How do you keep your feet on the ground when life is busy and exciting and your spirit is soaring? I was reminded recently of my need for grounding. I was sailing along, running along the Dartmouth waterfront with my friend Karen and tripped and fell in front of a team of gardeners! Mostly my pride was injured. But it was a reminder to me that when times are busy and my head is in the clouds, I need to take extra time to ground myself, or the earth will bring it to my attention!
So how do you ground yourself? There are many techniques out there and in this post I am sharing a few that work for me.
Chakra Colour – Red
The colour red is the colour of the Root Chakra. This Chakra is located at the base of the spine and “is thought to be our foundation, security, grounding and early sexuality. It includes the beliefs in our childhood family of origin.” One Loop at a Time, a story of rug hooking, healing and creativity, p.12
When I’m feeling the need for grounding I wear red, drink from a red mug, use red in the mat I am hooking and even eat red food! For a keynote speaking gig or another important presentation you will often see me wearing red shoes or sandals or maybe even my red cowboy boots!
The idea behind wearing and using the colour of the Chakra you need, is to evoke the feelings or vibration of that Chakra. (For more information about Chakra colours see my first book One Loop at a Time, a story of rug hooking, healing and creativity or you can google Chakra colours.)
Food – think below the earth
Grounding foods include any of the vegetables that grow below ground – the root vegetables. When I need to ground I make sure to have one or two servings of root veggies – such as sweet potato, carrots, beets, onions, garlic at each meal. Here is a great article I found about grounding foods if you would like more information.
Bare feet on the earth
Placing my feet on the ground without the interference of human-made materials such as rubber or plastic helps to ground me. I love to walk bare-foot on the beach. Each morning I try to get outside to put my bare feet on the grass. Usually this involves taking the vegetable peelings to the compost bin. When the weather is warm enough I do my gardening in bare feet as well.
Rug hooking – incorporating Red into my designs
This is a detail from my mat “Creative Goddess Firecracker Mode”. Hooking in the reds helped me to feel grounded as I navigated an intensely exciting, busy time.
I hooked the mat below “What Do I Need Right Now?” during a time when I needed to feel grounded, protected, surrounded by love. I imagined the body feeling of this and drew the design on the mat.
When I am grounded I feel rooted, anchored to the earth. I feel calm and present in my life. It helps to balance the soaring that I feel when life is opening up and lots is happening.
I’d love to hear in the comments below your tips for grounding during exciting times. Thanks for reading!
