing and forgetting stuff, procrastinating, finding it hard to focus and concentrate… These are everyday minor examples of not being grounded. I will go further to say that the grounding well is far deeper than the aforementioned examples.
Grounding, is both a spiritual practice as well as a very pragmatic physical concept.
When you have the ability to stand in the present, and view life from a higher vantage point, rather than the specifics in the immediate; when you are comfortable in your own skin, and can stand in your truth as well as your own personal authenticity; you then, are what is called grounded.
Becoming grounded is a word or concept that people continually throw around, because it has been thrown at them. Very few can define or articulate what the word means, and furthermore, why that person felt the need to imbue this word upon you -as if it was bad, or that you are somehow in the wrong.
If this has ever been said to you, then you know this feeling.
Have you ever stopped to ask someone what it truly means to be grounded?
How is being grounded measured?
Is being grounded the same for each and every person?
Or, does it vary from person to person, situation to situation, and is it an idea, a perception observed by others and not of the self, and why is it necessary and important to you in your life at that particular moment when someone says to you “you have become ungrounded”.
I had someone say this to me at one point in the distant past, and I thought to myself, “she said it, so therefore it must be true” But this was her reality, and not mine. This person had no clue about me, much less even knew my name, or the circumstances that surrounded my life at the time.
So after much thought on the matter and spiritual guidance, I discovered that it was she that was ungrounded, not me, at that particular moment.
She was projecting on to me that which did not concern or was even slightly beneficial to me. Unfortunately, this happen rather regularly.
People say things to and about others, as well as several other clichés without understanding the very meaning and root of the word. They often have no clear understanding of the meaning, let alone a working knowledge basis from which to pull from.
Words have the ability to impact the lives of those they connect with; some in a positive regard while others are less than ideal.
I have learned from experience, that the majority of people do not have any negative agenda or malice connected with some of the words that are freely thrown into the path of others, but the end result is less than ideal for the person on the receiving end that is simply trying to get ahead in life.
Chances are, if you really did stop and ask someone what they meant by being grounded and how to get grounded , we would have a multitude of answers; most using the word grounded (which really doesn’t help with understanding the full concept and rooted definition).
You may get answers such as, ”when you are grounded it is easier to get through daily tasks. You are able to function more efficiently in the world. You are likely to feel more settled and at ease”.
You may get a description or a plethora of adjectives describing feelings that could possibly be connected to a thought or experience, your personal energy, or a positive sensation that you enjoy rather than the negative connotation that is usually connected with becoming ungrounded.
How does this answer your question?
The answer, very simply put; It doesn’t.
The very premise of becoming grounded, is an important concept when it comes to your health and well-being. It helps you view your life at the present moment, you are able to reflect upon the past (for comparison sake), and being present, you are able to formulate plans about or concerning the future. This is usually how we would like to be, how we would like to feel and how we make changes in our behavior to prevent any recurrence of self destructive behavior.
This is often the beginning of a cyclical internal conflict, which in turn creates an imbalance within the body- mind-spirit; or all three in unison.
Spending a significant amount of time thinking directs your energy upward to the mind. The result is sometimes an indistinguishable imbalance between the body and mind, leaving you feeling scattered and often times emotional.
To re-create balance, it can be helpful to bring some of that energy back down and into your body. This is what is often known as “grounding yourself”, and as you read further you will know and understand how to do this..
Grounding yourself spiritually and physically simultaneously is the universal goal; but first, it is necessary to stop, breathe, and acknowledge what is happening within your body, at minimum, as well as your mind and spirit (known as your intellect or personality).
Simultaneous physical and spiritual grounding involves a creating a much larger mental shift.
You will find the more connected you become with the harmony and flow of how your particular mind-body and spirit connect. You will have the ability to realize that nobody is qualified to walk in your shoes but you; and therefore, their perception of you being grounded is irrelevant. It stands to argue that this is more of a reflection upon that person making the accusation, and less of a reflection upon you .
Your life lessons are, in my opinion, a sacred space that only you have the key to unlocking. When you are able to unlock the door to the vital lessons necessary, it provides you with the ability to be an active participant in your own creation; thus making the opinion of others in this regard, futile at best.
