Grounded

For many years, I have aspired to be a really grounded guy. I used to muse that this new age expression was a reference to electrical physics, because an electrical current prefers to follow a pathway that leads to the ground.  If an electrical cord is grounded, then it is unable to short-circuit.  If a person is grounded, they are unlikely to short-circuit.  Grounded people are safe to be around,

Another way to think about groundedness is the of the deep rootedness of certain trees. If the roots go deep enough into the ground, then the tree experiences longevity.  A stormy wind can bend a tree, but when the roots go deep, a tree that was bent will still be standing upright after the storm.  Sometimes a great windstorm can bring down trees unexpectedly. Arborists can predict with some accuracy which trees are at the most risk for falling during the next storm. Their estimate is based on the root system and how deep the roots go.   What do roots find when they burrow underground?  They find nutrients.  They find strength. There are rocks and soil, and perhaps there is even a connection to history itself.  Stability is proportionate to connection.

What does it mean to be "Ungrounded"?

What does it mean to be ungrounded?  Is it ungrounded to have a random lightness of being? Not exactly, In fact, a direct side effect of being grounded is having a sense of humor: there is freedom and creativity found when we are grounded. 

What about feeling fearful? Does the experience of fear mean that we are ungrounded? Not necessarily. Sometimes normal fear is a product of healthy awareness and the perception of real danger.  Healthy fear may be a product of awareness. Actually, the opposite of groundedness is unawareness. Ungroundedness fuels anxiety, and and even can generate a need to escape.

Meditative exercises for groundedness use our imagination in order to pull us into awareness.  These exercises might draw our attention to what is below us, and what is supporting us.  Other grounding exercises help us to draw attention to our breath.   That is because, if when we are aware of our breath, then we are in the present moment.  When we are aware of our breath, we notice as it enters and exits with each inhalation and exhalation. We can also notice other aspects of our physical body, like how the chair supports our weight and our posture. We can notice the physical feelings in our body at any moment.  Whenever we notice any aspects of our body, we are again, in the present moment.  We are aware.  It is possible to get outside of fear itself, and to notice it.  Being aware of fear is different than being fearful.  Momentary awareness and consciousness provides groundedness, instantly.

The Power of a grounding practice.

Groundedness is like a muscle that can be flexed, and with practice it will grow stronger.   Grounding exercises are often used often in psychedelic work because they help us process the emotions that can come up during our healing process.

I have been lucky enough to have had several mentors and therapists who helped me to learn and practice various grounding techniques.  They taught me to sit quietly on a daily basis, and to pay attention to my breath, and to use my imagination as I breathe. Sometimes, I might imagine that I am a tree, with roots descending deep into the earth. My roots reach deeply into the earth, and into my past, and where I came from.   When I allows myself these moments, I notice a kind of awareness that helps me.  When I feel grounded, no matter what kind of storm is blowing, I can stay deeply rooted. It is something that you cannot see.  I but it is something that I can feel.

A daily practice of quiet