What Does It Mean to Stay Grounded?

With so many things fighting for your attention each day, do you ever feel like you are being pulled in many directions at once?

When the constant stimulation of daily life gets to be a little much, the feeling of ‘flying off the handle’ or ‘losing a grip’ can be a good indication of falling out of balance — this is something that every human being can attest to experiencing at some point.

When we encounter a tough challenge or an emotionally charged circumstance where things become too heavy on the mind, being grounded is what keeps us firmly rooted within ourselves and in reality.

To be grounded is the ability to maintain balance, stability, and presence of mind, no matter what is happening around you.

When your external world is causing you stress, it can be felt in your body. This will eventually cause inner conflict, making it easy to assume that by changing your external world, everything will be better.

Although change may be necessary in some cases, it is important to understand that we take ourselves with us wherever we go; internal stress and turmoil comes with us to the next place.

So What Does It Mean to Stay Grounded?

The mind loves to wander and get caught up in a world of illusion in a way that makes it easy to neglect what is happening in the present moment. But according to the ancient masters of philosophy and meditation, life is meant to be experienced moment by moment.

Staying grounded is how we stay centered and connected to our environment.

When we lose our center, we get swept away and drift off into a fantasy world — getting lost in negative and distracting thought patterns. Being grounded is the opposite of being distracted. This is where we are able to experience life with clarity, control, energy, flexibility, and peace.

Within this state of mind, we are in touch and very aware of what is going on around us without feeling the need to getaway.

Triggers

When you find yourself around someone, maybe at the workplace or within the family who always manages to bring drama and negative energy to the environment, do you find yourself getting sucked in? Maybe these types of people trigger frustration, anger, or anxiety.

These triggers can come from anywhere in your external world — traffic jams, lineups, relationships, finances, work, etc. These situations that make us feel anxious or unstable are often responsible for stealing our energy. Being grounded allows us to preserve our energy instead of giving it all away.

The Grounding Energy

In yogic traditions, the energy that corresponds to our connection and grounding to the earth is cultivated through the root chakra. This first energy center – located at the base of the spine – is where our body is connected to the universal source of life-sustaining energy.

This represents a link to the earth through the natural force of gravity and is also associated with basic survival,  strength, health, money, vitality, and groundedness.

When we lose energy in the root chakra, we feel unstable and insecure with our surroundings or situation.

A healthy root chakra means a strong connection to our inner rooted self; which, in turn, provides us with a secure home to experience life from. Without a strong, rooted foundation, little can be accomplished and other aspects of our life can become weak and unsatisfied.

To stay connected with the body is to connect with the earth. The support of this grounding energy keeps us anchored deep into the roots of the soil and grounded in the reality of existence.  Having a strong foundation and healthy grounding energy, we are able to face what is in front of us with calmness and security.

Try This Powerful Grounding Exercise

Being grounded is no easy task, but is critical to realizing basic well-being and aliveness. Grounding is what connects us to our roots and gives us orientation as life’s events pass through – without getting pulled into the whirlwinds.

Grounding is just as much a mindset as it is physical energy that is harnessed in the body. This exercise is a great way to pull the mind back into the body and regain stability. This is a practice that can be used each day in order to remain in touch and stay grounded.

1. Take off your shoes and socks and intentionally feel your feet pressing into the ground. (If you can’t take your shoes off, just envision and feel your feet being pulled towards the ground)

2. With your eyes open, look around the room or your immediate surroundings and become aware of each detail – focusing in on one thing at a time. (Ex: What colour is the wall? What can you hear? What is on the table? How is the tree reacting to the subtle winds? Notice the bird in the sky and the smells in the air.)

3. Now close your eyes and feel your body, bringing the same awareness to the feeling of each part of your body, starting with the top of your head and working your way down to your toes.

Then, begin to sense the wholeness of your body and the energy flowing through, keeping you alive.  Spend a couple minutes just focusing in on what it feels like in your body to be alive without expecting anything.

4. Feel and become aware of your feet being pulled into the ground with the natural force of gravity.  Imagine your legs are tree trunks and your feet are roots extending into the ground. Notice that your body is able to move with the wind and turbulence, but you remain fully locked into the ground.

5. With this grounded energy, repeat to yourself – 10 times each – the following affirmations:

  • “I am in complete control of my reality and I am able to take action from a place of peace and vital energy.”
  • “I am strong and able to handle change.”

This is a very powerful exercise that can be used at any time and any place. The goal here is to create the intention within yourself to stay grounded.

When you feel yourself getting pulled into negative energy or a stressful situation you can simply begin the exercise, if only for a few moments. Becoming aware of your surroundings and feeling the body is all it takes to begin to regain some stability and boost energy.

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