This is how we learn. We develop our sense of self. Our feelings connect us to thought, which in turn is the driving force in the action steps. There are times we need help with interpreting what it is we are feeling and sometimes how these things affect aspects of life in the positive as well as the interpretation of our ‘medicine and shadow self’ ( shamanically speaking), challenges yet to be unearthed. This too, can be a difficult task.
Finding someone that you can trust as a mentor, is committed to your change process with no personal agenda, and is a vibrational match takes time, rigorous honesty, and the ability to ask and receive help.
How does one move the flow of energy from the mind down through the body?
This requires a little focus; that’s really all there is to this beginning stage of grounding development.
Begin, by visualizing a beam of light that starts at the top of the head and descends in a downward direction to the third eye, (the space between your brows). Visualize the beam of light traveling downward into the throat ,passing through the heart , the solar plexus , the sacrum, and the root chakras respectively. You can be either seated with your spine straight, in a recumbent position, or even lying down. The idea is to be comfortable and relaxed in a calm quiet environment where you feel safe to explore.
As you become more adept at basic guided meditation such as this, you will be able access the ability to ground any time, place, or situation.
Guided meditation exercises can be further developed and added to existing techniques as you grow in your development and understanding.
Step 2 follows and can be an extension to your guided meditation or practiced separately. The concept of connecting and merging your energy with the energy of all creation. This involves a basic understanding that there is life in all living things. In the native American cultures this concept is known as mitakuye oyasin (all my relations) and involves developing a relationship with what’s often called Gaia -Mother Earth,Father Sky and the ‘medicine brought forward by the four corner of the West, North, East and South including Zenith and Nadir (as above, so is below).
The Native tribal and shamanic customs involve embracing the energy from all living things and use of the medicine wheel is employed as a means of individual acknowledgement of one’s medicine. The medicine wheel in this example acts as a metaphor though an actual medicine wheel encompasses a variety of spiritual concepts for healing, and is an ancient symbol of balance and inner harmony within all of creation.
In order to connect to the hum and vibration of Gaia and the energy of all creation , due diligence must be performed and observed with reverence to both you and the Creator of all living things (God).
By now, you understand the primary stage of the exercise-visualize the beam of light from the crown or the head traveling downward into the physical body and out through your toes.
Next, feel the sensation of your physical body in the position that you are in. Feel the sensation of being held up by the floor or ground underneath you. Feel the support and strength of the Earth. Try to visualize yourself out in nature (if you are inside) and ponder how you would describe the sensations that you experience.
In the beginning, you may experience nothing, or your mind may be thinking about everything other than sitting mindfully and quietly. This is perfectly normal and will develop with a small amount of consistency, but consistency is crucial, nonetheless.
Regardless of whether or not you are inside or outside , you are connecting to the Earth’s energy.
This is the concept and perception of feeling supported and strengthened by the energy of all creation that in turn rises from the exterior and connects with your unique energy, thus enveloping you all over, inside out, bones to skin, fingertips to toes.
This is an energetic concept that shamans, healers and yogi’s alike often practice in order to connect with all living things in and around the earth and universal structures.
Whether or not you feel the hum and vibration of Creations energy is not as important as the understanding that it does, in fact exist. Energy carries a current, and this is part and parcel of a much larger function.What is relevant, however; is that you have set the intention of developing your personal and situational awareness.
The intention is far more important than the actual external or physical feeling. This process will slowly and deliberately train the body to connect with the mind; which in turn will connect with the spirit- all simultaneously, in one beautiful, harmonious, concentric circle.
Aspects of intention based healing will aid and assist you in self-discovery, in understanding the current of physical energy as opposed to energy that is manifested from within.This allows for a deeper connection to one and only Divine Creator of all living things.
You will soon develop the ability to tune into a magnificent realization that you are part of the energy of humanity when you attempt to view life from a higher perspective. It is through perspective that we unlock and decode aspects of our individual Book of Life. This energy is far greater than the basics of grounding but important nonetheless to conceptualize.
This is far bigger than yourself, bigger than any hope or dream, or any trauma ,pain, illness, or frustration level.
Perspective is key.
God’s energy is in all living things. The nature that lives and flourishes around you as well as the various cycles of life. This accounts for the four legged, the two legged, the winged ones, the finned ones or those that slither upon the earth. You don’t have to like certain aspects of nature to appreciate that they are an intricate part of Universal existence and contribute to its energy.
The lessons of life truly begin when you have a basic understanding that you are not alone, your creation has a purpose, and the lessons in life are numerous.
