Grounding & Centering - PDF Free Download

LESSON 6 Grounding & Centering Grounding Grounding and centring is a vital part of any spiritual work and should be a part of your daily routine. As you move about your day you brush aura s with many different types of people with different kinds of issues. Some have health issues, emotional issues, relationship issues etc. Everyone carries the energy of these issues in their energy field / aura s. When you have contact with other people you pick up these issues and they can stick to your aura. If you are around people who are angry, or sad, or negative and you suddenly become grumpy and negative yourself it can often be an indication that you have picked up energy

from someone else. It s important then that you ground and clear your energy. Grounding is relatively simple and can be done anywhere. When you practice it you can effectively ground yourself anywhere and no one will even know. In this way you help yourself not to be affected by the moods, energy or behaviour of anyone else. If you are feeling scattered, tired, drained, or depressed you may just need to spend some time grounding and centring yourself. There are many benefits to grounding and centring yourself not only will it bring peace to your spiritual, emotional, mental and physical body but it will also help you stay balanced and focused on what you're doing. Grounding is all about the awareness that we are in a physical body. Grounding can make such a difference in our everyday lives as it increases our balance and stability in our physical and emotional states. It also helps to bring acceptance of this life and the purpose our soul has for incarnating Grounding yourself guarantees that you will have the proper amount of necessary energy required for life. Grounding also balances your energy levels by allowing you to drain any excess or chaotic energy you may have. Neglecting to ground excess energy can result in you feeling irritable, nervous, anxious or headachy.

Below is a list of some of the most common symptoms of being ungrounded Dizziness Daydreaming Feeling of being spaced out Feeling sick Heart palpitations Eyes flickering Weight gain Clumsiness Static shocks Falling asleep when meditating Noise and light sensitivities Forgetful Having brilliant ideas which never happen Arguing and unable to express yourself clearly

Remember that some of these symptoms may be linked to an actual physical condition or illness. If in doubt always consult your doctor. There are a number of ways to ground and centre yourself. The simplest way is to go outside and walk barefoot on the Earth. Grounding brings you into the present moment and helps you to be open and relaxed. It is very important that you always centre and ground yourself before attempting any kind of spiritual work or exercise. Grounding Exercise Listen to the guided meditation which comes with this lesson. Practice grounding every day!

CENTERING There is a centre of quietness within, which has to be known and held. If you lose that centre, you are in tension and begin to fall apart. Joseph Campbell Do you start the day in a calm or a reactive state? Do you end the day feeling nourished or depleted? How about in the middle of the day, are you focused or scattered? Your answers to these questions all relate to being or not being centred. Learning how to centre yourself is an important life skill. It may sound mystical or esoteric but centering is very real and something you can experience directly. The centre doesn t have to be an actual location but there are physical regions that are associated with it.

The centre is more of a dynamic point of psychic equilibrium or inner balance. When you are centred there is no resistance. You just allow everything to be as it is. In the moment you feel alive, alert and active. There is an inner calm which prevails no matter your external circumstances or situation. In this state you are able to act spontaneously. You don t strive to achieve. You all what is to unfold in a natural, organic way. You don t feel happy or sad in the Centre. You re not positive or negative. In the Centre, you are neutral. We have all experienced the centre before, if only for a brief moment. With the right awareness you are able to train yourself to notice when you are out of centre and therefore out of balance. With practice you can centre yourself easily and with greater frequency. First its important to know when you are off centre. Indications that you are out of centre are Taking on too many task, often multitasking You are reactive and check you phone compulsively Failing to differentiate what is urgent from what is important Feeling fatigued early in the day Consumed with negative self-talk Easily distracted, unable to focus

Anxious about the future or the past Highly strung and overwhelmed Struggle with addiction sugar, social media, alcohol, TV, drugs, porn, shopping etc. Go to sleep too late or crash to early Many are out of their center all the time. A search for happiness, striving for success are often what stops us from being centered as it takes us out of the preset moment and into the future or the past. When we are centered we feel inner fulfillment, we are able to trust ourselves and connect with our instincts and our true feelings. We are our own authority. When we aren t centered we feel improvised believing that the answer to our happiness or our success lies in a better job, a different relationship, more money, prestige, etc. In this state often feelings of anger and shame govern our reactions to life circumstances and situations. Thankfully it is relatively easy to return to our center. Staying there is the key! To return to our center we need to have a deeper awareness of ourselves. This gives us the ability to detect when we are out of center in the moment. There are a range of centering exercises and practices which are helpful and give us a conceptual understanding of our center.

