Grounding
These notes are only guidelines to aid you on your own Spiritual path and as with all spiritual work it is often about finding your own Truth. If you disagree or feel uncomfortable with anything that is suggested here by all means find an alternative Truth that is acceptable to you.
Grounding
To ground yourself is to psychically reinforce your connection with the Earth by reopening an energy channel between your aura and the ground.
Grounding is all about the awareness that we are still in a physical body as well as endeavoring to become spiritual workers and beings.
Why is it so important that we ground ourselves?
Below you will find a few ways in which being grounded can make such a difference to our everyday life:
* Brings your life in to focus and to be able to bring our healing abilities into the physical.
* Increases balance and stability in our physical and our emotional state.
* Helps bring acceptance that we are here to fulfill a purpose.
* Brings strength.
* Helps in creating a bridge between Spirit and matter.
* Provides an outlet making the release (of energy) easier.
* Allows the attainment of higher Spiritual levels.
Below is a list of some of the more common symptoms of being ungrounded. Usually each individual will encounter the same one or two symptoms each time they are ungrounded.
* Dizziness
* Daydreaming
* A feeling of being 'Spaced Out'
* Feeling sick
* Heart palpitations
* Eyes flickering
* Weight gain
* Clumsiness
* Static shocks
* Falling asleep when meditating
* Noise and light sensitive
* Forgetful
* Having brilliant ideas that never happen
* Arguing and unable to get your point across
(Please note that many of these symptoms can also be linked to other physical conditions or illnesses, if in doubt always check with your Doctor. Light and energy work is complementary to general medicine and should not be viewed as a substitute.)
So how do I become more grounded?
Here are some things you can do to help bring you back down to earth:
* Eating (hence sometimes the weight gain) - healthy & balanced.
* Drinking water
* Walking, especially in natural surroundings
* Sports, yoga, tai chi etc.
* Gardening
* Animals eg. walking the dog
* Being purposeful
* Visualization of roots/color (see below)
* Carrying/working with crystals (see below)
Grounding is usually the first technique that is taught. This is because it is part of the main foundation upon which everything else is built. It is very simple and very powerful. Most have heard of grounding or have practiced it in some way. Most of the rituals that I have attended use this technique in some form. Since there are various ways to ground, let me start with some explanation about what I mean when I say "grounding."
Grounding is the act of consciously creating an energy connection as spirit (sometimes visualized as a cord) from your body into physical reality/Mother Earth. You are a spiritual being, and by your nature have a great deal of power and energy. Your vibration is rapid and can be intense. You have a body (which is an expression of you that exists in mundane reality, but since it is made of matter the energy moves at a slower vibratory rate. In any case when you bring your spiritual energy into the physical body more fully it can be quite a shock to the system.
Grounding helps keep the body, your sacred temple a safe place for you to inhabit and experience life through it and prevents it from becoming overly stressed. It helps to keep your energy system safe when you are doing magic or other spiritual work. It acts kind of like an "electrical ground" ( keeps you from getting "zapped" by an overload of energy). The act of grounding also brings power to your work because it aligns you as spirit with your physical body, so that you can be present and attend to what needs to be done. In addition to all of this it increases spiritual and energetic awareness.
Grounding is a technique that assists you to release energy! This is a wonderful thing. When you ground you release unwanted or excess energy, and it gets transformed within this amazing living planet, our Mother Earth, and it returns to you renewed. It reminds me of recycling in a way; you let go of what you are done with and you get it back transformed. Also, if you are releasing someone else's energy that you took on for some reason, that energy gets returned to them as well. It works out well all around.
We want to emphasize here is that you can be grounded anytime. I highly recommend grounding while playing, eating, making love, shopping, working, driving, etc., as well as during ritual, or while meditating. Grounding brings you more fully present and conscious in your life, so that you can respond to situations rather than reacting from past experiences (many of which might be unpleasant). It will enhance whatever you are experiencing, assist you to be aware of your path, and also assist you to move through uncomfortable times more rapidly.
Something that people sometimes notice when they ground for the first time, is that they become aware of aches or pains that they could swear weren't there moments before. The reason for this is simple, if you think about it. If you come into the body more fully, you are going to start to become aware of what your body is actually feeling. If you spend most of your time with your mind in fantasy or off in the future somewhere you aren't going to be very present to what your body is going through. The minute you ground, though, you align with the body and begin to tune in to what's actually going on.