Energy is around you and within you simultaneously.You are an integral part of a huge, magnificent system of life. You view your own problems in a different way based on personal and higher dimensional perspective and can maintain a modicum of objectiveness when approaching challenges concerning people, places, and things. Dimensional perspective can and will foster the spark of empathy for others, self forgiveness and spiritual completeness.
When you allow yourself to be supported in these moments by the energy of all creation, you can release your body to the gravity that supports you and can find the key to giving your mind safe harbor. This is where internal peace is derived.
Drawing from the Earth’s energy,there is a fundamental observation in the connection of all living creatures great and small. Setting the intention to be tethered to this the energy is essential in gaining Dimensional perspective. God is in and around all things. He knows all, He sees all, and has brought you to this point in your life.
Here, your questions regarding life’s circumstances give you the freedom to healing. The direction in which your life path is headed and perhaps certain aspects where your free will (your medicine) has interfered with your souls true destiny, purpose and meaning. This will provide you with the understanding necessary to overcome and conquer any forces that have derailed you up to this point. When we make a decision, or set the intention to make a decision,we acknowledge that we are ready for the next step or the next phase of life to begin.From this point forward, we work diligently to understand the things that influence our decisions, and the progressive systems of the human psyche as it manifests into behaviors that are at the root of becoming ungrounded.
Grounding techniques are merely the systemic mechanisms for a much broader aspect of your unique role in your life’s cycle.
On a very fundamental basis, it begins with intention. It develops, grows and prospers with stillness, and teaches you view the world with the eyes of a child and the heart of a lion and the perspective and focus of the eagle.You will possess the ability to exercise perspective from two vantage points to help with the external manifestations of people ,places, and things that create confusion, chaos, and uncertainty. You will experience driving force within that makes your heart beat and your soul flourish.
When the student is ready, the teacher appears.
Being ungrounded in many extreme circumstances leads to a spiritual awakening of sorts, and more often than not this is your soul attempting to connect with you to point out the premise that life IS the teacher.
Many struggle with concept, which is perfectly understandable; but many are further lead to situations that are pivotal in their ability to both understand and embrace the very essence of their existence. They are subjected to the need to view, experience, and live life differently than before that transcends suffering and allows them to weather the storm.
We all experience varying degrees of suffering, but not all have the ability to transcend suffering.
In this case, the person will get through the situation, and life soon returns to normal. Then as time passes and no real changes have solidified, they experience another similar circumstance, emotion or lesson that draws from the energetic aspects of the previous crisis that was left untouched. This circular formation will present repeatedly until there is a significant reduction in destructive manifestations of thought, feeling or actions.
It is important to note that this in no way indicates a restriction of one’s ability to explore certain thought patterns and associated feelings; but rather points toward the necessity to understand both how and why these patterns are indeed destructive and oftentimes harmful to self as well as others.
Repeated situations often are progressive with each cycle and occurrence. Human beings tend to repeat patterns of behavior until significant inventory is taken and acted upon accordingly. The truth of the matter is, until such time arises that we feel the need and willingness to approach the repetitious cycle with rigorous honesty, we are remiss in developing new skill sets of coping to effectively manage the crisis filled situation.
There are those that will analyze the bejesus out of a situation and yet refuse to be accountable for their part (if any) in the set of circumstances or situation; and furthermore, and perhaps more importantly, how this has impacted their life, their views of the world and their interactions within it.
There are those too, that will finger point, lay blame, and rationalize. They are avoidant of the fact that they are responsible for their personal perceptions, thoughts, feelings, and ultimately, their own behavior.
People, as a general rule, have developed unproductive attachments to aspects within their sphere of consciousness.These attachments are inevitably more passively disruptive to their subconscious (or ego) and often go unnoticed unless they choose to develop a manner of living that involves rigorous honesty. There is a direct correlation between the subconscious mind and it’s ability to direct thoughts, emotion, and behavior which can skew their views the world, their instincts of survival and the ability to feel safe in their communion with themselves. In other words, it has a direct impact upon the root chakra and the ability to ground while making lasting and desirable changes. Additionally, there are those who are lacking in the very basic capacity of introspection and would rather convince themselves that the blame is best placed on someone or something other than dare to admit the possibility they play a role in this situation or circumstance. This is not their fault. They seem to have been wired in a manner that lends to this predisposition. In other words, though rare; they have been born this way. There is always hope. Even for those that fit into this category.
