As I mentioned last week, I’ve realized that I’m in need of grounding. To me, grounding is a process of connecting with my body, the present moment, and the earth.
We aren’t just a bunch of disembodied minds floating around connecting to each other only via our devices, despite what technology and our current culture may imply. Grounding myself means recognizing this often-implied lie and resting in the refuge of the truth, which is that we are inherently part of nature and a broad web of interconnectedness among all life on earth.
Here’s how I’m grounding:
Eating while sitting down with my feet on the floor and not looking at a screen: This habit was hard to start and tbh, I’m still not perfect at it. There’s just always a TV, computer, or phone screen calling to me at meal times! But I try to enjoy at least one meal a day as if it’s meditation, and that helps me feel connected to my body and the earth. I mean, we are eating plants and animals. We are nature eating nature three times a day! What’s more grounded and interconnected than that?
Eating root vegetables: Yogis say eating root vegetables helps heal the root chakra. This advice feels a little superstitious to me, but hey, I’ve eaten a sweet potato nearly every day for about three months, so I guess I'm open-minded. When I rinse the sweet potato off before baking it, I imagine how it was nestled in the soil, gathering nutrients so it could pass them onto me. This definitely helps me feel more connected to the earth and the circle of life. Sweet potatoes also contain magnesium and B6.
Walking outside barefoot: I had to take a break from this practice when there was snow on the ground, but otherwise, I try to do it daily, even when it’s cold. I step outside first thing when I let my dog out and try to get my feet on the ground, even if for only one minute. It’s hard not to feel connected to the earth with your skin is touching soil.
Breathing into the pelvic bowl: I’ve grown to like the imagery of the “pelvic bowl” so much, I’m thinking I’ll dedicate an entire newsletter to it. I learned of it from either a guided meditation or a yoga video. The speaker said to breathe into the root chakra, which is located between the anus and genitals. This spot is also the bottom of the pelvic bowl. I’ve found trying to breathe that deeply often feels uncomfortable and illuminates muscle tension in various parts of my body at first, then eventually calms my body and helps me feel whole.
Taking soil probiotics. A few months ago, I learned of soil probiotics (also called spore probiotics) made of microorganisms that live in soil. I figure since I do not garden and spend nowhere near enough time in nature, I’m probably not being exposed to these often. I now take MegaSporeBiotic twice daily and I’ve noticed an improvement in my bowel movements. There have been 10 research studies (scroll down to view) conducted on this formulation of probiotic, so I feel pretty good about that, too.
Jogging: I know! I’m writing about jogging again already, after a four-part series??? But jogging truly grounds me, and I think that’s because, instead of focusing on speed, I focus on the sensation of my feet touching the ground. Currently, I feel most present in my body and most connected to nature while jogging.
Wearing minimalist shoes*: I’ve been gradually replacing my old shoes with minimalist shoes over the last few years. Minimalist shoes have thinner, more flexible soles and wider toe boxes, so your feet can maintain their natural shape and you can better feel the surface beneath them. Jogging isn’t the only time I try to maintain a sense of my feet touching the ground — I also do it any time I’m walking or outside, and I think having minimalist shoes helps.
*Anya is a minimalist shoe expert, so if you’re interested in them, start with her site. Minimalist shoes require a gradual transition, and (allegedly) many people who think they can’t wear them just tried transitioning too quickly. Since our feet use different muscles and make different movements in minimalist shoes, transitioning too quickly can cause pain or other problems. Anya outlines how to transition and foot exercises that help.
🍄 I’ve been listening to The Highly Sensitive Person podcast by Julie Bjelland recently and serendipitously came to the Grounding With Greatness With Life Coach Leah Walsh right when I was a few weeks into prioritizing grounding. I found Walsh’s takes on grounding very interesting.
🧘 One of the first grounding meditations I ever did was this Grounding Root Chakra Meditation by Brett Larkin.