It is essential that we remain grounded (also known as being ‘earthed’), as otherwise we can easily become overwhelmed. Our thoughts can whir round and round and our heads become so full, it becomes difficult to focus or concentrate. Being grounded allows for any unhelpful or repetitive thoughts to drain away from us, leaving us with clarity and purpose. Most people would benefit from being more grounded – sadly when we are ungrounded we are not likely to realise it as we are too focused on what is going on in our head.
How do you know if you are ungrounded?
The list below provides most of the common symptoms of feeling ungrounded.
- Feeling ‘floaty’
- Finding it hard to concentrate
- Not being in the present moment – the ‘now’
- Being overly caught up in thoughts or daydreams
- Being forgetful
- Being clumsy or accident prone
- Losing track of time (we’ve all driven home and not known how we got there)
- Being easily distracted
- Feeling drained
- Not feeling connected to your body, your intuition or your emotions
- Not feeling able to move forward
- Unable to make decisions
- Not feeling connected to the world
- Losing track of things, or of conversations
Of course it is important to remember that some of the conditions above can indicate problems with mental or physical health, or dietary issues, so do go to see your doctor if you are concerned, as well as trying to become more grounded).
I have worked worldwide as a shamanic healer since 2004 and have observed that some people are naturally grounded while others have to make a concerted effort to be – and remain – grounded and centred (centred means being in the body). But even a naturally grounded person can become ungrounded. The following list provides some examples of the things that can unground us.
Things that can cause us to become ungrounded
- Physical Accident (please refer to my article on soul loss and soul retrieval)
- Emotional Trauma (please refer to my article on soul loss and soul retrieval)
- Childhood shock or emotional trauma (please refer to my article on soul loss and soul retrieval)
- Shock
- Having an operation
- Fear
- Flying (we literally become ungrounded!)
- Too much thinking
- Not being present – in the ‘now’
- Excessive worry
- Anxiety (please refer to my article on depression)
- Depression (please refer to my article on depression)
- Sleep problems (please refer to my article on healing sleep problems)
- Watching horror movies
- Witnessing something horrible
- Too much daydreaming
- Bad nightmares
- Meditation (it is important to ground fully after meditation)
- Working as a psychic or a healer
- Spiritual Development
- Discordant planetary activity
- Solar activity
- Leaving the country of our birth – our roots
- Childhood abuse (please refer to my posts on shamanic healing and soul retrieval if you have been affected by childhood abuse)
- Dealing with loss or grief
- Too much TV or computer time
- Believing the world is a scary place
- Unhealed emotions (please refer to my posts on shamanic healing and soul retrieval)
- Very stressful lives
- Being overly caught up in the past
- Prolonged sleep problems
Being grounded can help us to feel less anxious, as our bodies are calmer when we are connected to the Earth – and ourselves – as grounding soothes our nervous system. As you may have read in my blog post on healing sleeping problems people who are ungrounded often have difficulty sleeping. This is because when you are grounded – when ‘you’ are in your body and that body is connect to the Earth – it makes the body feel relaxed, secure and happy enough to allow you to sleep. Being ungrounded makes the body feel anxious and therefore it will try to avoid sleep as we often come out of our body at night time.
Energies from the Earth also feed us and heal our physical and energy bodies (our ‘auras’), helping us to feel alive, awake and energised and of course helping us to remain healthy.
If you are not sure what being grounded is supposed to feel like, do the exercise below and that is how you should feel all the time! I find this exercise works best, but there are other ways to ground. Here are my top tips!
How can I ground myself? Top tips
- Hugging a tree (yes, really! Press the whole front of your body against the trunk)
- Running the wrists under cold water
- Switching the shower to cold for a short blast (not for the faint hearted!)
- Eating heavy protein based foods such as red meat
- Eating root vegetables such as carrots and parsnips
- Imagining you are a tree and you are growing roots out of your feet which go deep into the Earth
- Exercise!!
- Dancing
- Tai Chi and Qi Kung
- Walking (but stay present! i.e., keep your mind on the present moment)
- Standing barefoot or lying on the Earth (be careful in cold weather! And don’t use a rubber backed picnic blanket as this blocks the energies)
- Gardening
- Stomping your feet repetitively and scrunching up your toes
- Sitting on a rock or lying on a pebble beach
- Drumming
- Smudging with sage
- Using a grounding mat to put your feet on while at your desk
- Using a grounding sheet to sleep on
- Holding or wearing grounding crystals (such as Haematite, Apache Tears, Black Obsidian, Black Tourmaline and Lodestone)
- Doing a walking meditation (see below)
- Doing the best grounding exercise (see below)
One of the ways that I ground is by doing a walking meditation – when I am walking in my local park I focus on the soles of my feet, which brings my energy and attention deep into my body and I become focused on the present moment – the ‘now’ – rather than focusing on things that have happened in the past or things which may or may not happen in the future. This helps my body to ground and to also clear my mind, which makes me feel happier and more peaceful. I also regularly do the excellent grounding exercise below, either on waking, before bed, or whenever I am feeling ungrounded.