In this type of situation, the spirit and soul (if speaking shamanically) becomes fragmented by the event, similar events that were not managed, the raw feelings that are stifled, the fear that dominates, or an abrupt change, that is viewed or perceived as negative ( to name but a few).
One’s outlook becomes jaded which includes but not limited to their behavior towards others, including feelings and behaviors about self. Inevitably, this creates a deeper and more substantial fragmentation, a greater imbalance in life, and an need to escape the realities of life at various intervals. They exhibit an inability to view their life objectively in order to process the simplest of changes, and progresses into a continual downward spiral surrounding their responses to perceived adverse feelings or events. Views stem from perspective. Views of this magnitude are largely subjective, as opposed to reaching for a higher vantage point to foster a healthy response towards change. In extreme cases, this person can and sometimes does experience the manifestation of chronic and terminal malignancies in the physical and emotional body.
The goal and the purpose is not to see how well you can endure the wrath of the storm, but to see what skills you develop to survive, to comprehend,and ideally, learn from the situation. New skill sets need to be developed in managing people, places, things and most importantly, to modulate problematic emotions and behaviors that are construed as destructive.
Underlying stuck points will present themselves repeatedly until you choose to understand your role (if any) in the event or circumstance as evidenced by the unearthing of emotional and physical triggers.
These are examples of the grounding continuum. From the very basics of the discovery process, through the gradient of the inner workings of the human psyche and steps necessary to gain momentum in understanding your personal aspects of hoe you develop and integrate energy.
Being grounded, is not a trivial word or expression, though it is often used in this way.
There is a continuum within the true mind, body, spirit interaction and the ability to adapt, learn, change and grow. More often than not, this gradient is overlooked and dismissed as something to do with planetary alignment, astrological signs, global warming, or the misconceived notion that their spirit guides are inflicting this upon them to create resiliency or to be taught a lesson.
True spiritual guidance from the Divine and other sentient beings simply does not work this way. Period.
There are physical tools you can practice and develop to add to your toolbox of life.
Starting with the most physical, there are activities such as yoga and meditation.There are numerous activities one can engage in that will nurture your connection to your physical body and help you connect to your mental and spiritual body. Yoga and meditation have proven to be two of the most efficient to teach you to refocus your energy downward and create physical stability. This affects all aspects of the lower chakras, down to the root, out to the soul star chakra.
The sole star chakra is the point and origin of connecting with your higher self. It acts as an energetic gateway for the spirit body to communicate and merge with the energy your soul, often called your higher self.
The feeling of being grounded is a feeling of often thought of as peace, and is further characterized as stability, and resilience. Being grounded it is often confused with the feeling of heaviness. While you may feel more connected the sensation of heavy, it is more commonly described as a denser and rather palpable energetic forcefield, but not truly heavy. This would require a physical manifestation rather than a spiritual one. There are fairly common misconceptions in the descriptive process of grounding energy.
Heaviness often has to do with the lower chakras. Physical and spiritual traits and enigmas play a factor in the ability to discern between the two. While understanding the difference of being grounded, and feeling heavy may seem like a lesson in futility; the truth of the matter is, they are two very different feelings and the manifestations surrounding the two are altogether different.
If and when you develop a consistent practice of meditation, or perhaps you currently live a life that includes daily meditation; you will soon feel the difference between physical heaviness and truly becoming grounded. Being grounded is described as energizing, especially the first few times in your development of drawing from the ground beneath your feet and drawing upon the Earth’s energy of mother nature and through your body and out to the rest of the world. It’s quite possible to be grounded in the face of chaos and adversity but inevitably this is not the case.
When you begin to view (metaphorically) yourself and your life as a very tiny grain of sand on a very large beach – that is called the Universe, there is a realization that your life is as a drop of water that expands into larger and larger concentric circles. This sometimes results in feelings that overwhelm or take you by surprise. You may feel intense emotion, and you rationalize the emotion away by thinking it’s all in your head or that you are imagining these feelings and/or visions. This concept is the beginning stages of Universal Law theory.
