Grounding

NeilJ

So what in general are people's feelings on grounding? Which types of meditation do you think it's essential to ground after and which not so much? Also do people use different grounding techniques to achieve different states of mind as you would use different meditation techniques? And finally do you feel that certain types of people have an easier or harder time grounding ie. earthy types as oppossed to water or air types?

Neil

Rothen

I dont generally meditate bt after a summoning or any sort of magic I generally just find some ground to lie on and let the land do it for me.

Rothen

Nobody else have anything to share?

Nevyn

Chocolate and tea,

or if it has been a pretty long and intsense session a series of streches to get the blood flowing and reconnect me to my body and series of intoned
notes that for me reasonate through me and bring me back to myself and then food.

solas

my name means light in Irish, and base, ground or earth in latin and hopefully is a reflection or symbolic of my state of being.
I find its a good balance as its a continous state of self, and doesn't require grounding or ungrounding.. acheiving in theory (and hopefully in practise) a constant state of harmony..and Peace.

<edit> should have mentioned I'm a libran, balance is integral to my being, also being an air sign I probably would have swayed toward being ungrounded a lot, having something which represents earthing in my name is a great way to help maintain that balance.

McGinty

I wasn't aware of the need to ground, however lately I have used a quartz crystal between my feet to ground myself, or I visualise my feet as the roots of trees in order to ground myself. However I've only done basic meditation, I'm not aware of any other types of meditating. I thought meditating is just deep breathing and emptying the mind. What other types are there?

Oh yes I'm a Cancerian, but feel very connected to nature

NeilJ

That's only one form of meditation. There are many different forms of meditation which use different techniques and achieve different states of mind. Buddhism for instance has over 100 different forms of meditation as far as I know. What your describing is only one form of meditation. The main types of meditation which I do myself would be a focusing meditation such as you described where I try to clear my head and focus my mind, chakra meditations where I focus on my chakras and journeying meditations.

Neil

McGinty

where would I get more information on other types of meditation, and how to do them. Thanks for all the info, I'm a bit green on most of this

NeilJ

Not really sure. The Buddist meditation centre in town does a meditation course which a friend of mine did and highly recommends. Never done it myself and I was told it was a bit pricey, but she taught it was brillant. There are books you can get on different forms of meditation but don't know if any of them are any good. I've learnt any forms I use from friends or just figured them out myself. But just trying to clear you mind is a pretty good way to start. Not all that easy to do (I'll often find thoughts wandering in) but still a good way to start. From that prehaps try reading up on Chakras and see where that takes you.

Neil

MeatProduct

The tree visualisation is very good, I use that for grounding during my Chi Gung practices.

Nick

McGinty

I know about chakras, and can often feel them at odd moments during the day. However last night, having read your post, I decided to concentrate on my chakras, talk about an energy charge, I was like a ball of fire. It was a wonderful feeling, yet strange.

chebe

Personally, even though I am an Earth sign, I find it difficult to ground. I do the usual coming back into myself bit, letting go of excess energy, a few yogic stretches, eat and drink, but I'm still a bit airy after all this. With me it usually just takes time, though all the aforementioned definitely helps.

PhantomBeaker

Heh. Grounding. Yeah.

Anyone who's met me will know very well that I'm not good at it... or rather, me being grounded is a very rare affair. Best analogy would be Delerium in Neil Gaiman's sandman when she gets coherent.

One thing I've found is that some Tai Chi forms really help me get back into myself. Trying to ground any other way doesn't really work.

Take care,
P.B.

Talliesin

It's perhaps fruitful to consider grounding outside of meditative/magical/spiritual context. Grounding is a matter of moving from one state to another. Some states require this and some don't.

Changes in mental state happen to everyone, we have giddy modes, we have modes of extreme concentration, we get shocked etc. Sometimes modes can be strong enough that it's necessary to do something to get yourself back into a reasonable way of thinking and reacting again before you can get on with your day. A cigarette or a cup of tea are common methods, as mentioned in this thread (again though, being addicted to something reduces your ability to change states generally, so the usefulness of a cigarette in this regard aren't worth it).

Also meditative techniques for grounding can be useful for such mundane changes in state. I've used some with my eldest when she's gotten upset or frustrated.

In all, I think it's useful to think of grounding as an extension of these mundane changes in state.

cat_rant

I tend to go with what ever feels suitable at the time. some times it may be just having a bit of a nicotene injection in the form of a cancer stick. (its bad i know but it a very quick way of connection back to what your body needs or craves, food is good dacing is good a small amount f alcohol can be good, its all good! anything that brings you back into the here and new and the physical world works. I have been known to run out side into the garden and Imerse my bare feet in the wet grass and let the excess energy be drawn down out of me.

Talliesin

catastrophy wrote:

I have been known to run out side into the garden and Imerse my bare feet in the wet grass and let the excess energy be drawn down out of me.

At one of the classes on [thread=232382]Barbara's course[/thread] she was going through the steps in a ritual, but stopping to talk about each bit, which made the energy very strange. From the Charge on I found it very hard not to cut and put my hands on the concrete floor in the hallway. I still had to do that afterwards, but I was never so glad to have a chalice make it's way around the circle to me!