Thanks for your question Turtle - it is a popular one. Many people who begin to experience expanded consciousness ask this one. My answer is always the same: "why do you feel the need to have to ground yourself?"

When people begin to awaken, they experience a lightness of being that is so totally opposite to their normal experience, that fear arises inside - concern of what this new state might mean - 'will I float off into the ether?'

When we begin to awaken, we first realise that everything outside of ourselves is a projection of everything we are being within. As we unravel what we are being by dissolving controlling thought patterns we hold, our reality changes shape around us.

This can be very destablising and frightening to the ego which begins to sense its demise - or at least the demise of its leadership in our lives and our over identifcation with it. This is a totally normal experience.

We overcome it by surrendering to the natural pull of the true self within following that guidance no matter what the personal cost to ourselves may appear to be - incuding 'floating off into the ether'.

Once we confront these fears and settle into them, resting in the absolute truth that we cannot go anywhere or be harmed in anyway, then the fears dissipate like the illusionary bubbles they are.

Then this new profound lightness of being becomes our normal state of reality. Seeking to 'ground oneself' as many speak of is just the articulation of their inner fear - a fear of the true reality.

This is not to say we cannot be fully engaged in this plane of existence - far from it. When we are in expanded awareness, we can bring the entire consciousness of the universe 'down' to a specific focal point. Then we are not limiting ourselves to the bit of consciousness that is within us. Rather we are living with expanded focus.

This is true living!

That's so interesting. I have never even considered 'why' I felt the need to be grounded. I guess that I have heard in spiritual circles many times that to be grounded is 'good'. I never for a moment considered that if I just settled into the state of being ungrounded that it would come full circle, and that it would actually allow me to open to a new state of expanded consciousness as a way of living.

You are so right, that being in expanded awareness can bring with it a feeling a lightness, floatiness, something that is most uncomfortable... I have in the past felt like rushing back to the discomforts of the dense world to my comfort zone of familiarity.

Just contemplating your words is making me feel more grounded already. I will see if I can apply it to every day living. Floating off into the clouds and being engaged in this plane of existence sounds really difficult though, something that I have not yet mastered.

Thank you for your deep sharing.

Love
Turtle

When people speak of being 'ungrounded', what many are speaking of is the sensation of release and freedom from the heaviness of this plane in which we live. Or more appropriately, freedom from the inner tightness caused by our perceived need to shape the outcome of events in our lives.

Fear often arises in this state of 'ungroundedness' because we sense a disconnection from our supposed 'reality' (in actual fact illusion), we feel like we are loosing control and that we no longer have power in this plane. In a sense this is true - we loose the ability to shape events as the false self. So we may appear ineffectual, disconnected and floaty but in fact it is the false self that is being ineffectual.

As we let go of this false self however by not resisting the feeling of ungroundedness, we build on the feeling inside of release and relaxation. Because the outside world is merely a reflection of what we are being on the inside, this new sense of relaxation is manifested in the world we experience outside which begins to change and shape according to our new beingness.

Ultimately the feeling of ungroundedness of which people speak becomes a normal state of perception - of the absolute - and since we have released control in our lives, we begin to follow the path of the true self - a flow of pure consciousness.

Best wishes

Chris

Thanks for sharing Chris! Your insight on this correlates with my own experience.

Hi Turtle,

When I first started going through huge expansion of awareness, I had a tendency to 'disappear off into the ether' too. It seemed to take me a little while to learn to integrate any new shift of focus. Functioning in everyday life and carrying out my 'responsibilities' seemed daunting, given that my awareness was elsewhere (or as you say, 'my head was in the clouds'). It could be said that I was ungrounded... although more accurately I was in fear of the unknown (rather than acceptance of that which being revealed to me). After I realised this, any state of ungroundedness seemed to disappear. So, in my experience, acceptance of that which is being shown to us is the best way to come down from the clouds, because in effect our consciousness can then begin to flow unhindered through multiple dimensions and we also feel much more in touch with the world around us.

Regular practice of the Openhand self-realisation meditation techniques helped me alot, when it came to integration of any new expanded states that I would experience. I might have once said that the techniques really help with grounding, but that is a little inaccurate... they are structured to help us to realise the truth of who we are, and live as an expression of our true selves, which walks hand in hand with your excellent question.

