Taken in meditation context, grounding simply means being completely aware of the present, being aware of our own body, aware of our physical sensations.
Because of our stressful way of living, our minds are out of focus, we feel scattered, unsettled, unable to pay attention to the little details that can enrich our everyday experiences. We are 'out there', not truly here.
It is important, however, to be grounded, not only because we are simply daydreaming our lives away, but also because we minimize the quality of our lives. Going to a meeting, having an important project to finalize, you need to be grounded, to really pay attention to what you're doing.
After a grounding meditation session, you will usually feel refreshed, strong and completely focused, alert and confident. This is different from other meditation techniques and types, which make you feel relaxed and dreamy after the session. There are several grounding meditations available, for example hugging a tree, however I will focus here on meditation visualization.
Ground yourself
Sit on your chair with the back erect against the back of the chair. Start by focusing on your breathing for a few seconds, until you feel calm and your breathing is nice and uniform. Now focus on your feet and imagine roots growing out from them, going downwards through the floor, deep into the earth. See how the roots are going further down, white roots against the dark of the earth, and feel how the roots are pulled deeper and deeper to the core of the earth. When the roots reached the core of the earth, release any negative energy through your body down to the sole of your feet, down to the roots, allowing them to go down to the core of the earth, where they are expelled.
Practice this for a few minutes, and feel this new energy entering your body, feel the healing energy enveloping you completely and re-energizing you. With each out breath the last few remnants of the negative energy are going down to be purified by the earth, and with each in breath, fresh, new, healing light reaches you to heal you and energise you.
When you are ready and fully energized, imagine your roots retracting, pulling back from the earth, back to the sole of your feet where they disappear until the next time.
Now slowly wiggle your toes, stretch your muscles and fully return to the now. You will now feel connected to the earth, confident and calm.
To learn more about grounding meditation:
Body Aware: Guided Meditations for Grounding & Rejuvenation by Mary Maddux and Richard Maddux
The CD contains three body-centered guided meditations with music designed to help you feel centered, grounded and anchored. The words and music will allow you to settle down to a calming and relaxing feeling. Mostly beneficial when you feel scattered and you need that grounding feeling I've been talking about in this article.
