The Noble Pagan Forums - Grounding And Centering

So what is Grounding and Centering?

Grounding is creating a firm connection for yourself to your environment. To your here and now. A base start off point before you start playing with energy or meditations.
Centering means focusing on YOU. Feeling whole and at ease, at one with yourself and not scattered in 45 different directions ( I mean really how productive can you be if you have pieces of your mind and emotions scattered to the winds with bills, grudges, worries, excitements and more?).

There is a thread here that deals with stones that are good for helping you ground ( it's their nature to do so much like it is a cat's nature to hunt small moving animals). They can be great for a quick fix, but what happens if you use your stone up or if you misplaced it? Ah ha!

Here is a pretty standard Grounding technique. It just takes a little imagination.
What you don't have any?
Now's a good time to stretch that muscle me matey!

Sit in a relaxed position. You can do this on the floor or in a chair. Your choice.
Now you can pick which one you are comfy with here.
Tailbone or feet.
Some people prefer feet and others prefer tailbone.
Got your body part?
Great!
Now concentrate on it.
Feeeeeel it.
Now feel a root system coming from your bottom/feet.
For your tailbone make it a lonnnnnng tap root.
For your feet make a strong long root per foot. Your choice.
Now diggggg deep.
Feel those roots going into the ground. Into the Earth. Feel those tap roots multiply and spread out.
Feel yourself rooted to that spot.
You are your own tree.
Rooted to the spot. Serene in the moment. Just sitting and spreading your roots about.
If you are feeling tired then use those roots to draw up energy from the Earth for energy.
If you find yourself feeling light headed, spacey or restless then you pulled up too much energy.
That's okay. The roots go both ways.
So if you feeling any of the above it's time to push out some of that energy back into the earth. Slooowwwly.
If you feel tired ( too relaxed or drained) then you pushed too much.
Play with it.
Draw the energy up into the center of your being. Move it around your center ( for some that is their belly for some it is their chest).
When you are balanced out you should feel aware and fairly "grounded" or in the moment.

This is an awesome thing to do if:
You are low on energy and need to draw up some extra
Have excess energy or have taken on negative energy and need to dump. Don't worry Earth can take it ( and cleanse and recycle).

Okay so that is Grounding.
Mind you that is just one exercise ( the one I am most familar with).

Once you are there it is fairly easy to Center ( focus) as in finding your balance at your center you should have become aware of your center of being ( do na fret if this does na happen all at once....some people take to this quickly and others need a few sessions, do not despair or give up).
Centering is taking all those scattered thoughts and grabbing them so they are not willy nilly. I like to imagine a time out box for them.
"I wonder what is for dinner?" <----box it
"Ugh I have to do laundry!" <----box it
"The electric bill is due soon!" <---box it

Box those thoughts up for the moment being ( or shoo them out a window) and just concentrate on your roots. Your body. Your breath. Your being.

Congratulations you have Grounded and Centered yourself. The best base line to start from for any energy work, meditations and other activities.

So when you are done what do you do?

Walk it back in reverse.
Slowly let the root system slide back into the main tap roots. Feel them pull back in.
When you are left with your tap roots ( from your tailbone or feet) slowly pull them up back into your body.

You'll notice a big difference when you are done with your session. If you are feeling tired and relaxed you may have given out too much energy just like if you are spacey or woozy you may have taken in too much. In that case I suggest snacking on something. That is a really good way to physically connect and ground back to yourself ( and we all know that eating a snack is a no brainer).

I hope this helped some.

If anyone else has some other techniques please feel free to share. This is just what I have learned ( and works for me when I put a mind to it ).

C/S/

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I have done something similiar to this back in the day. (MOre the self hypnosis/mediation) Not like this particular per se, but it is very very similar. I haven't had ME time for a very long time and haven't done this. With the exception of when I can, go off to the park/reserve for the Canadian geese up the way, near water or just nature itself. And/or some herbal help to bring me down.

I will have to try this and do this again. I was told by one friend that I need alot of mediation and need to start doing it again. I tend to frazzle people, when I am at mach speed.

Very good read, ty ty ty..



*hugs*

I had a hard time "boxing" up everyday life (laundry, bills, dinner, etc.) until I found my "spot"....the place I go in myself and can feel, hear, see nothing but what I allow in. Personally, it was hard to get to that place for me, my life is so hectic that sometimes it feels more stressful to even try. I learned though, and mine involves a willow tree and wind. I need to get back there more often, I think it really helps (me at least) to be able to live with intention. I loose that when I get stressed and exhausted.

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Those who fail to ask for the truth are as ignorant as the lie.