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Food for thought

Grounding: 5 Steps to strengthen your foundation for life

By December 1, 2021January 5th, 2022No Comments

Grounding is a concept that can be difficult to understand. You have experienced moments of it but would not have labelled it as such. Do you remember a time when you came upon a beautiful scene in nature that took your breath away? Or that time you were so engrossed in a project that time just seemed to stand still. For that moment nothing else mattered or existed except you and that moment. You were in “flow” state. Everything was perfect just as it was. There was no judgement, no commentary in the mind, no limiting beliefs sabotaging your progress. Awareness of the outside world disappeared as you experienced and totally accepted this moment in all its perfection. For me this is what feeling grounded looks like and for the purpose of this article, this is the context I refer to.

Grounding orients us in time and space. When you are not grounded you get battered and bruised by life, confused by all the external stimuli coming at you. To help understand this concept, imagine a buoy in the ocean. You know instinctively when you see it that it is securely anchored to the ocean bed. No matter what the weather, it does not move. It is securely connected to the earth below and is bound to this position. Now imagine the buoy has broken away from its anchor on the sea bed. What a different story as it’s battered and bruised by the force of the winds, the rains and the storms. Without an anchor it drifts aimlessly on the ocean and has lost control of its center and purpose.

You are a victim to life and fear is your constant companion

This is exactly what living an ungrounded life looks like. You go through life aimlessly, being controlled by all those around you and your external environment, believing that you have no power to influence your destiny. Your life is dictated by the opinions of others and external circumstances seem to be the driving force behind your decisions and actions. You are a victim to life and fear is your constant companion. You feel insecure and unsafe most of the time. You come to the conclusion that you have nothing worthwhile to contribute and hand all your power over to negative experiences, toxic relationships and leave everything to chance. Why bother when you know how insignificant you are and nothing you do matters.

When you are grounded, you have a strong sense of Self, secure in the belief that you can handle anything life throws at you

In contrast when you are fully grounded in your life, and have a strong connection to your body, the earth and your true Self. Your life is not affected by the actions of others or by the wider environment within which you live. You have a strong sense of Self, secure in your own ability to handle whatever life throws at you. You have worked hard to determine the code you live your life by and are not affected by the opinion of others. You are a strong, confident, self-regulated individual who has a strong moral compass and will always come back to your own truth when faced with difficult situations. You do not need others to validate your right to be on this earth and you experience a sense of peace and joy in living. Your life has true meaning and purpose and everything you do feeds into those values you have created for yourself.

If grounding is something you already have mastered, amazing. However, if the image of the unconnected buoy resonates with your experience of life, take note. Totally accept your current reality and see it for what it is. You are the creator of your own destiny but it can only be built from your current reality.

Start the winds of change now in this moment and take your power back from others, from circumstances and from your past. Strengthen your connection to the earth and to your body. Grounding is the foundation for life. It helps to stop the struggle, the suffering and allows you to be here in this moment, totally relaxed and accepting of what is. In the Buddhist philosophy natural creative energy flows through all living things and once you can ground this energy into the present moment, you can create your life of purpose and wisdom.

Be here now

Grounding helps you to see things as they are rather than how you think they are. It takes you out of your head and makes you conscious of the emotions and feelings in your body. It takes you into the present moment, the most ideal place from which you create a better future. You stop suffering the mistakes of the past and worrying about the calamities of the future. You begin to trust in your own genius and stop needing the approval of others. When fear shows up you use it to fuel your journey rather than allow it to stop you in your tracks. You become a force of nature and now have this solid foundation from which to launch a life worth living, a life you can be proud of and one in which you leave a footprint for others to follow.

The question is how do you become grounded? What steps do you need to take to create this solid foundation and orient yourself for success? I have below 5 steps you can take today to ground your energy in this moment and strengthen your connection to your body and to Mother Earth.

1

Get out of your head and into your senses

Walking in nature is an excellent way to ground your energy. Use your senses and see the colours, images, animals, flowers, trees, birds and people all around you. Smell the scent of the forest, the ocean, the flora and the earth. Feel the strength of the trees and the coolness of the earth beneath your bare feet. Feel the sand, the water, the rocks and the grass. Sense the beauty all around you. Hear the sounds of the birds, the breeze, the animals and the trees. Close your eyes and just breathe in the fresh air, the pure perfection of life. Be still and be here now.
2

Movement

No matter where you are move your body. Every day for ten minutes or longer if possible, play your favourite music and dance. Feel the beat of the music pulsate through your body. Allow your body to move to its natural rhythm. Let yourself go and feel the joy of this moment.
3

Gratitude

Be grateful for life, for the breath and for the miracle that is this body. Interrupt fear, stress and anxiety with gratitude. Start a gratitude log. Record everything you are grateful for in your life and add 3 things daily from that day. A beautiful sunrise; a great conversation’ a lovely cup of coffee; All examples of the little wonders we experience everyday of our lives. Record them and savour them. It is the little things that build up over time to create an extraordinary life. Remember it’s not happiness that brings us gratitude, its gratitude that brings happiness.
4

Visioning

When you feel ungrounded and are facing into a stressful meeting, interview or conversation, imagine golden roots extending from the soles of your feet and anchoring you to the earth. Take 3 deep belly breaths and feel your courage and confidence rise. This takes you out of your head and into your body, into this moment. Now you can perform to your highest potential as you are present in this moment.
5

Meditation

Hit the reset button when you feel things getting out of hand and into overwhelm by stepping away from the chaos and practicing a five-minute meditation. Just sit quietly and focus on your breath. Resume your day with greater clarity and focus.

Take your first step today to strengthen your connection to your body

Practice these daily habits for seven days and notice the difference in your creativity, productivity, your emotions and your sense of wellbeing. This is the beginning of the new you so say goodbye to stagnation, anxiety, overwhelm and lack of focus. Take your first step today to strengthen your connection to your body. Step into your power, your potential, and begin to uncover the extraordinary truth that lies within.

With love & gratitude,
Pauline