Ground to Soar

There is always something spectacular about fall….the change of the seasons, the cooler air, the changing colors, and putting on sweatshirts and sweaters for the first time. We begin to crave warmer and cozier foods. Being outdoors is so refreshing and so grounding. Outside of yoga, when someone is described as being ‘grounded’ it usually means they are sensible and well-balanced. They are in touch with reality and don’t get too carried away. They have good morals and live by them.

 

As a youngster I always wanted to be free, to run, to explore and to be on the go ALL THE TIME. Just keep moving. As time has gone on, I have found my desire to be continually moving, on the go, and rushing can easily become. My norm. It is and can become a mindset as much as a physical state. Left unchecked for most of my young adult life, I found myself more ‘in my head’, my whirling mind always jumping from the current thing to focusing on the nest thing, planning, driving, controlling, anticipating.  Today it is very easy for me to fall back into these pattern and move from being present to ‘task mode’. The danger here is me losing connection to the physical world.  It was through yoga, that I began to open myself up the idea of getting grounded and being present. I learned to connect to the earth, to the present moment, to my breath, and to the visceral experience of being in the world and my body.  Once aware of my own self and inner workings of my mind and reactive patters, I was able to expand this awareness to others. To see what they are seeing and to see their reactions and not worry about my own. To take the time to answer someone. To pause to think before I answer or offer an opinion. I began to learn the art of listening and understanding with every part of my being. 

 

Many of us exist in in our heads. We find ourselves quite literally lost in thought, and we neglect our sense of presence and our connection with the here and now. When we ground ourselves, either on the yoga mat or in our daily lives (hopefully both),  we connect with reality of the present moment.  We let go of the stories and narrative about what might be happening, what has happened, and what could happen. We drop into experiencing what IS. We feel stronger, more balanced and more connected with the earth, ourselves, and others. Through grounding, we feel secure and present, and we establish our right to be here. To be grounded cultivates physical and mental stability and balance. The energetic space of being grounded offers our physical, mental and emotional body a place of peace. A place of calm. A place of beauty and strength. We have the opportunity to become these peaceful warriors at any time.

 

Being grounded is about cultivating balance and presence, not about feeling heavy or stuck. To be grounded is to establish a firm foundation from which to grow. When we are grounded all the solutions that reside within are available to us and we can hear the guidance of God’s voice and our inner soul’s knowing. We can trust. We can  make clear and accurate decisions. We can see things clearly. Our relationships deepen. We let go of chaos. We reside in a realm of bravery where we yearn to be the LOVING truth-sayer in ALL your relationships. WE KNOW the risk is worth it and that WE are WORTH the risk. 

 

I used to be concerned that being grounded would mean I would lose my sense of spirit, lightness, and creativity—basically my ability to soar.  I came across a quote from J.R. Rim the other day, “Flying starts from the ground. The more grounded you are, the higher you fly.” 

YESSSSS! Exactly. Ground yourself in order to soar!  Ground yourself in order to surf your soul. Onward, folks. Be brilliant.