Today’s prompt is brought to you by one of the Discord servers that I am a member of.  Just as a side note… the reason I do not link these Discord servers is because each server has their own rules about if you’re allowed to share them publicly and how, and it’s a pain in the ass to look it up for each one so I just don’t share them.

On to the question… “How do you ground?”

Okay, so first I think I need to do a quick explanation of what grounding and centering are.

Centering – Bringing in your energy “to center” (usually the solar plexus, gut, or chest.  When you are feeling chaotic and like everything is out of control, your energy is often zinging all over the place all crazy and wild. Centering is essentially the control of that energy and the “condensing of it” down to a calm, close ball. This assists greatly in calming down and is the base premise behind the “take a deep breath” when you’re feeling chaotic. It is also a necessary skill in energy work and spellcraft, because you have to make that energy you hold into something solid and manageable (as opposed to chaotic and frazzled) in order to utilize it in your workings.

Grounding –  Grounding is now giving that centered energy a steady foundation. Like the roots of a tree allow it to stay still and stand tall and strong without falling over, giving your centered energy a grounded base allows it to stay calm and steady even during surprise turbulence or chaotic surroundings.

The ways in which I personally ground come in a variety of different yet similar guises.

My most common method is through the touching of soil or connecting to soil in some manner.

I have houseplants all over my house, I work at a farm in the mornings, plants on my balcony, and am an avid hiker. I touch soil throughout my day every day and my connection to the earth element gives me grounding through that touch.

When I am upset, I often go tend to my plants on the balcony where I can get fresh air and a good dose of plants and soil at the same time.

The most powerful way in which I ground is nekkid in the woods. When I need a hard set grounding and re-balancing, I hike out into the rainforest and get nekkid and lie down on my back on the forest floor. I meditate there and spend time visualizing roots growing from every place my body touches the ground and tunneling deep into the earth, branching out and digging deeper as they spread wide under the soil and tangle with the roots of the trees. I then allow my energy to expand outward through my front and fill the air, stretch and expand with no “bubble” of space to contain it. (I then, of course, retract first one, then the other, when I’m done.)

When I need a quick grounding that goes beyond just a touch of soil, I do a similar meditation standing up, except because this is usually done in public or other spaces, of course I’m dressed, and the network of roots is not so extensive, nor is the stretch of my energy so expansive. In this style, it’s very similar to the “tree meditation” in that the roots grow from your feet, your body is the trunk, and the stretch of your energy is the branches and leaves above.

Mentioned above are my common methods of grounding, but there is one more method that I use on occasion.

When I am dealing with depression, I also spend time lying on my side in the bottom of the bathtub with the shower raining down on me, watching the water drops slide down the side of the tub’s wall.

Although there is an element of grounding to this particular practice, I would not consider this to be classified as grounding specifically. Rather, it is a form of meditation that feels like a balm upon the soul when I am feeling emotionally or spiritually overwhelmed.