Remember to ground yourself. You need to be grounded. Take time to ground yourself before starting.
Okay, but what exactly does that mean, and how do I do that? “Grounding” is another under-explained technique floating in cosmic space, and it can be confusing.
To me, grounding yourself is all about coming back to your core self, and placing that core self in physical reality. Its about being in the present. It’s about being unafraid of who you really are. Like most things, and like I always say, it’s about you.
You can always tell you need to be grounded when you feel spacey, unable to focus, queasy, off-balance (literally or metaphorically), or overall, just off. The process of grounding oneself takes stress of your shoulders and transforms into manageable pieces. It encourages focus, and it encourages bringing yourself into everything you do – whether that’s mediating, preforming a ritual, or just submitting a report in the office.
And as with most things, the process for grounding yourself is completely different for everybody. But if you need help figuring out what will work for you, I’ve got some suggestions.
1. Fall back on your favorite activities.
Taking a long bath, reading an old book, making breakfast and focusing on each and every step, hiking, doing math problems, watching a favorite TV show. Even hobbies, like baking, sewing, singing, anything. Doing activities you love and always have show what you’re really interested in, and even what you value. They show you who you are. And doing these activities will immediately bring you back to yourself.
2. Count what you see, hear, smell, or feel.
It’s a common technique to list five things you can see, three things you can hear, two things you can touch, and one thing you smell when you’re feeling spacey. These can bring you back to the exact moment you’re in, and help you realize that you are actually there, in that moment. However, for some people – like me – I detaches them further from the moment. So do the same thing, but internally. Three things you can feel, and where you can feel them in your body. Two things you’re thinking. And make one subtle moment of your choice. It grounds yourself in your body, and reminds you that you can make choices.
Grounding yourself doesn’t have to be a big meditation; it can be simple things you integrate into your life daily. And it doesn’t have to be some confusing term. Grounding yourself is the process of coming back to yourself. It’s about being completely present wit that self. The process of doing so is all about you, and doing what makes you feel most like you.
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