grounding meditation

What is Centering and Grounding?

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Although a lot of people look upon the terms “grounding” and “centering” as one in the same, in truth they are two very different things that are often used in conjunction together.

Centering, which is usually done first (although not always), is about drawing in your chaotic energy. Imagine your energy as a sphere that surrounds you. When you are feeling chaotic, distracted, scattered, etc, the particles of energy in this sphere are agitated and disorganized.

In centering, you are taking these particles of your energy and drawing them from the sphere and in closer to yourself, even into yourself. Drawing these energies in, they condense and calm, ceasing their agitation and disorganized behavior. This is called Centering. It is bringing your energy “to center” in order to “piece yourself together” and calm your energy into a state of solid stability.

Grounding is usually done after centering, although some people do them simultaneously (or only do one or another depending on what works for them). Grounding is taking that stability within you and connecting it to “an anchor”. There are lots of things you can use as an anchor, but in my case it is always very literally… the ground.

Grounding helps preserve the centering that has been done, giving the stability found in the centering a more solid and long-lasting quality. It can also be used to help release excess energy that can build up when one is dealing with things like nervousness or anxiety, or otherwise balance out one’s energies.

My go-to way of grounding is through rooting. This is when you allow yourself to connect through your feet (or other part of your body touching the ground) and imagine your energy creating roots that dig down into the earth and spread beneath you. These energy roots create an anchor that helps cement stability in place, and allows a give-and-take of energy with the earth to level out any excess or depletion taking place.

I center and ground many, many times a day. It is a habit that takes a few second at a time, or can take a few minutes if done consciously and with intention for a stronger effect.

In spellcraft, these techniques are especially important as they are used to help condense and prepare your energy for use and direction. Casting a spell without centering and grounding would be like shooting an arrow out of a bow with the feathers loose. The energy (arrow) may get where its going, but it sheds a good deal of energy along the way (the feathers) making the spell less effective,

By centering and grounding first, you are essentially securing those feathers to the arrow (creating fletching) so that when the arrow flies, there is no loss of energy along the way and the arrow’s accuracy is greatly increased. Thus, your intention and energy in the spell is not wasted and flies true as well.

This is why you will find in the large majority of witchcrafting communities, when people ask why a spell didn’t work or why it went awry, the first question usually posed by those with experience is “Did you center and ground first?”

Centering and Grounding

/ Twist the Leaf / 2 Comments

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?”

soil

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.

treeroots

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.

drops

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.

Is It Okay…?

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

This week’s question from the Pagan Perspective YouTube channel is about the questions people ask as they are becoming acclimated to a new belief system and/or faith.

Topic for the Week of 2/10:  from Jenni B – “Is It Okay…” in your path!
“The main questions I keep seeing in some of the groups I’m in are ‘is it ok…’ questions. ‘Is it ok to buy my own tarot deck?’ has been coming up a lot recently. ‘Is it ok to have a temporary altar?’ , ‘is it ok to keep my altar in a box/ cupboard /particular room?’. One that really boggled my brain recently was ‘is it ok to cut my own hair’ …??? It might be interesting to have the hosts answer the general question of ‘is it ok…?’ within their tradition. Most of the time people who ask these sort of questions in the groups will get the answers ‘yes if it works for you’ or ‘yes if it isn’t hurting anyone’. I don’t know if there is much difference between the answers people would get from the traditions represented on the channel but it seems to be a common anxiety out there for a lot of people. “

door

Is it okay to buy my own tarot deck?
Is it okay to not read reversals?
Is it okay to not cut the deck before pulling tarot cards?
Is it okay to not cleanse my cards?
 Is it okay to have a temporary altar?
Is it okay to keep my altar in a box/ cupboard /particular room?
Is it okay to not have an altar?
Is it okay to cut my own hair?
Is it okay that I don’t feel connected to deity?
Is it okay to include personal items in ritual?
Is it okay to not chant, sing, or rhyme in ritual?
Is it okay to cast spells without intricate, detailed rituals?
Is it okay to not use candles/incense/crystals/etc in ritual and/or spellwork?
Is it okay to use plastic/glass/etc in rituals and/or spellwork?

I’ve run into all of these questions and many more.   The thing is?   I don’t see faith as rigid.  That is whether that faith is in tarot, in religion, in spellwork, etc.  It’s not rigid.

Yes, certain rules of nature are rigid.  Certain ethics (for me) are rigid.

But none of the questions above fall into those categories.  In every single case?  In my belief system it would be completely up to the individual and what feels right for them.

There is a massive amount of autonomy in my faith.  It’s about what feels right to you. What fits you.  For me that includes a good deal of respect for the earth, the green, and nature’s creatures.  For me, this involves strict adherence to my the directives of both my moral compass and my intuition.   If my gut says no?  Then it’s no.  Period.  Whether I wish the answer was yes or not, whether I feel like it should be yes or not, whether other people insist it’s okay or not.  If my gut says no?  The answer is no.

This goes beyond how I practice, where I practice, or what I use in my practice.  It goes into everyday life and everyday choices, because if I can’t trust my intuition in ALL times and ALL things, it won’t speak as loudly when I need it to.

So my answer to “Is it’s okay… ?” is two fold.  Do you feel that it is a morally and ethically sound decision?   And does your gut say yes?  Or no?

If the answer is no?  Then maybe it’s time to examine things more closely and figure out why.  Or maybe just take it as “no” and look for a method/path/way of doing things that fits better for you.

Dedication Rituals

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This week’s question from the Pagan Perspective YouTube channel is about dedication rituals, and honestly?  I had to look that shit up. Seriously.

