Feeling distracted, disconnected, or disconcerted? Try grounding. [Meditation Tips from Jennifer Church]

When many of us meditate, we focus on breathing, releasing tension, and integrating our mind, body, and spirit.  Distinguishing from mind, body, and spirit may be difficult for us. We may choose to focus on our breathing.  We may use sound to calm and center ourselves.  We might scan our bodies and work to release our tension, body area by body area.  We might use a mantra. We might try different positions to more easily dissolve into our environment.  We navigate, in various ways, the distractions of our minds.

Another meditation tool is grounding.  This tool has been life changing for me. The person who taught me this technique is Jennifer Church, a licensed acupuncturist, massage therapist, health coach and intuitive energy healer.  Given the benefits I’ve experienced, I asked her to share her experience and insights about grounding.  What follows is our conversation:

Jen Avers (JA): What is grounding?

Jennifer Church (JC): Bringing your breath in alignment with the breath of nature.  Grounding is connecting to earth energies. Grounding is claiming your physical presence.  Grounding is saying, “I matter.”

JA: Why is grounding important?

JC: It’s important to ground because we are human beings, and we live on the earth, and we need to connect to that energy. There is a lot of influence in the world that is preventing us from connecting to that energy.  As we connect with the nature around us, it allows us to connect with our own true nature.  It’s important to acknowledge the earth that we live on as a sentient being. The food we eat, the clothes we wear, the money we carry, everything comes from something made from the earth.  When you meditate, you bring to the forefront what you want to focus on, what you want to cultivate for yourself.  The key for doing that is to focus on your breath and to get grounded.

JA: People who practice energy healing use the terms “energy fields” and “vibration.”  These terms are sometimes used in guided meditations or in describing our connection with the earth. Would you help define these terms?

JC: We have an energy field because we are made of chemical and electrical signals. Anything that has any kind of electrical impulses will generate energy.

There is a scientific definition which references oscillation.  In the energy healing world, we think of it as the kind of vibe you carry – heavier, lighter, positive, more negative.  Are you allowing your vibration to resonate with love and light, or are you allowing something else in? Vibration is about resonance.

JA Note: Here is a link to some information about vibration and resonance: http://physicsnet.co.uk/a-level-physics-as-a2/further-mechanics/forced-vibrations-resonance/ You may find more information online from individuals who reference and translate this scientific understanding of vibration and resonance to our unique vibrations, personal expressions of self, and resonance with others.

JA: As a practitioner, what do you see when people aren’t connecting with the earth?

JC: I see anxiety, stress, over-thinking, worrying, and emotional imbalances.

We live in a society that doesn’t see the value of grounding and the connection with the earth.  There is a lot of interest in keeping people disconnected from their true nature.

JA: How do you guide people to ground themselves? 

JC: Get your bare feet on the ground.  Feel that contact, the skin-to-skin connection with the earth.  It’s important to anchor your own energy field into the earth. There are many ways to do that.

One example: Imagine roots growing out of your feet down through the earth’s crust and its layers and anchoring into the core of the earth.

You can leave the roots there or you can make a deeper connection, and you can send gratitude to mother earth from your heart down through those roots.  And you will start to feel, and you can consciously draw energy up through those roots into your energy field.

The energy coming up through the roots could be anything. You can specifically ask for what you want – whatever you need – being supported, being focused, abundance, centering.

JA: You often use stones and essential oils to support your clients' well being.  What do you suggest in terms of other resources, besides meditation, for grounding?

JC: Obsidian is a dark black stone made of volcanic glass that helps you connect to the fiery energies of the earth; it is warming and grounding.  Black tourmaline is another stone that helps negate the negative effects of electro-magnetic radiation and is grounding. As far as essential oils, Vetiver smells like earth and its one of the deepest grounding oils I know. It’s an earthy sweet note – because it has a sweet, earthy aroma, it helps bring you into grounding in a loving way.

JA: When people meditate, do you have suggestions for how they position themselves?

JC: It’s most important that people are comfortable.  If people aren’t comfortable, they can’t connect. The general rule is that the spine, the highway to higher consciousness, is in alignment – so you can sit, lie down, whatever is comfortable, with your spine in alignment.

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Grounding has positively and dramatically impacted my energy levels and abilities to deal with a range of less than optimal experiences.  When I have negative thoughts, feel scattered, or feel ill, my go-to is grounding. 

I breathe, envision my connection with the earth, and see the earth renewing me with energy.  Each time is different in terms of the visualization.  What is constant is the connection and flow of energy.  Whenever I ground, I feel more stable and able to manage whatever surfaces physically, emotionally, or spiritually.  Some specific examples include:

- When I’m upset and unsure about why I’m feeling a negative emotion, I ground and am more relaxed and able to more easily understand those feelings.

- When I’m feeling affected by certain smells, second hand smoke, allergens, or other forms of air pollution, I ground and am immediately able to breathe more easily and fully.

- When I’m feeling nauseated and dizzy during monthly cycles, I ground and immediately feel relief and strength.

- When I feel uncomfortable during interactions with individuals or groups, I ground (within), find my connection to the earth, center myself, and increase my vibration to remain present while more easily choosing not to feed into the negativity or awkwardness created by others.

I’ve talked about and practiced grounding with our daughter too.  She sees benefits as well.  She has noticed,  "It's kind of cool and helps me feel calm when I'm upset." I’ve observed the following when watching her ground through meditation:

- It’s easier for her to calm down when upset about a homework assignment, leaving her work for a bit to ground, and then returning with renewed confidence and focus.

- When feeling scattered and moving in multiple directions, grounding helps her focus and prioritize her movements and investments of time.

- When angry or upset with herself, her parents, or her friends, grounding centers and comforts her, providing her with a clearer perspective on her feelings and relationships.

I’d love to hear about your experiences with grounding. Please comment on the Blog or email me directly.

Here are some additional meditation resources from Jennifer Church:

~ Her website is www.attunein.com  

~ Join Jennifer Church’s Facebook group for insights, affirmations, videos, and class opportunities: https://www.facebook.com/groups/229677820783291/

Below you can enjoy a sound recording of one of Jennifer Church's meditations. If you have any trouble playing the recording, send me a note and I'll send along the file.