What does being grounded mean to you?

•    The parent-imposed punishment of being restricted to the house
•    The earth wire on electrical circuits
•    Being well informed on a topic (well grounded)
•    That an aircraft is not allowed to fly

Has a lot of different connotations, doesn’t it? (And not all positive.)

People who are grounded are usually described as “down to earth”, stable, calm and centred.  By contrast, people who are not grounded may be forgetful, scatty, unbalanced, overly emotional, “hyped up” and illogical.

Is being grounded starting to sound like a good idea?

Physically, being grounded means to be in direct contact with the earth.  It means taking off your shoes and socks and walking barefoot – on a sandy beach, on the grass, across a creek bed, through the forest.

In our modern western society we are separated from nature.  Most of us live and work in cities. If we are lucky enough to have a view – even just the sight of the ocean or mountains or trees can inspire and refresh us.  But still the connection is not there – direct contact with nature has a unique physical effect on our bodies that cannot be replicated in any other way.

Everything is energy, right?  The earth emits an energy that literally recharges us.  It also serves as a discharge point for our body, draining away excess energy (stress).  This is a really fascinating topic.  If you are interested in looking at the research about physical grounding, go to http://www.earthinginstitute.net/index.php/research.  There is also a book on the topic:   Earthing: The Most Important Health Discovery Ever?  By Clinton Ober, Stephen T. Sinatra and Martin Zucker.

But how does grounding help us connect to our higher purpose?  Grounding, earthing, making the physical connection to nature actually has an effect on our spirit as well as our body.  It brings a sense of oneness with the rest of nature and knowledge deep within our soul that we are not alone in the universe, that there is indeed a higher power that we can connect to.

I am not talking about some kind of religious experience here.  I personally have a relationship with Jesus Christ, so my higher power is very real to me.  However it does not matter what your religious beliefs are, or even if they are non existent.  This sense of connection to some higher power is universal and indiscriminate.  Everyone feels it and knows it intuitively, especially when they take time out to connect to nature via grounding.   People give it different names (God, the universe, mother nature).  There is a spiritual side to each of us, whether we acknowledge it or not.  Getting grounded opens up this spiritual part of us and connects us into our higher power.  Here are some of the benefits you may experience:

1. Being grounded quiets the inner dialogue
2. It brings us into the present moment – so much of the time we are mentally either in the past or the future.
3. This brings us a sense of peace, calm, stillness.
4. It gives a feeling of harmony, balance and alignment.
5. Your mind becomes sharp, clear and focused.
6. With less mental noise, you are much better able to “catch” inspired thoughts.
7. A realisation that we are unique and that there is a purpose to us being on this earth.
8. A knowing that we fit into the universal picture or pattern.
9. There is a flow of energy through our body, with stress and negative energy flowing out down through the ground and an inwards flow of creativity, inspiration, hope and purpose from above.
10. In some way, grounding seems to bring out the best in us.  Love, strength of spirit, determination, all flow from the connection.

Here are some comments from others who have tried grounding:

“Earthing is like mainlining an ocean of pure, unadulterated energy. Plugging into the endlessly sustainable ‘power plant’ called Earth has improved my psychological functioning and deepened my spiritual sense that ‘all is well’ no matter what’s happening in my world or in the world at large.” Cat Saunders, Ph.D., author of Dr. Cat’s Helping Handbook: A Compassionate Guide for Being Human

“I am more on task and focused with an incredible sense of wellness. I have more of a detached look on others and situations and still maintain a high level of compassion.” Gerard Bechard, a craniosacral therapist in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts

Reading about grounding is interesting, but results come from action. I challenge you to try grounding yourself daily.  Let me know what you experience.

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