Topic for the Week of 2/3:  Did any of you do dedication rituals, and what are your experiences and thoughts on them?

fern

Okay, so what I understand is that this is a type of ritual where you dedicate yourself to a specific deity/deities or a specific religious path.   Sort of like a baptism, but in relation to pagan beliefs, deity, or paths.

The closest that I have come to something like this was early on after I’d left my parent’s home and was living on my own, and had decided to discard the use of deity in my practice.   That summer I hiked up into the Olympic National Park via the Hoh Rainforest access point.

Deep within the forests here, I had stripped free of my clothing at a spot deep within the threads of the liminal spaces there and laid myself down upon the forest floor among the cedars, ferns, and moss.  In the deep, damp embrace of the forest, draped in the shadows of dense vegetation, I closed my eyes and sought the earth.

Like a grounding exercise, I threaded my energy into the soil beneath me like roots digging into the earth.  I let my energy expand and flow, opening myself up to the energies around me and connecting myself fully to the environment I was in.

I sought what was real and true for me.  I sought direction and connection, and I found both.   I didn’t sleep, but I was there for a few hours, and once done I picked myself up and dressed, then set up camp for the night.

Is this a dedication ritual?  I’m not sure.  But it’s the closest I can think of to something that might qualify.

 

My Meditation Practice, and Some Advice for Beginners

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

This week’s question from the Pagan Perspective YouTube channel is about a whole bunch of things concerning the new year, including goals and what I’m currently into.  I pretty much answered all this last week, so today’s question is coming from one of the Discord servers I am a member of instead.

Topic for the Week of 1/27:  What are some ways in which you meditate? What are some techniques and tips you could give to beginners? What helps you stay focused?

dog

I personally do not use music during meditation most of the time because I am an aural synesthete, so music can become extremely distracting and I don’t consider the “riding of sound” to be a meditation in and of itself (although, of course it is… it’s just not for me personally).

I do a variety of meditation techniques including incorporating it into my yoga/physiotherapy, body scans, five senses scans, guided meditation (primarily using the Calm app), visualization techniques, etc. (Not all at once, obviously.) It really depends on how I feel each day as to which one I use.

For beginners to meditation…

1) Start small. Five minutes a day. Ten minutes a day. It doesn’t have to be some marathon session. Just set aside those five or ten minutes and do it.

2) EVERYONE struggles with focus. Don’t try so hard to block everything out. Instead, consider yourself like a window screen. The outside distractions flow through you like a breeze but do not move you.

3) Again, EVERYONE struggles with focus. Our minds wander. It’s natural. One of the main purposes of meditation is to exercise your mind’s ability to find calm. You do this not by staying in that focused and clam state 100% of the time, but by bringing yourself back to it each time you notice that your mind has strayed. By setting aside what your mind has wandered to and coming back to center, you are essentially doing a mental push-up.

4) Try different types of meditation. Everyone is different. Maybe chanting helps you focus… maybe not. Maybe visualization is your thing… or maybe not. Maybe you need a guided meditation to assist in your focus, or maybe the guided ones irk you. It’s completely individual, so don’t be afraid to experiment to find what feels best to you.

5) Not everyone focuses on their breath. It’s true that it’s very common as a focus, but it’s not for everyone. I personally find that I have better results focusing on my solar plexus and how I am feeling there (which is what I consider the seat of the soul and definitely have fluctuations concerning).

For my own focusing challenges… I personally struggle with “I should be doing this right now” and the constant fidget to get moving again.  I deal with this by reminding myself that this is TEN minutes.  That’s all it is.  Ten minutes out of the thousands and thousands of minutes in a day.   Ten minutes to set everything aside and take a break.  It might be the ONLY break I get all day, so enjoy it while it’s there in my grasp.

 

To Thine Own Self Be True

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s meditation was ten minutes and forty eight seconds, and focused on grounding, which is the practice of centering yourself in order to create a space and sense of stability, whether this is during a time of anxiety, ritual, meditation, or just in every day life. The method that the guided meditation teaches to do this involves the practice of feeling your feet on the ground, and tuning into the solid earth under your feet.

Although this is a good way to begin a grounding, it’s pretty impossible for me to do during my meditation as I am on my back with my feet propped up in a piriformis stretch. Therefore, my feet are not anywhere near the ground.

So, instead I chose to hold one of my larger labradorite palm stones and focus my grounding upon the stone instead of upon my feet.

Today’s draw is the ninth card in the Major Arcana, the Hermit. As with all Major Arcana cards, this card is more about the “bigger picture” and one’s spiritual journey than any one physical or mental or emotional aspect along the way. The Hermit conveys a message that has to do with self discovery, taking time to yourself, and the journeys in your life that you take on your own.

The message in the appearance of the Hermit in today’s draw is that it is all about individuality and thinking for yourself. It’s important to focus on knowing thyself, and sustaining a separation between the opinions and beliefs of others, and one’s own personal beliefs and moral compass.

There is a difference between learning new things, and becoming a sheep. Individuality is important and the Hermit coming for a visit is a reminder to keep in mind just how unique and individual I am… and that we all are.

In my return to my spirituality, I’ve been doing a lot of research on different interests and curiosities, such as a deeper dive into the chakras, delving into astrology (which is something that I have never studied before), and other different ideas and beliefs. These studies are not always (or even often) in order to incorporate these beliefs into my own practice or belief system, but simply because I stumble across something along the way that seems interesting and it becomes a journey of exploration and curiosity.

The Hermit is here to tell me that although these flights of curiosity and discovery are interesting, it’s still important to remember to only absorb into my own practice the things that fit for me and are right for me, and to discard the rest.