The Four Centers of Intelligence There are four primary centers of intelligence and any of these centers offers a gateway brining you back to the present. These centers can be found in the works of Carl Jung, Plato and Rudolf Steiner, among others. They are found in the traditions of Taoism, Hinduism and Kabala. Indigenous teachings refer to them in their map of consciousness. Each center provides vital information about yourself and your world. The Physical Center This center is located in your body just below the navel. In the energetic practice of Qigong, this center is called the lower dantien. In Japanese it is the hara. It is where our digestive system sits. Interestingly enough recent studies have revealed that the digestive system has an autonomous nervous system which allows it to work independently of the brain. The gut is being referred to as the second brain. Returning to this center entails bringing your awareness to your bodily functions. Specifically to your navel area, your gut, your digestive system. Issues in this area are a clear indication that you are uncentered and out of balance.

The Emotional Center This center is located in the heart area. Studies have revealed that the electromagnetic field produced by the heart is over 100 times bigger than the field created by the brain. Returning to this center connects you to the present moment and to what you are feeling emotionally. Centering yourself in your heart center enables brings a deeper awareness of your emotional self, connects you to the wisdom of your soul awakening compassion, empathy and joy. The Mental Center This center is found in the brain region. It is the center which gets most of your attention. This center is often favored because generally the world is evaluated through thoughts and mental patterns and behaviors. Returning to this center means quieting the mental chatter and emptying the mind. The Spiritual Center This center does not have a precise location. Some traditions place it in the 3 rd eye or pineal gland area. Others place it at the crown of the head or just above it. Returning to the center brings you back into establishing order, freeing you from outside influence.

How to Center Yourself There are many transformative practices to help you find your center which don t take long to feel the benefits. Noticing when you are out of balance is the first step. The second step is bringing your awareness back into the present. The following practices can help center you Conscious Breathing When you are out of center you are not breathing properly. Your mind is racing and your breathing is shallow. Take a moment right now to observe your breathing. Don t try and change anything, simply observe the process of your breathing. Now begin to take deep, slow, rhythmic breaths from your belly. As you breath in expand your belly. As you breath out pull your belly in. Just 3 or 4 of these deep breaths will bring you closer to your center. Tree Pose This is a very effective way to center yourself. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and your spine straight. Imagine a cord extending from the crown of your head into the sky. Imagine that you are a tree. Your head, arms, hands and fingers the branches. Your legs and torso the trunk. Your feet have roots that grow deep into the earth.

Shift your Awareness When you are out of center you are often over thinking and caught in your mind. There is too much energy swirling in your head. Putting both feet firmly on the ground, place your full awareness on the bottom of your feet. This simple exercise helps to draw excessive energy down into your body. As you pay attention to your feet you may find that you feel a tingling or a warm at the bottom of your feet. This practice works very quickly. Mindful Walking Sometimes standing or sitting still for too long can make your internal chaos worse. In these instances mindful walking is a great way to shift your attention and center yourself. Begin by walking slowly, staying very present with each step you take. Keep your breath slow and steady. Try and sync your breathing with each step. If possible walk in nature as the benefits are numerous. To stay centered create positive associations with your experience of being centered. If you feel lighter, more energized and or calmer take note. Stay curious and open to your experiences. Do not judge yourself or your ability. Often being uncentered is a habit which needs to be broken. When ever you feel stressed remember that you have the choice to continue to feel stressed or to practice peace. This shift can happen with just a few conscious breaths.