Do you sometimes find yourself really busy, waking up to an alarm, rushing through your morning routine, then steaming through your day at full throttle?  I imagine many of us operate this way.  It seems to be the norm in 21^st century living.

What compounds the problem is this: most of us don’t spend a lot of time outdoors.  Most of us go from bedroom to bathroom to kitchen to car to office or store with only the few steps between our car and buildings in actual foot-to-earth contact.  We may occasionally have a weekend barbecue outside, or watch our children’s soccer games outside, but generally speaking, we are largely an indoor people.

All of the above makes for a people who are largely ungrounded.  In electrical systems, it is important to have grounding for safety’s sake.  And I suggest that the same is true of humans.  When we are ungrounded, it is easier to rock us from our foundations, to shake us up, to stress us out.  If we want to flow through our days with greater ease, it might be extremely helpful for us to find a simple way to “ground.”

Here are some suggestions:

• Go outside, sit on a chair or bench, and watch the sun rise.  Wake a little extra early to factor this routine into your morning.  (In the evening, watching the sun set can be extremely peaceful as well.)
• Be with a tree.  Sit beneath it, or climb up in it and sit among the leaves, or simply touch it or embrace it.  Trees are, by their very nature, rooted.  When we connect with a tree, for just a moment or two we can feel that rooted energy as well.
• Actually sit or lie upon the earth for a few minutes.  Feel its solidity beneath you.  Feel the air and the sun (or stars) above you.  Let your worries flow into the earth.  She can handle them.
• Sit for a while and pet your cat or dog.  Our pets are very much connected to the earth, even if they are indoor animals.  When we take the time to commune with them, we will absorb some of the blessings of their groundedness. (Not to mention their love.)
• Take a walk.  It doesn’t have to be long, but it would be helpful if the pace were not too fast.  The idea is to gaze at your surroundings while you walk.  Take in the scent of the flowers, the animals, the trees, the clouds.
• Do a tiny bit of gardening.  Get your hands in the earth.  Be with the plants.  They are planted and when we are with them, our spirit will feel some of that plantedness as well.

I am noticing that even thinking about these suggestions is helping me feel calmer.  There is a peace in the natural world that is often missing in the world of humanity.  But when we remember to reconnect with the Earth, that peace returns.

Two days ago I spent more than ten hours sitting in cars and planes.  That is the total antithesis of being grounded.  And today I am moving.  Not far, but still, I am moving. 

I realized this morning that today, more than ever, I am needing some grounding.  So I took a walk and sat by a stream for a while.  It is during our busiest times that the need for these centering and grounding practices are most essential.

Today my wish for you is that you feel the earth beneath your feet.  If ever you’ve been in a ship or a plane for a long time, you will appreciate the blessing of being upon the Earth.  Allow yourself to feel connected to this lovely planet that you live upon.