greatdane
Loved reading these posts!
I ground and shield.
I ground and shield.
Really interested in other views on grounding
Glass Owl
One thing that has always helped me feel grounded is to sit down at the base of a tree with my back and the back of head touching the tree. I remember doing that even when I was a little girl and it still works for me.
I recently discovered black tourmaline and I think it good for grounding as well.
I recently discovered black tourmaline and I think it good for grounding as well.
Barleywine
I had forgotten how well this works. Haven't done it for years, not since long before I knew what "grounding" is. I seem to recall feeling a kind of non-verbal communication passing through the skin/bark interface, and a sense of great peace. Wonder why I ever stopped doing it. Now I cut them down and stick them in the wood stove, so maybe they won't "talk" to me any more.
SunsetKay
Oh, I agree about the bare skin in the earth! I use to do my best to walk in our yard in my barefeet. Now,mind you--my parents would NEVER allow us to go barefoot--not even inside the house! We always had to have something on our feet--shoe wise and WITH socks--except when we wore our slippers. We weren't even allowed to wear flip flops! So, it wasn't easy for me to walk around outside in my barefeet at first.
My doctor at the time also recommended it to me--to help me keep my legs strong. She was of the thought (she left the practice, so I have a new doc now)-that you need to be as natural as possible whenever you can. Short of walking outside in the nude, walking barefoot is very powerful in many ways! Grounding yourself to the earth is only one gift it gives.
Oh, now I'm going to have to google the health benefits! Lol. We don't wear shoes in my family unless it's absolutely necessary (so basically, only in public), lol. I just thought we were a bunch of backwoods/bayou people. It would be nice to be able to say that I'm doing it for health reasons.
However, this past summer I have ceased doing this exercise in our farm yard, because a very poisonous snake was found next door in their back yard.
Can't say that I blame you there. I'd definitely have my boots on.
What an interesting idea!!
I also like to imagine roots growing out of the bottom of my feet and going into the ground, deep, deep into the ground like the roots of a big tree. My tree that I often imagine I am when I do this is the Mighty Oak Tree. Sometimes I will imagine other trees--but there is just something about the Oak tree for me that seems special.
It seems like I'm going to have to try visualizing, after all. It's been mentioned twice now. It's another one that seems like it would be very, very useful for those times when I can't immediately leave an area or go outside.
SunsetKay
I do the tree one too, and with a glowing core of light/strength, up through the soles of my feet, right up the middle through the long bones and the major organs, through neck and head - basically that joins all the chakras - continuing up through the crown. Awareness of the energy connecting above, and then above that... (though I know this isn't the grounding bit, this is the other direction
Sometimes the branches and twigs sprout and I end up covered in rustling young leaves.
Someone introduced me to a meditation where you continue on down and reach, eventually, a wide and bottomless lake down there, which is the source. Very powerful.
It is important to balance the two, not focus entirely on ground or on sky but to make sure you're connected fairly equally with both. It is ok to do one at a time, but over a week or so, you can lose touch with the "other end" as it were and then over-grounded can lead to depression, while over-airy can leave you spinning off in a stressy fluster or else dreamy, head in the clouds, either way not able to get on with things very well.
Another lovely visualisation is of the land, the ground, the hills... as Mother. You sink into them (I do this one lying down) and she embraces you. It is so calming and strengthening. She's warm, and soft in a solid way, you feel absolutely safe and peaceful. After that the rest of the world, I mean everyday life, is back to being pretty small compared with the universe. This one's good if you have trouble getting to sleep, too.
Generally, though, I try to do little bits of grounding whenever I've got distracted and find myself wasting time, or get angry with what's on the news, or being petty or "not myself" talking with someone. Just thinking about my soles on the ground, even if I'm upstairs and in shoes! It's hardest in a moving vehicle, but with a bit of focus can still be done if needs be. This is only to tide me over, of course, not instead of properly giving it attention.
Stamping, forcefully, gets the energy flowing "harder" and helps when it's difficult to make that connection. Your feet really start to tell you that this is the bloomin' ground down there!
