When the mundane turns diabolical, deceitful, and personal sovereignty is challenged, it can be tremendously difficult to ground ourselves and stay grounded. In this day and age, it’s not at all uncommon to stumble upon a newsfeed with disasters that are happening all over the world, especially in regions and areas that are close to home. Riots are breaking out instead of peaceful protests; war is a global concept that is regrettably probable, and believe it or not, we have entered into an era of spiritual warfare and self-preservation. Natural disasters are taking the world by literal storm, leaving thousands injured, homeless, and passed on. Following social stigmas to conform to the status quo when there are more important and valuable lessons to be learned. The biggest lesson of all is to stay grounded and experience the life you were granted.
The terms “grounding/grounded” are interchangeable by definition, but they require an understanding of one aspect: the present moment. In retrospect, we need to fulfill the capacity of regulation on all planes of our existence.
Sometimes, it’s no easy feat for some, but just like anything else, practice makes perfect. There are different versions, if I may say so, that are not entirely in context with the definition above. Grounding on a spiritual level is a tad bit different than taking deep breaths to calm the anxiety within you to be a sufficient human being. Taking the time to ground yourself mentally, physically, and spiritually is needed now more than ever, and I have been given this opportunity to guide you through it. Ignorance is bliss, but in our current reality, a watchful eye is imperative to expect and prepare. Those who are no strangers to grounding themselves have individual preferences regarding how, when, and where they ground. Everyone’s preference is determined individually, so there is no right and wrong way. Your spirit will know what to do and take the reins.
Mental Grounding
Mental grounding can be a difficult task, especially when emotions are running high. Sometimes, emotional outbursts can deplete the concentration it takes to begin grounding. Anger overcompensates, and depression distracts us, but there is always a way to extract ourselves from that moment and usher us back into ourselves. Mental and emotional grounding is how we overcome a great deal of obstacles throughout our lives and makes us stronger. While doing so, it creates a barrier between what ifs and what is, and in turn, we are able to slip into a grounded state when we need it the most. Not only are you grounding mentally and emotionally, but physically, our bodies will follow suit, wreaking the benefits for our mental well-being.
Tips & Techniques
- Focus on breathing –This is a recommended technique for everyday use, especially when dealing with anxieties, irritants, and just getting through life. Biologically, focusing on your breathing helps slow down your nervous system, thereby maintaining your body and brain. Mentally, your attention is focused on the breath itself, which helps stop racing thoughts and will help you reach a more meditative state. One of my personal favorite breathing techniques is a series of breaths on oppositional second counts. Inhale deeply for 4 seconds and exhale for 5 seconds. (This is my go-to technique to put myself into a trance-like state whenever I meditate.)
- Visualization – This can be interchangeable with meditating. Visualize what your own sacred and special place would look like. A place where you dream of being just to experience life and live with no worries and delegations.Visualize every detail you can and feel yourself in the moment you’re in your safe space. Is it a beach? Is it a beautiful waterfall in the mountains?
- Journaling – as mundane as it seems, it’s actually quite beneficial to those whose brains are always scattered and justcannot quiet down. It’s an open “portal” to do a diligent brain dump and express yourself and your feelings at the moment to regulate your reality. Everything is in your hands; you have a choice whether to write thoughtfully or just write what comes to your mind when it comes. Or both! Below is a tiny list of journal prompts that will thoughtfully put you in the moment:
- “What do I enjoy most about the life I am living? Is there anything I can actively change? How?”
- “What hobbies do I enjoy, and what does it do to my soul and spirit?”
- “With the good and the bad, how has it shaped me into who I am in this moment?”
- Hobbies – Something you absolutely love to do that frees your mind, and you enjoy being focused. The hobby that shuts my mind off and I can just be in the direct moment is, of course, gardening. Whatever lights your fire and you just enjoy doing without it being a chore or burden will certainly ground you and allow you to be in the moment.
- Self-care – I believe all the ladies will agree that self-care rituals are what gets them through a rough day or week.Doing your nails, giving yourself a facial, whatever you do, do! Try new things and experiment (with caution, of course) with new hair treatments or anything else you’ve been yearning to try. Pick certain days and times each week or whatever your wish is, and make it a date for just you. Don’t forget some fragrant candles or incense to deepen your senses and help you stay grounded.
Spiritual Grounding
Spiritual grounding may intertwine mentally and emotionally as well. The way we live our lives harmonizes our spiritual and religious beliefs and how we decipher how we do the things we do. How we manage our inner peace doesn’t define our belief systems and our yearning to live the most authentic paths we can. Staying grounded spiritually can truly open many doors for many people in the most profound of ways. Accessing a higher conciseness brings us to our personal power within our higher selves.
Tips & techniques:
- Meditation – As meditation can be a mental grounding technique, it is your mind’s portal to the spiritual access and world to you. A perfect meditation to do when you are trying to ground yourself entirely spiritually is balancing and charging your chakras. If you don’t know how or you’re finding difficulties, there are many valuable meditations on YouTube that can help you develop a stronger bond with yourself and your chakras.
