I’m sure you could list off ten reasons why your life is busy right now. Me too, and the first two would be my twin sons. Yoga, meditation and nature help me maintain patience and a sense of who I am amidst toddlers and the-things-that-must-be-done.
One of the easiest ways to re-center yourself is to “get grounded.”
This involves literally connecting yourself to nature, also called earthing. Even if it’s for only ten seconds, science has shown that physical connection with the earth has myriad biological and emotional benefits.
I live in Canada, where I look out upon a beautiful blanket of snow. Not exactly conducive to getting barefoot, right? But I can stand near a tree, take off a glove, and touch the bark. It still connects my body and bioelectric currents to that of the planet.
Have you hugged a tree lately? Trees themselves have extraordinary vibrations of peace, wellbeing, and stillness. My kids are tree huggers because they see me do it so often. Am I a hippy? Well, only partly. I’m a lot of other things too, including a little bit redneck out here in the country. But I love trees and always have. They make me happy. What about you?
If you live in a place that’s warm, getting grounded could be as easy as slipping off your shoes outside. Again, only ten seconds can make a difference, but longer time brings increased benefits.
Some ways to get grounded and centered: Take a deep breath, touch the earth, hug a tree, put your hands in wild water, take a bath with salts and crystals, meditate (more on this below), do yoga.
Coming back to yourself in a balanced way doesn’t have to take long, but consistency counts. Can you give yourself six minutes each morning to meditate and set your daily intention? It’s a game changer for sure.
One meditation that helps you get grounded is this:
Grounding to the Earth: Connecting yourself energetically to the Earth is one of the most common and powerfully stabilizing practices that you find when working with subtle energy.
Here’s how to do it:
Sit or stand in alignment. (You can also do this lying down but it can be harder to visualize and feel).
Take a few deep breaths to center yourself.
Turn your awareness to the root chakra at the base of your spine. (You can also include the chakras in the bottoms of your feet).
From your root chakra (and possibly foot chakras) extend an energetic connection down into the Earth. A good way is to think of it as a cord of light-your grounding cord.
Send it deep, straight down, way down into the very center of the Earth.
Imagine your grounding connection anchor firmly into the core of the Earth, wrapping around an illuminated crystal or anchored in a pool of light.
Then, from that limitless source of pure, loving energy, drink light up from the center of the planet into your root chakra(s), up through your central body and out through the crown of your head. You can continue with the Pillar of Light visualization that follows, or simply use the grounding cord.
Feel your whole being fill up with light.
Feel yourself grounded, supported, nurtured, and clear: connected to the Earth.