In a parenting book I remember a tip for staying in control when embroiled in a row - in control of yourself, not controlling the other person! Grab a wall or doorpost or the stair rail, anything, even the back of a chair but something that can't move is better, and feel it making you steady, and think about your feet firmly on the floor. Say out loud that you're doing this and why. It helps settle things when there's too much fire and air in the room. (When I was reading this kind of parenting book I didn't know the term 'grounding'!)
I loved reading this! Such peaceful imagery, just reading it helps me feel quiet.
And funny thing about the stamping, there are certain workings that I do that actually require you to stamp your bare feet onto the ground to "ground your will". It would never have occurred to me to try it for those days when it's difficult to ground myself. Brilliant!
SunsetKay
Shielding myself is yet another thing that would not have occurred to me. I'm loving reading all of these.
SunsetKay
This is one of the most beautiful feelings. You can feel the peace flowing into you from the heart of the tree. I do this too (boy, grounding is waaaay more than I ever thought it was). I put my palms and my forehead against the bark. I'm learning so much from reading all of these!
SunsetKay
YES!!! That's EXACTLY the feeling!
They'll still talk to you. Lol. They know you need to be warm. I cut up some felled trees for the woodburner about two weeks ago. My last time "talking" to a tree was last night.
celticnoodle
T.Y. Yes, I can't recall where I was taught to do this, but the imagining I'm an oak tree was something that just came to me one morning when I was doing this. Its really good, as I feel myself straightening my spine and standing tall. oh yes! so true! and I love the part where you are sprouting branches and twigs and covered up in leaves--as I also imagine this myself, and small acorns too.I do the tree one too, and with a glowing core of light/strength, up through the soles of my feet, right up the middle through the long bones and the major organs, through neck and head - basically that joins all the chakras - continuing up through the crown. Awareness of the energy connecting above, and then above that... (though I know this isn't the grounding bit, this is the other direction
Sometimes the branches and twigs sprout and I end up covered in rustling young leaves.
Someone introduced me to a meditation where you continue on down and reach, eventually, a wide and bottomless lake down there, which is the source. Very powerful.
I always loved to gather and play with the acorns when I was a child. I was also advised to imagine the heavens pouring a white light over me that comes tumbling down over my head, shoulders, arms and trunk, and legs and feet. So that it is almost like being inside an egg. Sort of like what you mentioned above.
definitely important, yes!
Oh, now I'm going to have to google the health benefits! Lol. We don't wear shoes in my family unless it's absolutely necessary (so basically, only in public), lol. I just thought we were a bunch of backwoods/bayou people. It would be nice to be able to say that I'm doing it for health reasons.
Our babysitter for the now grown kid, when we were both working full time insisted on everyone in her home to take their shoes off at the door. So, our daughter grew up barefoot for the most part--indoors and out. She still prefers to be barefoot and is now enforcing the same rule. She, her hubby and the kids are always barefoot and don't even own a pair of slippers! They, like you, wear shoes only when absolutely necessary! In fact, when she drives, she often will still take her shoes off and drive barefoot. Visualization is a great tool to use for many different things, but to keep in with this thread, I'll only offer two threads to you in regards to being barefoot and keeping grounded--and the health benefits of this.
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4369/7-Health-Benefits-of-Going-Barefoot-Outside.html
and https://www.google.com/search?q=ear...l5.2093j0j7&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8
and then https://earthing.com/
the first link to the earthing search at google
I had this earthing pad and used it for years before passing it along to a friend who was in great need. I received it from the lovely Tarotlyn, who use to belong to A.T. years ago. She had this pad for her dog, and she also had one. It helped me a great deal, but then a friend of mine was in need and didn't have the funds to buy her own. So, I gifted it to her, always intending to buy myself another one, and I never got around to doing it.
My friend has many disabilities and has a hard time getting outside. She is indoors most of her time--and is sitting in a chair, behind a table where she works, often 10-12 hour days 5/days a week. So, this earthing pad is always under her work table and she loves it! She's had it now for about 4 years, I guess, and still uses it. Highly recommend it, especially if you are one who isn't able to get outside very much.
SunsetKay
I'm loving reading all these so very much. So many useful new ideas and great new perspectives on others.
So many useful new ideas and great new perspectives on others. 