Tips for Grounding
It’s one of the first things I have my clients add to their routine. And that’s because it’s an essential part of balancing your energy and opening yourself to a more aligned purpose.
Nearly every ancient culture had a reverence to the Earth. The Greeks referred to her as Goddess Gaia. The Baltics had Zemes Mate. The Incas had PachaMama.
In many ways our modern society keeps us in sterilized environments that separate us from the pulse of the Earth. We live in high rise apartments and drive on paved roads. It’s possible for weeks to pass without our feet hitting real ground. We went from a species that carefully tended plants and animals, to a culture that rarely knows where their food came from.
The earth is a complex energetic force. Like a mother, it provides the building blocks of life, both in actual elemental components, such as carbon and oxygen, but in further, exceptional ways. She nurtures. She provides sustenance. And in our final bodily acts, she receives our bodies back to continue our physical cycle.
Grounding is a powerful practice that is both rooted in science and spirituality.
The Earth has a relatively stable negative charge, maintained in part by the Earth’s own magnetic field. Electrons are negatively charged subatomic particles that can move freely within conductive materials. Our body is a conductive material.
Our body is also full of molecules called free radicals. These are the source of most damage to cells and therefore disease. Free radicals are unstable, having unpaired electrons.
So, when we ground, electrons from the Earth conduct up into our bodies, add on the missing electron to the free radicals. This is a stabilizing force. It has been suggested that grounding can improve sleep, immune system modulation, and reduce inflammation (the root of most diseases).
On the opposite site of the same coin is the spirituality of grounding. You carry a spark of the divine within you. It’s that beautiful life force that animates us all. The Earth is absolutely teeming with this divinity. Depending on your spiritual beliefs, this can mean different things, but the reality of grounding is reconnecting with source.
Let’s take a look at a basic grounding practice. You do not need expensive classes or aids. Grounding is a birthright as a human being on the Earth. Developing a constant, loving relationship with the Earth can have profound impacts on your life. As your practice grows, so will your connection.
Simple Grounding Steps:
1. Make Contact with the Earth
Begin by finding a place where you can make contact with the earth. I recommend sitting and removing your shoes, but you can connect while standing.
2. Connect with your Breath.
Close your eyes and shift your focus onto your breathing. Create awareness of your breath filling your lungs. Be aware of your belly rising and falling with the inhale and exhale of breath. Allow yourself to audibly sigh as you exhale. This is cleansing and helps you to let go.
3. Grow Roots.
Once you feel centered, feel the connection of your body with the ground below you. Imagine that you have roots growing out from your body deep down in the earth.
4. Feel the Exchange
Start to focus on the energy coursing through your body. Release anything negative into the Earth, where it will cleanse the negativity away. Feel the Earth’s nourishing energy filling your body. Remain in this exchange for as long as you like.
5. Express Gratitude.
Take a moment to thank the Earth for all that it gives you. And don’t forget to thank yourself for taking time for this practice!
Grounding practices can become more involved as your practice grows, such as adding in intentions or mantras, but this basic grounding practice is an excellent jumping off point. Happy Grounding!
