Grounding and centering are phrases that you might hear often in the energy world. But have you ever wondered what they actually mean, and how to use them to your advantage?

What is Grounding and Centering

Grounding is about taking a moment to clarify the boundaries and limitations of your physical body in your physical space. At the same time clarifying your own space also helps open you up to connectedness of all things.

If this is too abstract — think of a line or continuum with specific end points — this is the Law of Polarity. For every thought you think, every action you take, there is an equal and opposite choice and as far as the frequency of this thought, there is a high and low point.

This relationship exists in every single relationship you have with the physical world. And whatever choice or reaction you are currently in is like a plot on this spectrum, as it moves through time.

Now add to this that each of us are composed of many layers of subtle and dense energy from the most ethereal (spiritual) to the densest (physical). We give them names such as ego, higher self, shadow self, inner child and so on, but the names are not as important as recognizing that we all have multiple voices or parts at play in our experiences at any given moment.

If you are not aware of this, then you will mistake the loudest voice for YOU and probably struggle to understand why you do what you do or said that stupid thing you said, or got in a fight with so and so for no apparent reason. (hint, the reason is one of your shadow, wounded selves, rose to the surface and lashed out, causing you to respond from the past).

So, we have different layers of ourselves that exist from dense to subtle all moving through time having an experience we call life.

When these layers are aligned and working together toward an agreed upon goal (intention) then we feel calm, focused, and centered.

However, when these parts of our consciousness are at odds with one another, caught in times of the past, focused on wounds, fears or protection then we can experience “reality” from a space of being scattered, anxious, spacey, or experiencing physical symptoms such as headaches and fatigue.

With these pieces we can say that being Grounded is being fixed into the present moment by orienting yourself on all axis — above and below, behind and in front, and then rooted into the center of your body (ideally at your heart space), so that your physical and energetic bodies or layers have a space to settle into within linear time, even of only for a moment.

With this, you can then center which is to be understood as using the grounding moment to align all your parts of consciousness to get on the same page, as it were, and become in agreement and focused on the same intent. Ideally this intent will be based on your values, boundaries and goals for how you desire to experience reality.

(If this work has not been done, Working with Fire can help you sort out what matters to your essential self and help you connect with the different parts of yourself)

When to Ground and Center

Because we experience life in linear time, it is best to create a practise of grounding and centering multiple times a day.

Truly, it is more challenging to remember to ground and center than it is to actually do it.

Times to consider include but are not limited to:

• Before a meeting

• After a meeting

• Transitioning from work to home

• Before speaking to loved ones

• As soon as possible after speaking to loved ones

• When you need to raise your energy to perform a task

• After you have completed a task and need to recharge or discharge excess energy

Essentially, any time you need to raise or discharge energy, or any time you have interacted with others — take time to ground and center as it will allow you the opportunity to come back to your home frequency and remove anything that is not yours that you might have picked up from others. Think of it just as you would washing your hands after being in public or drinking water to stay well hydrated. Same idea.

How to ground and center

Simple ways to ground and center include:

• Spending time in nature — put your feet in the grass, sand, dirt, etc, hug a tree, go for a walk and allow your frequency and energy to attune to the Earth’s. It is not enough to be outside and still be in your head — focus on the intent behind the action — connecting to nature for the purpose of grounding and centering

• Use visualization — one of may favorite visualizations is to imagine that I have a grounding cord reaching from the bottoms of my feet down into the earth and using it to release all my extra energy or anything that is no longer serving me. I then use the same cord to draw up safe, secure energy that reminds me that I am connected to my life, my body, and my present moment. And then I send another cord to the heavens and connect to Divine energy and remind myself that guidance and love is always available to me, and set the intention to be open to guidance throughout my day, trusting that it will come.

• Create Sacred Space throughout the day and allow yourself time to re-align as needed. All too often, this is actually the hardest step, giving permission to stop, get oriented to the present moment, have a look around (on the inside), have a chat with all the parts and give attention when needed before going back to the outer experience.

Give grounding and centering a chance to be part of your mundane everyday experience and you will be amazed at how quickly you are able to come back to a place of calm, focus, and balance. It will be as if it’s like magick.