You might ask why anyone would want to feel tightness in their shoulders if they didn't have to? My answer is this: if you know what is happening and know how you feel, you can begin to take steps to release and heal whatever is causing the problem. The body has much wisdom to teach us if we will but listen. If you ignore the body it will get louder and louder in an effort to get your attention. I see many people who have begun their spiritual work because some physical ailment caused them to stop and pay attention. You do not have to wait, you can begin the process before you are "forced" to by circumstance.
The good news is: when you are grounded things that are pleasurable are even more pleasurable. You also begin to raise the vibration in the body by grounding it and being more consciously present in it; this will allow an even greater capacity for experiencing the wonders of this planet. It will in turn increase your power and awareness, making you more effective in where you choose to direct your energy.
Enjoy your exploration with connecting into this planet by grounding. Remember, as with anything, that the experience will change with time. Bring your willingness to explore and allow yourself to be open to your own deepening awareness.
Visualization:
The easiest and most helpful thing to imagine when you are trying to ground yourself is tree roots! Just imagine you have great long sturdy roots coming from the base of your feet (which should remain flat on the floor during the visualization), or, from the base of your spine if you are sitting directly on the floor. Just let these roots go right down in to the earth below and let them anchor you onto the earth. This is a very quick and efficient technique to remember when releasing energy such as static shocks from cars and supermarket trolleys!
Color can also be quite helpful, deep earthy colors such as red, brown and terra cotta are always good. Again just imagine that this color surrounds you. You can imagine it as light or a cloak or blanket, whatever is easier for you.
Crystals:
Crystals can be very helpful in the grounding process. It is best to carry them in a trouser or skirt pocket (or sock if you can make it comfortable!).You must remember to cleanse and dedicate your chosen crystal for this purpose before using it. A small piece of tumbled stone will be sufficient to carry with you.
There are many good ways to ground. We can not be touching on all of them by any means. This technique will teach grounding from the first chakra because that is the energy center that relates to physical reality. The first chakra contains information on how to survive and thrive in this reality, and since this is where we have our physical experience and where we want our healing and magic to manifest, this we have found to be a sound practice. Enjoy your exploration with connecting into this planet by grounding. Remember, as with anything, that the experience will change with time. Bring your willingness to explore and allow yourself to be open to your own deepening awareness. You can not bring the same state of self to the world and expect the world to be new for you. Yourself must constantly be transforming.
A Technique for Grounding:Sit comfortably in a straight back chair or on the couch (as long as you don't tend to nod off to sleep) have your hands and feet apart and feet flat on the floor.
Close your eyes (this helps you to focus inward).
Take three nice deep breaths, breathe down into your belly and soften your belly as you breathe. It can be helpful (although not essential) to breathe through the nose, while keeping your tongue resting lightly on the roof of your mouth. This is from certain Yoga traditions and is said to help encourage the flow of energy through your system.
Relax as you breathe, noticing how you feel, how your body feels.
Be aware of your first chakra. This is simply an energy center (vortex) that is located in the general area near the base of the spine. For women the center is usually near the area between the ovaries (note: the chakra positioning doesn't change if you have had your ovaries removed for any reason). For men the location is slightly lower in the body because the chakra placement is associated with the testicles.
Be aware of this area, and allow a cord of energy to flow downward from your body: Through the chair you are sitting in. Through the floor and down through the building you are in. Through the foundation and into the deep earth beneath. Allow your grounding to flow down into the earth past all the rocks and layers of the planet, past the water, deep deep into the earth, into the heart of the Mother. Until it reaches the center of the earth.
Allow your grounding cord to connect securely into the center of the planet. Be aware of your grounding cord being securely connected also to your first chakra.
Breathe and relax and experience your grounding, your spiritual connection to this beautiful planet.
Notice how your body responds to you grounding and becoming more present in it. Release tension and discomfort down your grounding, allow it to simply drain away.
Your grounding belongs to you and you can create it in any form you like.
Change your grounding into a waterfall, flowing and cascading from your first chakra down through all of physical reality to the center of the earth.
