Grounding is Good Medicine

Grounding Is Good Medicinen Francesca McCartney, PhDnnThe Intuition Medicine® practice of grounding is a connection with the earth that provides health benefits. Grounding is a free, natural inducer of emotional and physical health. Grounding helps you settle into yourself and create a calm mood when you are overwhelmed by people, activity, or your surroundings. Before you enter a potentially stressful situation, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and visualize your body as a redwood tree rooting you into the earth. Continue to imagine the roots settling you into the earth until you feel relaxed and your mind begins to clear. Use this intuitive grounding imagery to feel at home within yourself wherever you are. nnThe term grounding has different meanings in different fields. In electrical terms, a grounding circuit serves as a release valve for excess electricity. The surge protector your computer is plugged into uses such a grounding circuit; if there is a sudden burst of energy that exceeds the capacity of the computer, the surge protector directs the excess energy into the grounding circuit and down into the earth, where the energy is neutralized or grounded. In physics, gravity is the force that attracts bodies or particles of matter toward each other. Technology uses a comparative system, earthing, that relates to the live parts in electronic systems that have one or more direct connections to earth. nnA strong intuitive grounding connection also provides a stable base from which to operate in the world. It creates a feeling of safety, centered awareness, clarity, and self-assurance. For most people, this grounding connection is inconsistent. Some activities tend to enhance the strength of their grounding, and others tend to weaken it. What does grounding mean to you? How do you know when you are grounded? Are you grounded right now? The first step in learning to ground more consistently is to recognize the times when you are ungrounded in your life. nnnThink about the items on the lists below and use your own intuition to assess which ones apply to you.nHow it feels to be... nGrounded… nPeaceful nPhysically coordinatednConfident, calm and in controlnMental claritynFeel aware of self and bodynnUngrounded…n Anxious, Unsure, UneasynBumping into things, stubbing toes, etc.nNervous and not in controlnSpacey, overwhelmed, confusednCold feet and legs, poor circulationnnnnnnGravity GroundingnnIn our quest for grounding, we have a silent, invisible, yet powerful ally: the force of gravity. We feel it all the time; it keeps our feet planted on the earth. It is a force we are often unaware of. My medical dictionary defines gravitation as the force of attraction by which terrestrial bodies tend to fall toward the center of the earth. nImagine lying on a sunny beach and feeling the warmth of the sand. Imagine those feelings and visualize dropping all resistance from your body into the earth. Do you feel heavier, denser, and more relaxed, with an overall sensation of being pulled down to the earth? You are experiencing the pull of gravity. The constancy of nature gives us gravity as a powerful, healing force - a force that brings us back to our own center. Indeed, without gravity we would be floating off the ground! Working with the force of gravity helps you experience and strengthen your personal grounding connection. nnnnn Ground Your LifennnEnergy follows thought, affirmation, intention, and visualization. If you think, affirm, intend, and visualize that you are grounded, then your energy will be grounded. Visualization is an extremely powerful way to enhance your grounding.nYou may already have techniques that help you feel your grounding connection with the earth, or you may be looking for new ways to experience it. Be creative; experiment with changing your grounding imagery at different times of day. Use specific visualizations that center you during exercise, public speaking, writing - whenever you want to be grounded. Here are some images to play with in your grounding practice:nno A ship's anchorno Beams of lightno An electrical cord plugged into a socket at the center of the earthno A waterfallno Two connecting magnets (you are one, the earth is the other)nn Try This!nYou can experience the power of gravity grounding in the bathtub. Next time you take a bath do not get out of the tub when you pull the plug. Instead, lie there as the water drains out. You will be treated to a very tactile sense of gravity's power. Human bodies are naturally buoyant, so water reduces the effect gravity has on us. If you have been soaking in water for at least twenty minutes, you will have a sense of being glued to the bottom of the tub when the water is gone. That is the feeling of gravity grounding! nnYour ability to walk through the world grounded and aware will assist you in accessing the wisdom of using your intuition as good medicine.