It is one thing being grounded in our bodies (i.e., connected to the Earth) but we also need to invite our souls or spirit selves into our bodies! This is called being ‘centred.’ I know it sounds strange, but so many people exist in or even above their heads! This disconnects us from our body, our intuition and the guidance of our heart, making it very difficult for us to make decisions. So once you have done the exercise below or any of the tips above and you are feeling more grounded, make a point of inviting ‘yourself’ – your spirit or soul – to fully enter and take up residence in your body. Imagine your spirit feet going into your physical feet and so on all the way up your body, filling it with your own being-ness. This will help you tremendously, on all levels.
So, what does being grounded and centered feels like?
The best way to find this out is to do the grounding exercise that is detailed below and then you will see! Other effects include –
- Feeling fully present
- Feeling fully aware and awake
- Feeling calm and relaxed
- Being focused
- Feeling clear minded – easy to make decisions
- Feeling connected to your body
- Feeling part of the world
- Feeling that it is easy for you to concentrate
- Feeling strong and solid, like an oak tree
- Feeling energised and alive
- Being calm in the mind
- Being at ease, sleeping well
Additionally, when we connect with the Earth directly, either by standing barefoot on the grass, gardening with bare hands in the soil, lying in the garden or on the beach, we release the build up of electromagnetic frequencies (EMF’s) from our bodies which arise from sitting in front of the TV, computer or from using our mobile phones!
So, I promised you the best grounding exercise and here it is. As I said, I normally do this upon waking, before bed, or whenever I am feeling ungrounded. You can do it anywhere – outside is great but inside your house is just as good. It helps if you can get someone to read this out to you until you have learnt to do it. I will also put the exercise up on YouTube for you.
The best grounding exercise
- Stand upright, with feet apart at shoulder width
- Take a couple of deep breaths and relax
- Imagine, about twelve feet above your head, that there is a glass orb with a spout filled with a heavy golden liquid (like golden syrup or runny honey)
- Slowly the orb tips, pouring a thick column of this heavy golden liquid down towards the crown of your head
- Slowly, the top of your head opens, allowing the heavy golden liquid in
- This slowly flows down through the centre of your head, through your neck and down through the centre of your body
- When it reaches your base chakra (at the base of your spine) it creates a small pool in your hip area
- Then the liquid flows from the pool in your hip area, sloooowwly down each leg and into each foot
- The soles of your feet open up and the heavy golden liquid flows out of each foot into the Earth in two columns, each converging deep in the Earth to meet each other
- Then bring your attention back up to the pool of heavy golden liquid at the base of your spine
- This pours out of the base of your spine in a column, which goes down between your legs, into the Earth and joins the other two columns to form a point
- All of the three columns now create one thick column of heavy golden light which now starts to bore its way even deeper into the Earth
- It pushes deep, deep, deeeeeep into the Earth, passing all the rocks and the tree roots
- It pushes on faster and faster, deeper still, through all the layers of different minerals in the Earth
- It goes deeper still, deeper and deeper, until the Earth starts to get warm as it nears the core of the Earth
- Finally, upon reaching the core of the Earth, the column of heavy golden light hooks itself around the core, anchoring you
- Stand for a while now and feel how it feels to be grounded and fully connected to the Earth!
- Breathe! And relax.
- Invite your whole Self – your spirit or soul into your body. Let it fully inhabit your physical being. Imagine your spirit feet going into your physical feet, and so on, working up your body in this way. Encourage it to reside in the physical body, let it know it is safe there. Focus on the present moment.
- Now you are grounded and centred!
How should I feel once I have done a grounding exercise?
When I do this exercise, I feel much shorter and also feel like my thighs are very big and heavy. My feet feel huge and flattened. I feel calm, relaxed, connected to the Earth and very strong.
How was it for you? I hope this helps you to ground and centre. This exercise has helped thousands of my clients over the years. Remember what it feels like to feel grounded and the effects of not being grounded and if you feel floaty and ungrounded, just quickly do the exercise or use any of the tips above. If you have done the exercise and don’t feel any different then please contact me and let me know. It might be that you have an energy block in your body or your feet which I can help you clear. Additionally, If you are struggling with any of the issues listed above, or if I can help you to clear up any unhealed trauma or emotion and help you return to wholeness, please contact me by completing the form below. Blessings to you!