What does an energetic being (that’s you!) do to stay balanced when they are constantly surrounded by and interacting with other energy? Get grounded! It’s not the grounded like your parents may have done to you when you were a kid and got in trouble! This grounding is about feeling anchored to the planet and the awareness of being in your physical body.

Why is grounding important? Everything is energy – you, other people, animals, plants, objects, environments, words, thoughts – everything. There is energy around us all the time and we are feeling it, whether we are aware of it or not. It can be felt on different levels, from one-on-one interactions to a global scale. With all of this energy going on around us (some of it is uplifting, some isn’t), it’s important to own our energetic boundaries so we feel in control of ourselves. Being grounded is a powerful and simple way to do that. It helps you to be more present in your body so you’re more aware of what’s going on around you, stay focused and feel connected to the earth (which helps you feel safe and secure).

I have gotten into the routine of grounding myself every morning before I start my day. I find that I am more in-tune with myself and less influenced by the energy around me, especially if it’s not uplifting. This helps when there’s some kind of drama happening (people arguing, someone is in a bad mood or something big is going on in the country or world). By being more aware, it’s easier to stay out of any drama and stay in my usual happy space. As I do spiritual or energy work with the high vibrations of Spirit, grounding becomes important. I can start to feel spacy or unfocused and grounding helps anchor me in this dimension, in this world, in this physical body. I’ve had readings with clients who do spiritual work and don’t ground themselves. When I tune into them, I feel like a balloon, swaying back and forth in the wind, which feels rather unsettling! Another benefit of grounding is that if you create grounding cords, they act as a garbage disposal. As you release energy to heal, it goes down your grounding cords to the core of Mother Earth, where it is recycled into a higher vibration!

It’s interesting, but the more you are grounded, the more you feel or notice when others around you aren’t. It’s not a bad thing or a judgment, just an awareness and validation of how important grounding is. It’s easy now for me to be around high-energy, jittery people without getting anxious. Or be with people who are going through some deeper emotions like sadness and not feel that sadness as my own.

There are a number of ways to help you ground so you are more present in your physical body. It’s all about experiencing things with your five senses. Some of them are:

· Being out in nature – gardening, walking barefoot in the grass, being in a park or woods, feeling the sunlight on you, etc.

· Feeling an emotion. Movies and books are great for this – a comedy to make you laugh or a drama that gets you crying.

· Walking around with stones in your pockets.

· Eating something that is heavy, like meat, potatoes or mac & cheese, and makes you feel comfortably full (I wonder if this is why we got the term ‘comfort food’?).

· Physical exercise (that includes sex!).

· Any kind of hobby or activity that requires you to focus and concentrate.

· Looking around where you are, taking in the sights, sounds and smells.

· Hand mudra – mudras are gestures in Buddhism and Hinduism. This is a simple way to ground if you’re in a meeting, conversation or activity that requires your attention. Make the gesture in the picture. You can do it with one or both hands. Continue pointing down for as long as you wish (a minute or two usually does the trick!).

· And my favorite of course is creating grounding cords!

Listen to the clip below and create a grounding cord!

Try grounding the next time you’re feeling a little out of it or unsettled. It’s a simple thing to do that helps you feel and function better! Plus, it’s empowering to realize you aren’t at the mercy of what’s energetically going on around you!