Grounding and Centering

Energy plays an important role in everything we do. It is the power that animates the physical world, causing the sun to shine, our bodies to move, making trees and plants grow and flourish; and it is the force that flows within us, the primary source of our emotions, thoughts and spiritual life. When stress, injury, and negative feelings disrupt our flow of energy, our quality of life is diminished – even if we are not aware of it!

With careful practice and meditation, we can learn to sense the energies within ourselves, and bring them into balance so that we may embrace our highest good.

One of the easiest and most effective ways to balance physical and spiritual energies is a technique known as “grounding and centering.” Grounding links you to the healing energy of the Earth, bringing stability, calm, and awareness of the physical body and the world around you. Centering puts you in touch with your personal power, connecting your mental and spiritual bodies.

To begin, stand in a quiet place with minimal distractions. Your feet should be shoulder width apart and your knees slightly bent. Or, if you prefer, you can be seated with your feet planted firmly on the ground and your back straight.

Start by closing your eyes, and taking long, slow breaths. Inhale deeply, breathing through the nose, filling the stomach and the chest with air. Then, exhale through the nose, slowly releasing and contracting the stomach. Feel your body relax with each breath you take.

Next, bring your consciousness down to the soles of your feet, feeling their strength and firmness. Visualize tree-like roots extending from the soles of your feet. With each breath you take, these roots grow far and wide, sinking deep into the Earth, through the bedrock, and into the healing soils below. Imagine the negativity, illness and/or stress you feel seeping out of your body, draining from your head down to your toes, through your roots and into the Earth where it is harmlessly absorbed and dispersed. Take your time.

Now that the negativity is drained out, let the energies of the Earth replenish you. When you are ready, envision the Earth’s healing energy flowing up your roots and filling your body with light. Feel the loving warmth as the energy sinks into you, allow it to move and flow throughout your body.

Slowly raise your arms to the sky, and visualize the golden energy of the Universe flowing through your fingers, down your arms, and into your body. Feel the energies within you meld together as the healing energy of the Earth, the warmth of universal energy and your own energies mingle and become one. Take a nice, deep breath, allowing yourself to accept these energies into your heart.

When you are ready, lower your arms and feel the roots recede back into your feet. Take a few extra deep breaths, and open your eyes.

Grounding and centering heightens your sensitivity to dis-balanced energies within yourself and the world around you. Performing this meditation on a daily basis is a wonderfully simple way to commune with the Earth, while healing yourself with attentiveness and love.