- Earth Charging – This is what I like to call what others do call ‘grounding.’ Barefoot walking on Earth. As simple as that! The frequencies that flow through you from the Earth will root you as the Earth charges you.
- Invocation –Whichever spiritual path you follow, this is something you already do, whether it be spells, incantation, prayer, etc. Tuning in and invoking guidance and strength when the world gets chaotic is grounding into yourself and the universe and spiritual plane. Depending on your religious path, this is a sure thing to keep you grounded.
- Divination- If you are one who loves to practice divination, this is a true one for you. Finding guidance within the universe helps you to be one and in the moment. For example, tarot can give you a great deal of insight that may root you and feel grounded.
- Connect with nature – This is one of my utmost favorites in grounding and can, in fact, be opposed to the definition of grounding. Not only does connecting with nature assist in grounding spiritually, but it does, in fact, help ground physically, physiologically, and mentally. Standing barefoot on the Earth, like I’ve mentioned in #2, but also sitting, laying, and just enjoying the sound of the birds and the breeze of the wind. Hearing the sounds nature provides you can make all the difference.
There are obvious things to do to ground yourself, like exercise, a healthy diet, and yoga (my favorite), so whichever you prefer, do it! There is never a right or wrong way to ground yourself because becoming grounded permeates within you; no one else can do it for you. When it comes to grounding mentally and spiritually, what you can do can be interchangeable. You can work with spiritual grounding techniques for mental grounding and vice versa; whatever you feel is making you more connected to your life and this earth.
Grounding is easy compared to staying grounded because the world doesn’t stop, and we keep going on with our lives. It’s easier to jump into negative thinking and actions than to explain to ourselves why and how we can be thinking more positively. Sometimes, it’s rather difficult to find time to ground in the first place with long work hours, families going around everyone else’s schedules, and things just don’t go as planned. Finding the time to ground yourself can be just as difficult as staying grounded in our everyday lives. That’s okay! Just remind yourself to “stop and smell the roses!”
Staying Grounded
It can be onerous to ground ourselves in the first place. When I mention staying grounded, I don’t mean to travel to Indonesia and live amongst the Buddhists of the world. It is a lot easier said than done because life is not just one plane of existence; it has many ups and downs, wins and failures, grief and sadness, and so on and so forth. In this millennium, it’s almost impossible to be in a constant state of stability and connection. Sometimes, we just need a little boost of confidence to create the best versions of ourselves we can be. This includes our higher selves.
Tips & Tricks:
- Plan ahead – If you are a planner person, this is perfect for you. Picking and choosing days when you know you will have adequate time to do some grounding techniques may help you find that little window where you can root yourself and be in the present moment.
- Journaling – Keep a journal of grounding techniques you have tried and/or want to try and keep track of how you felt during the grounding session. Whenever you have zero motivation or you barely have the time, read what you have written during previous grounding sessions. This will remind you of the importance of motivating yourself to make the time.
- Set alarms – If you know you will have free time during certain days or times of the day, set the alarm! Add a note with it to remind yourself this is your grounding time. When you do have free time, it is easy to get distracted with things you want to do or things you could be doing.
- Create a safe space – a place where you always want to be because you are the most cool, calm, and collected. May it be a room or a corner of one, decorate it, give it the type of aesthetic your soul can relax and rest in. You don’t have to spend a lot of money if you don’t want to, dress the space in flowers you picked or a candle you made. Add a throw and some pillows to perch up against. It is all in what your preference is.
- Special effects – This is personally my favorite way of remembering to stay grounded or when I need it in a specific moment. Any jewelry that may have meaning to you can be used in situations where you need a moment to ground. Crystals that have been charged and cleansed as a pendant or a talisman, you can wear it on you as a necklace or keep it in your pocket. Give it a clutch when you feel the need to be grounded or as a reminder to be grounded. Subconsciously, when you need to ground, and you don’t realize it, you will automatically grab at whatever special effect you desire. Even a little sachet or vial full of herbs and crystal chips if you prefer.
- Stay off your phone! This may be a harder concept and habit to learn because electronics and technology are rare to get around. Social media and the news are filled with dramatics and derogatory actions that may hinder you from staying grounded. Be conscientious of when you need a break from technology, and give yourself times throughout the day when the phone is away and the news is turned off. Not only are you helping yourself to stay grounded, but you won’t believe how many things you can get done that you’ve been wanting to do for a long time!
Frequencies do exist, and grounding emits specific frequencies to mitigate the ill effects of today’s world. I can go on and on about the magic of frequencies, but maybe another time! These frequencies that flow in us and around us are rooted in the Earth, the atmosphere, and the universe, making, making us whole and one with our lives.
It can be challenging to develop the habit of mindfully grounding for those who have never done it before. It can feel silly at times,, especially when you try different techniques to find what suits you. Just keep doing it! Trust me, the more and more you practice grounding, the easier it will be.
Accessing stability within our highest selves paves the way for the lives we are meant to live, not by contract but by our own free will. As we live, we grow more wise to things that “could be” or “would be” better for the world and the Earth in which we reside. We cannot conquer by world domination but through world peace, a space for humanity to experience something remarkable in unison.