When engaging in spiritual work, it’s easy to dismiss the importance of being grounded and present within your body. The root chakra, symbolising our connection to the earth, is the first chakra and supports the rest of our energy centers. However, this chakra is often neglected and considered less exciting than the crown and third eye chakras, which people often equate to being more spiritual. When ungrounded and engaging in spiritual practices, we risk getting lost in the spirit realm. It’s then that we may see undesirable effects such as persistent headaches and migraines, dissociation, insecurities, and a disconnect from your physical body.
Another extreme sign that someone may be too far in their head and not grounded within their body is if they exhibit a sense of spiritual superiority. This could manifest as a judgement towards others for not knowing what you know or a disregard for people who chose to lead a different life than you do. Bring awareness to other indications that your root chakra may be underactive, such as hypersensitivity, defensiveness, lack of concentration and realism, illusion, misuse of intuition, and toxic positivity.
Getting centered and grounded are spiritual practices, but they can also have many positive non-spiritual effects when integrated into your day-to-day routine. Getting centered is all about remembering that you are in a body. It’s about remembering you are on planet Earth as a human and are connected to your feet, hands, and heart as much as you are to your head, which tends to rule the show when we live unconsciously. Practices such as movement and gratitude can promote a healthy body image and deepen your acceptance of who you are in physical form.
6 ways to get grounded
- Visualise your energy flowing from your crown chakra down to your root, then through your feet into the earth. All energy must be brought back down into the core of your being rather than up through your head to avoid dissociation and psychic vulnerabilities.
- Walk barefoot. Physically rooting yourself (yes, like a tree) into the ground below you is a great way to recharge and align your root chakra. The Earth has a special way of recycling energy by taking in the shadows and emitting healing frequencies.
- Sit with yourself and connect to your body. Tap into how it feels to be a soul and energetic being floating in a human vessel. Zoom in on isolated parts of your body (head to toe) and focus intently on anything you can feel. Whether it’s blood pumping through your veins, the beat of your heart, or literal energy circulating through your body (the latter may take practice). Another practice, which is probably my favourite to do on the go, is to stand and sink. With your feet shoulder-width apart, place your hands on your stomach, on your head, or with your arms loosely at your side and completely relax your body. Focussing on one area at a time, from your head to your toes, you will be able to feel the weight of your body sinking into your feet and the ground below you. To take this practice up a notch, you can visualise any tensions or worries draining away and seeping into the ground.
- Move your body. Movement practices such as yoga are great for reconnecting to your body and getting centered. Similarly, anything seated like meditation can work well.
- Consume grounding foods. Anything red will help you to keep your root chakra balanced. Similarly, root vegetables, spices, protein-rich foods, and berries all carry a similar frequency that will allow you to connect with the earth.
- Write, chant, and recite affirmations or mantras that allow you to connect to your body. Practice expressing gratitude for your body that was uniquely designed for your soul.
