These days many people share the perception that time is moving faster. Whether or not time really is moving faster, that perception can cause us to feel disoriented as we witness these times of rapid change. That disconcerted feeling is a state of being ungrounded.

We are electrical beings, so when we are grounded, much like a grounded electrical wire, we function smoothly. However, when we are ungrounded, we tend to feel frayed and put out sparks that alienate us from our wholeness and from our connection with All that is.

The spiritual practice of cultivating the Witness can help us understand what causes us to become ungrounded. (To learn more about the practice of cultivating the Witness, check out my new book, Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living.) Once we begin to witness and understand what causes us to become ungrounded, then we can sometimes prevent the ungrounded state, but not always. Most of us, even with the increased awareness achieved through witnessing, still get ungrounded on a fairly regular basis.

Since getting ungrounded is such a common experience for most people, I’ve chosen to focus this New Year’s blog entry on suggestions for getting grounded in these times of rapid change.

If you aren’t familiar with the phrase “getting grounded,” some other ways to express the grounded state include: getting centered, finding a sense of calm, returning to a state of inner peace, relaxing into accepting and trusting what IS, and remembering the natural human state of simple joy, happiness and bliss.

Two of the fastest and easiest ways to get grounded are focusing on the breath and connecting with the Earth. No matter where we are or what we are doing, we can easily place our attention on our breathing. Even just a moment or two of witnessing the breath helps to calm our systems. As with sitting meditation practice, you don’t need to try to force your breathing to be relaxed, but rather just allow your breathing to be natural, and watch it. (To learn more about beginning a daily meditation practice, check out my new book, Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living.)

To get grounded through connecting with the Earth, if at all possible, go outside and physically touch a tree or some stones. If it’s not too cold (and even, sometimes, when it is), I recommend taking off your shoes and socks and allowing your bare feet to touch the ground. If you must keep your shoes on, then you can bend down and touch your hands on the ground. Even just a few minutes of connecting with the Earth in this way has a profound effect on our nervous systems and we quickly feel ourselves calming down.

If you cannot go outside, there are other ways to connect with the earth element, such as holding stones and shells in your hands for a few moments. Certain gemstones are reputed for having a grounding effect. Some of these include garnet, black obsidian, hematite, and smoky quartz. You can also make calming herbal teas such as chamomile and tulsi, or try taking calming flower essence tinctures.

Another way to ground is through eating food, but we have to be cautious with this method and be sure that we choose healthy, nutritious foods. (Please buy organic foods when possible.) Grounding foods include: root vegetables such as beets, yams, turnips, potatoes, and carrots; grains such as quinoa, wild rice, brown rice, and millet; and beans, nuts, seeds, and seaweed snacks. (For healthy, grounding soup recipes check out my cookbook, Love Soups: A Vegetarian Soup Cookbook Inspired by the Soup Devas.)

Water can also help to ground scattered energies. Try soaking your feet in hot salt water for twenty minutes, or taking a long hot shower or a hot bath by candlelight. You can also try grounding scents, such as cedar, sandalwood, and patchouli.

In terms of the chakras (the energy centers within our subtle bodies), the first chakra is the chakra to focus on when we feel ungrounded. The first chakra, called the Muladhara chakra in Sanskrit, is the root chakra, and it is located at the base of the spine. This chakra is associated with the color red and with home and a sense of belonging. The element of this chakra is earth, and the Hindu god who rules this chakra is Lord Ganesha. (To learn more about the chakras and about the Hindu gods and goddesses, check out my new book, Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living.)

Lord Ganesha, the Hindu elephant-headed god, is known as the Remover of Obstacles, thus he is the one that Hindus appeal to at the beginning of any endeavor. Thus, as we begin the New Year 2010, it is an appropriate time to focus on Shri Ganesha, on our root chakras, and on practices that assist us in getting grounded.

In these times of rapid change, I wish everyone a blissful, grounded 2010!

May all beings everywhere know Peace and Happiness.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Through the Cedars photo by Crinity - CC license