What is Grounding?
In yoga and qigong, we talk about “grounding” a lot - but what does that really mean?
We’ve all had the experience of being ungrounded at some point in our lives: feeling out of control, spinning out, in our heads too much, unable to focus or zero in on what steps to take or what needs to be done. It feels like our energy is moving up and out, like a whirlwind or tornado, a leaf being blown around by the wind. Being ungrounded manifests as anxiety, lack of concentration, general spaciness, or feeling that life is chaotic.
When we’re ungrounded, we feel unsafe, disconnected, and adrift - another way to frame it is fight-or-flight being activated. It’s like being a balloon and needing something heavy (grounded) to tie yourself to so you don’t float away.
Energetically and physically, “grounding” is coming back to earth, finding that still space in the eye of the storm, centering yourself. Connecting to the body is key to grounding yourself. The physical body is our earth element, our center - it’s the most material, dense part of ourselves (as compared to our thoughts, personality, energetic systems, spirit, etc.). To get out of the swirling of thoughts, worries, and inner chaos, we must reconnect to our bodies and ground ourselves.
In qigong and yoga, one way to ground is through the 1st chakra, the legs and feet: the region of the body that most directly connects us to the earth - literally, the most grounded parts of our bodies. They’re the part of the body that both transports us from one place to another and enables us to firmly “stand our ground”. When we connect to legs and feet - whether through corework, standing warrior poses, standing balances, or even through deep, seated leg stretching - we bring our awareness and energy to the parts of ourselves that root us. We get “out of our heads” by focusing in and activating the lowest parts of the body.
Another route to grounding is to focus in on the center of the body: the abdomen. In Chinese medicine, the abdomen and digestive system is the earth element of the body. With yoga, we can access this region by laying on the roll, doing core work (abs and bridges), and pranayama - particularly uddiyana bandha and kappalabhatti. In qigong, we focus on stimulating the channels and organs that are directly linked to digestion. Grounding into our earth center, the core, anchors our energy and allows us to find a stillness in the chaos..
In fact, any deep connection you make to your body or the earth can be grounding! Walking, running, and hiking are wonderful grounding practices, especially if you do them in nature. Immersing in water, getting a massage, sitting or laying on the earth, therapeutic tremoring - anything that shifts you out of thinking (being too much in your head, energy rising) and into feeling (being in your body, energy rooting) is going to ground you.
If you find yourself feeling ungrounded this week, stop what you’re doing and take a deep, slow ujjayi breath. Close your eyes, put your hands on your belly, and feel into your feet and legs. Notice what it feels like to connect to the sensations of your body and breath and observe how your energy settles.
For a deliberate grounding practice, set aside 40 minutes to do the following yoga sequence:
Meditation seat to connect to ujjayi (5-10 breaths)
Sit up tall and connect to your core support as you feel your legs and hips relax and get heavy
Simple Abs with a block between thighs (8-15 breaths/lifts)
Squeeze the block and focus on rooting down through your feet and legs as belly pulls in with each lift of your shoulders
Bridge with a block between thighs (10-20 breaths)
Relax shoulders and neck, feeling legs, active feet, and back support the pose
Horse stance with Uddiyana Bandha and back traction (as many rounds of Uddi as you can)
Keep feet active and feel for legs anchoring you down to earth
Standing Straddle Forward Fold (5-10 breaths)
Let upper body and arms hang loose as you straighten legs and activate feet
Down Dog or Dolphin (5-10 breaths)
Let your legs stretch for a few breaths, then hold the active pose; focus on rooting down and back through legs and feet
Low Lunge (upright, arms up OR eagle arms) (6-12 breaths each side)
Anchor down through the back leg and actively draw yourself forward by deeply bending the front knee
Twisting Wide Child’s Pose (4-8 breaths each side)
Relax legs and hips, feeling yourself sink to earth
Reclined Twisted Root Twist (5-10 breaths each side)
Release and relax throughout this pose; feel the support of the floor/earth energy beneath you
Savasana (as long as you like)
Feel for heaviness throughout your body.; focus on the sensation of your body sinking back to the floor. Feel how you are cradled by earth and surrender to gravity.