When grounded, our consciousness is present in our body and our body is rooted to an awareness of the earth, our greater home. As children of the Earth, being grounded is our birthright and means that we are totally present in the now and entirely available to participate in the experience of life at every moment. As such, grounding is one of the most important contributing factors to success and happiness in this life. If our awareness is not all here, how well can our life be running?
The act of grounding literally connects us to the vast intelligence of the earth, a living organism of infinite organizing power. Because of that, we are naturally more relaxed and trusting and can maintain a sense of security no matter where we are - at home, on the street, in an airplane, on an ocean liner or in a foreign land. Because of the strong body connection that grounding ensures, our health can improve as we develop a relationship of respect for our body, taking care of it rather than taking it for granted. Our ability to enjoy the sensual pleasures of life is enhanced, too - smelling the spring jasmine, sampling a luscious peach, enjoying physical affection. Our overall awareness of what is going on around us is expanded. We notice the sky. We connect with the person. We feel the music. We engage with the chore. With a greater connection to life's natural flow, reduced effort is needed to make things happen and we accomplish more in less time. Our intuitive awareness expands, giving us the opportunity to access the inner wisdom of our natural guidance system or what is often referred to as our "higher self".
Is it not often the case that though our body is present, our awareness may not be? How often are we out there in front of ourselves daydreaming about what hasn't happened yet or behind ourselves wishing we could change something that happened yesterday or twenty years ago? Any number of things from the mundane to the monumental can make us lose our presence and grounding on a daily basis, throughout our lives. It could be anything from an earthquake, to a rude driver flipping you off on the freeway, to a rip-roarin' Saturday night party, to a job loss, to death, to a business deal gone south, to drugs and alcohol, to emotional trauma and on and on. Whatever it is that creates the dis-connect, it's always possible re-anchor and bring our consciousness back into the point of power - now - to create our lives in the present.
If we don't know we're ungrounded in the first place, how do we figure it out? To varying degrees, the following are some tell-tale indications. There's a feeling of general spacey-ness. We feel scattered. We forget things. We lose things. We are more fearful and don't feel safe. We're more accident-prone. We neglect, abuse or take our bodies for granted. We get sick more often. We avoid issues and don't take action. We get depressed. We're tired. We give up easily. It's important to note that without grounding, we are most likely operating unconsciously from programmed, conditioned behaviors. You've heard the old saying before: the lights are on but nobody's home. If our consciousness is somewhere else and we're operating on autopilot, we can't possibly be getting the best results in our lives.
So how do we get there? Better yet, how do we stay there? One of the most fundamental ways to maintain grounding is through regular physical exercise. As long as it's something we enjoy, the pleasure itself will double our benefit and keep us coming back for more, whether it's walking, running, surfing, yoga, working out at the gym, Tai Chi, Karate, belly dancing or tree climbing! Exercise also raises serotonin and endorphin levels. These are feel-good brain chemicals that automatically give one a physical, emotional and mental lift, which is an immediate reward that dramatically increases the desire to be present in the body.
Communion with nature is another direct way to create grounding. For the most part, we inhabit concrete cityscapes and sprawling suburban developments. We have lost our connection to the Earth and forgotten that the Earth is our primary home. In ancient times, the Earth herself was worshiped as the Creator/Diety, the Goddess/Mother, giver of life and all things. That original reverence has long been eclipsed by modern man's desire to control rather than cooperate with Nature, resulting in the deterioration of our earth environment. Not to appear simplistic but I believe the simple act of consciously grounding to the Earth serves an important twofold purpose: first, to give each of us a natural sense of security in this world; second, to heal the earth. If we connect with the Earth, we are acknowledging her in a loving way, which, in itself, becomes a reciprocal act of healing between us. Whether your connection is a trip to the beach, a walk in the woods, lounging in your backyard, or communing with the window box flowers in your city apartment, the earth connection is vital for you and for the planet.
There are some very simple and effective visualizations which can create a strong grounding connection for you, as well. You can try it right now. Sitting where you are, close your eyes. Take in several deep breaths. Become aware of your body from the head to the toes. Become aware of the earth beneath you. Take your time to create this awareness.
Now, from the bottom of your spine, create a cord of energy and send it all the way down to the center of the earth. Do it easily with no effort, just let it happen. You can visualize your grounding cord as pure energy or as a tree trunk with roots or whatever you like. Pour some golden light, a very high vibration of energy, all over your grounding cord to strengthen and clean it. Feel this energy as it travels down. Keep your grounding cord present - just say "my grounding chord is in present time" and it will be.
Stay with it until you can really feel the connection. Take ownership of your grounding cord. You created it and you can re-create it over and over again whenever you feel yourself losing the connection. Now, create grounding cords from the soles of your feet and send them to the center of the earth for even better grounding. Picture your bare feet standing right on the lush, green grass of the rich earth, growing roots themselves down into the earth.
Remember, one can never be too grounded. Grounding is an important awareness that over time, can become integrated as a transformative life skill. The more grounded we are, the more energy and power we will have coursing through us at every moment to create the lives we really want. As children of the earth, through regular exercise, communion with nature and simple visualizations, we can strengthen and restore our grounding anytime, anywhere, always.
0 comments:
Post a Comment