In Love and Light
Trin
x

that we always are grounded. At certain times, though, we forget. We wander around looking for the exit, when we are already outside.

Keep meditating and letting go of attachments. It will get easier.

The above comments offer us a brilliant understanding of the need to ground ourselves.

I do remember though, when I first began to awaken spiritually, at times the energy flowing through me was like a tsunami and felt so scattered and ungrounded. In order to 'function' in an every day sense (until I integrated the gifts of unfolding spirituality), I discovered certain techniques that helped me to reconnect with my sense of earthliness, or in other words, made me feel grounded.

The following are practical tips on grounding methods:

- Close your eyes and take long deep breaths until you feel your energies rebalancing again.

- Take a walk in nature, in the woods, on the beach or wherever else you love.

- Do some physical excersise or sport.

- Share your experiences with an openminded, non-judgemental friend.

- Relax, breath deeply and allow any energy that doesn't serve you to fall away. Some people find it helpful to imagine that they are a tree, and that their roots are extending into the earth. This can offer a sense of relief and feeling of solidity if you are feeling radically spaced out.

- Consuming more heavier foods, such as nuts, grains (or anything stodgy), avocadoes (whilst I wouldn't recommend this an ongoing habit), can temporarily slow down the flow if we are finding things
overwhelming.

Above all, I would recommend that we don't deny what is unfolding for us, that we look deep inside and with profound honesty. When we offer no resistance to the truth, we find ourselves in the most awesome state of peace and harmony whereby the term ungrounded becomes redundant.

In Love and Light
Trinity

Thanks for those tips on grounding Trin. Yes I concur with all of them. Also, I've found that grounding negative energy through trees really helps.

I was taught a Tai Chi techniques once where you 'push' the chi from your body through the hands to the tree and then draw positive energy back again. It is not hard to pick up if you allow your inner voice to work for you and go with what feels right.

Of course you could just try hugging the tree! It works too despite all the 'new age' jokes about it!

Best

James

Thanks for the advice and great posts guys! It's proving useful to have a bag of simple techniques to use. I have been putting them to the test :0) I mean, just simply breathing fully works marvels in itself (who thought of something so simple!), and it's great to know that other methods might help when there are just no woodland treks nearby, or trees to hug :0)))).
Hugs and thanks
Turtle

I have found nothing more grounding and healing, when I am feeling unearthed (or even just having a tough time with things)than walking barefoot, especially outside on the grass, or beach - it feels so natural and primal.

Love
Ana

It hit me this morning (I am so slow at times!)... that one of the most grounding tools in my life is the Openhand movement in meditation techniques! I used to have such wild etheric 'ungrounding' experiences that I found it challenging to come back down to earth.

When Openhand came along that all began to change. Not only do the techniques naturally give me a sense of being fully earthed, I also am blessed with a sense of deep etheric connection at the SAME time (which seems quite a blessing in this world of either one or the other)!

The techniques encourage a release of the compressions in our energy field (these may be emotional memories, or ill conceived thoughts stored as muscular tension or energetic stagnation). It's a total 'in the body' 'I am HERE right now' physical kind of experience working on all levels.

Expansion of consciousness can catapult us in to profound spiritual awakening, and I find the movement techniques totally complementary to this.

In Love and Light
Trin
x

I think water is very grounding, particularly moving water. Some weeks ago I went to Richmond Park, and near Roehampton Gate there's a gentle and shallow stream: I sat by the side with my feet in the flowing water, and asked it to take my cares away in its flowing current. I felt deeply grounded and connected after resting there, and I thanked it for helping me.

This thread brings to mind Earth, Air, Fire, and Water: the four elements in ancient thought...

Even just thought of your gentle shallow stream, evokes healing, and sensations of cleansing, rejeuvenation. As well as grounding, I also find that water often acts like a conductor of consciousness, and helps with the expansion of ones awareness.

It is the simple sweet things in life that blow me away the most. I can picture the stream... and it feels blissful!

There is definately something about the natural elements that are grounding... Even air can be grounding (through the breath).

Trin
x