It is human nature in any type of new experience or overwhelming sensation , clairvoyant vision, or wave of emotion, etc. to push back in disbelief. This is quite normal. It is nothing more than a symptom of not understanding the experience, or the Dimensional perspective you may think you stumbled upon. These are often tell tale clues that if followed to fruition will lead you to the understanding of aspects of ungrounding has manifested within, and is no cause for alarm. The sensations are merely meant to draw your attention to areas within your life that are deep within the psyche coming from your soul (or higher self) so that you can learn, develop, and grow.
When you draw from the energy of Mother Earth, Father Sky and the four corners respectively, and from the interconnected web that has weaved all of God’s creations; energy permeates your being. It develops and flows from something as basic as setting an intention to develop a broader understanding, and affirming that the beauty of your life stems from your perfectly timed addition to humanity.
Through yoga, you can practice and focus on specific chakras -the root chakra in particular, as well as specific postures that will help you feel more connected to your body- which in turn connects the mind- which in turn connects the spirit. The root chakra ( Muladhara) is located at the base of your spine and is often depicted by the deep hue of red.
It is related to the elements of the earth, survival, and the fundamentals that make you human. When this chakra is in balance you tend to be comfortable in your body, you feel very safe and quite secure.
In other words, you feel grounded.
You can practice specific asanas which act to support and stabilize the spine, to develop the core, and create a fire within the solar plexus through breath . Here is yet another way to physically balance your root chakra and assist with grounding techniques.
Some of the postures that work in this manner are Mountain pose, chair pose, warrior one, yogic squat, and wide angle seated forward bend, to name just a few.
Within each posture you can visualize a connection to the earth and all of your surroundings. This creates a focus of your own stability as well as encompassing the practice of mindfulness.
Visualize the points where your body is touching the mat. In asanas that are standing; feel the strength and security in your legs, up through your spine, and out through the crown of your head; lifting and lengthening while your feet are planted like tree trunks or sturdy mountains.
In seated postures, feel how your body is fully supported by the earth, listen to the rise and fall of your breath and experience the primal sensation of your heartbeat. Explore the sensation of blood and oxygen weaving and dancing throughout your body in perfect harmony while the energy enters and exits through the hands and feet to exchange information with the sole star chakra.
Breath work in both yoga and meditation, as well as spiritual development, will help you in discovering your personal grounding process.
Lastly, one of the simplest ways to feel more settled within a situation ,within life itself ; is to simply stop and take a deep cleansing breath.
Human beings often don’t take the time to nourish their brain and body with the potent oxygen that is ready and willing to work on your behalf. Oxygen is part of your life cycle that nobody else will access regularly and is created just for your life force energy known as prana.
Your own ability to oxygenate your brain and body can and will increase your memory, overall longevity, and creates a holistic approach to being in command of your own well-being, which often starts in the mind, and progresses throughout the body.
Sometimes stopping and taking a deep breath can be just as cleansing as any type of therapy, or any rigorous physical exercise. Though each action has independent goals and outcomes; a simple deep cleansing breath is something that you can do anytime, any day, and in any situation, regardless of your age, status, or ability level.
An exercise to try is taking a long deep breath in through the nose, hold for three seconds and then exhale through the mouth breathing in as long as possible, as slow as possible and as deep as possible. This create a rhythmic pattern of breathing known as a low, slow , flow.
Set your mind and intention only on the breath you take as you inhale. Focus on how your breath feels as it enters through the nostrils and moves about the body, while it energizes the brain, and fills your lungs to capacity.
Give your attention a specific destination; such as your breath , to allow your mind a chance to settle any internal chatter, which in turn will signal to the body that everything is okay.
You will become calm and steady, instilling within you the very essence of the word grounded.
Hopefully, through this article you have begun to understand the grounding- ungrounding continuum, including the definition and conceptualization. Grounding both looks and feels very different to each and every person that experiences it.
It is a word that contains depth, and is necessary to be revered as such. Perhaps you have experienced the greater or lesser degrees of each, or perhaps this is entirely new.
Exploring the true contextualized meaning is important so you will recognize the important whispers of your soul when he or she is connecting with you.
I view becoming ungrounded and reverting to a grounded state as that which is a teaching tool in life to develop stronger coping skills, to become more pragmatic in the way of doing things and strengthening my own sense of direction in life, to name just a few.
Life will always be the best teacher if you are able to observe, listen and do your best to understand.
Blessings to each of you,
Becky
As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to email them. I will respond usually with 24 hrs. during the calendar week.