Experience this, release and relax, breathe. Take your time.
Next change your grounding into a supple and strong root of a tree, allowing it to grow from your first chakra to the center of the earth.
Notice how this changes your experience. Breathe. Enjoy.
Now shift your grounding so that it is a laser beam of light, shining though everything straight down to the center of the earth.
How does this feel? Be with this for a moment or two. (Remember you can use any of these groundings at any time, they are simply different ways to experience this connection.)
Now change your grounding once again. This time create you own grounding flowing from your first chakra to the center of the earth. It can be any one of the three you used before, or something completely unique, it's up to you. This is your very own grounding.
Breathe, relax, and experience.
Use your breath and release down your grounding cord, any tension, distractions, or discomfort. Notice how you feel as you do this.
Be still, as you ground and relax. If you have questions this is the time to ask and listen for the answers. Or simply allow yourself to be.
When you are done, open your eyes, bend forward and touch your hands to the floor, as you relax your neck, and release any built up energy around the head and shoulders into the earth. Slowly sit back up. If you journal this would be a great time to record your experience. If not, then you're ready to go on to the rest of your day or evening.
Exercise:Grounding begins in the body. Try this: Tighten up your chest, clench your muscles, and think about a situation that scares you. Notice what fear and panic feel like. Then relax. Loosen your muscles, take some deep breaths that flow down into your belly. Pay special attention to your jaw and the base of your spine. Notice what feels different. Already you are starting to ground.
Keep your eyes open. We often lead closed-eye meditations for grounding, but when the altar catches on fire at the Brigid ritual, you don't want to close your eyes--you want to be able to quickly center and react calmly and intelligently.
Notice the soles of your feet, how they make contact with the ground. In a tense situation, just focusing on that contact may be enough to bring you back to a more grounded state.
Feel roots of energy push down from your feet through the earth below you. Like a tree, you can send things down through those roots and draw things up. With a breath, release any energies you don't want to carry--like panic! With another breath, feel how you can draw on the immensely powerful nurturing energies of the earth.
Imagine the energy rising just as water rises up through a tree's root system. Bring it up through your feet and legs and into the base of your spine, consciously relaxing any tense muscles. Again, this is more than a metaphor--it's reinforcing the natural energy flow of the body.
Bring the energy up your spine, paying special attention to your belly, solar plexus, and heart. Let it branch out through your arms and hands, and rise up through your throat and out the top of your head, just like a tree's branches reach up to the sky. Then feel those branches curve back down to reach the earth so that they surround you, creating a filter of protection. Just as a tree draws in energy through its leaves, you can pull in the sun's energy, or the moon, stars, or night sky, through that filter.
This is the basic grounding we use for ritual, and it can grow more elaborate. You can visualize all the different layers beneath the earth, of soil, rock, water, and fire. You can link the images to the seasons, to layers of history and ancestry. You can even do a geologically correct grounding, unique to your area. You can choose some metaphor other than a tree. Many psychics use a simple visualization of a grounding cord. Some people prefer a tail. But whatever you do, the point is to create your energetic connection to the earth and then to run that energy through your body, following the natural lines of energy flow. Then draw in the solar and sky energies and link them to the energies of the earth.
With practice, you can do this quickly, with a simple breath. But don't stop here. Remember, your eyes are open. Notice what's going on around you. Be aware of all your senses: what you hear, what you feel on your skin, what you smell and taste. Practice moving while grounded. Pick up one foot, then another. Feel those roots stretch; imagine they grip the ground and melt into it with each step. Move around the room, head up, eyes open and looking around you (not at your feet!). Feel how your body moves when you are grounded and breathing deep. Then come back to stillness and notice what changes.
Set a time each day to practice grounding--perhaps when you first wake up and step out of bed. But also practice grounding throughout the day, when you walk through the park on your lunch hour, while you wait for the bus, when you walk your dog. Notice how it feels to ground in different situations--in the midst of the city, in nature, at home. Learn to ground anywhere--because you may need your grounding even more in the noisy subway than in the quiet woods.
Remember, magic is not just for moonlit nights and secluded, sacred temples. Our magical practice gives us the tools we need to live more effectively in every moment and to ground our spirituality in everyday life.