How To Stay Grounded All Year Round
- Vanessa Wood
- Aug 20, 2022
- 12 min read
Updated: Aug 22, 2022
What is being well grounded in energy terms and how do you achieve it when it's cold and wet outside?
There are many online articles on grounding to choose from, but none (that I've found) that look at it from the perspective of our energy anatomy and get to the nitty-gritty of what's actually going in our biofield. So, as an energy therapist, I offer you my take on grounding...
WHAT IS GROUNDING?
Grounding, also called earthing, are therapeutic practices that involve doing activities that “ground” or electrically reconnect you to the Earth and Nature. Grounding is an essential part of our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health and wellbeing all year around. But how do you stay grounded during winter? That's one of the questions I’ll answer in this blog along with a few others, like:
What does being ungrounded actually mean?
What does being ungrounded look like energetically in terms of your biofield?
What are the symptoms?
What causes you to become ungrounded, and how do you prevent it?
Let's start with looking how your energy anatomy works…
Introducing your Pole Stars
All living things have their own personal energy field, called the biofield, which has a negative and a positive polarity, just like a battery does. In traditional Chinese medicine these equal and opposite forces are known as Yin and Yang.
Our positive (Yang) pole is located above our head and is called the Soul Star (some call it the Sun Star). Our negative (Yin) pole is located below our feet and is called the Earth Star. A balanced and stable polarity in both the Earth Star and the Soul Star is essential for the flow of physical energy and subtle energy in our bodies.
The Role of the Earth Star
The Earth Star is an off-body chakra, or subtle energy portal, which energy moves in and out of. I perceive the Earth Star as being linked to an energetic umbilical cord with a two-way flow that connects us to Mother Earth, a lot like a baby is connected to its mother in the womb.
In a healthy and balanced system, the descending flow allows excess and non-beneficial energy to move from us to the Earth where it can be transformed and recycled. Conversely, the ascending flow allows the beneficial energy (which Mother Earth has transformed and recycled) to travel from her to us, which helps keep us in sync with her harmonising rhythms and provides us with the necessary energy we need to maintain homeostasis, which is the optimal state for a living organism to be in for a long and healthy life.
To me this umbilicus looks a lot like a huge DNA strand that comes up from the ground, runs the length of our body, joins up with the Soul Star above our heads and keeps on going out into the Universe.
The Earth Star also stores information relating to our physical body and its physical concerns (safety, security, etc.) and our finite journey through the physical realm.
The Role of the Soul Star
Like the Earth Star, the Soul Star is also an off-body chakra. It connects us to Universal energy and stores information relating to our soul and its journey through eternity and the non-physical realms.
WHAT DOES BEING UNGROUNDED ACTUALLY MEAN?
Being ungrounded means that our Earth Star and umbilical cord have become blocked and there is a lack of energy flow between us and Earth. Without this regular recharging, our battery goes flat.
A lack of connection to Earth also means that excess or non-beneficial energy has nowhere to go safely and can build up in our system, which can overload our circuits and cause burnout. It can also mean that our pole stars have shifted their positions, or reversed their polarity entirely. If you try and put a battery into a charger the wrong way around it won’t charge.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF BEING UNGROUNDED?
We’re not just a physical body and being ungrounded is not just a physical issue. To help you understand how important grounding is for us humans on all levels, I've divided symptoms up into three main headings: physical, mental & emotional and spiritual.
Physical symptoms include:
Fatigue and low energy
Decreased libedo and sexual function
Inflammation in the body
Headaches
Dizziness
Hypertension
Muscle tension
Body aches and pains
Swelling in the legs, ankles and feet
Restless leg syndrome
Varicose veins
Growths on the feet like warts or verrucas
Gut flora balance issues like candida overgrowth
Increased carbohydrate cravings
Skin rashes and dermatitis
Hormonal issues and disrupted menstrual rhythms
Sleep disturbances and reduced quality of sleep
Jet lag
Physical instability or loss of balance
Chronic illnesses like fibromyalgia
Low immunity
Mental and emotional symptoms include:
Feeling unsettled, anxious or stressed out
Low mood, mood swings and depression
Lethargy and decreased motivation to do the things that usually interest you
Decreased mental clarity, memory and decision-making abilities
Feeling confined, constricted or claustrophobic
Feeling out of sync with your body and time
Having a lack of confidence in self
We may also start to feel disassociated from our physical body and seek to escape into our heads or even fantasise about leaving our bodies altogether
Spiritual symptoms include:
Lacking confidence in life
Feeling lost, adrift or directionless
Feeling like life has no purpose
Being unable to experience a sense of wonder and bliss
Feeling disconnected from Nature
Feeling disconnected or abandoned by the Creator of all that is
Interestingly, the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (or SAD) are on this list, which makes me think SAD is the result of a lack of grounding as well as a lack of sunlight.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF BEING GROUNDED?
In addition to helping reverse all the symptoms on the lists above, grounding has been shown to:
Normalise the body's biological rhythms
Repair muscle damage
Accelerate recovery from intense athletic activity
Protect the body against potentially health disturbing environmental electromagnetic fields (EMFs)
WHAT CAUSES US TO BECOME UNGROUNDED?
As I mentioned earlier, being ungrounded can happen for several reasons. Let's look at each reason in a bit more detail so we can see how we can prevent those unpleasant symptoms from happening.
1) Lack of physical connection to the Earth and Nature
Mother Earth provides us with health-giving energy and one of those forms is negative ions. These negatively charged particles help detoxify our bodies from free radicals, heavy metals, air pollution, etc.
The Earth's magnetic field is another form of energy that is necessary for all life and for ensuring optimal health. Carl Friedrich Gauss first measured the strength of the Earth's magnetic field in 1835. Since then, scientists have noted that its strength has decreased about tenfold over the last 4,000 years. This indicates that we should be spending more time connecting with Earth energy, not less.
Magnetic Field Deficiency Syndrome is a real thing, but your GP is unlikely to know about it, or how to test for it, or how to fix it, which is one of the many reasons why energy medicine has become so popular over recent years.
Our modern lifestyles contribute to magnetic field deficiency because we are no longer in touch with the Earth as we once were. Instead, many of us spend our days in steel-supported buildings and metal vehicles, which limits our exposure to the Earth's magnetic field. Symptoms may include fatigue, insomnia, frequent headaches, dizziness and generalised aches and pains.
People who often fly in aircrafts are more likely to experience magnetic field deficiency and become ungrounded. This is an even bigger problem for astronauts. Astronauts can experience bone loss while in space and away from the Earth's magnetic field. To counter these effects, NASA placed magnets in both the spaceships and the astronauts' space suits.
2) An energy blockage
An energy blockage can be caused by internal and external factors. Internal factors include unprocessed negative thoughts, beliefs or emotions. Those thoughts, beliefs or emotions that we label as ‘negative’ are actually incoherent energy, or frequencies defined by a chaotic waveform signature. Left unchecked, this incoherent energy can disrupt the flow of coherent energy necessary for homeostasis. Many of the incoherent energy patterns I find blocking a clients Earth Star include:
Excessive worry about your physical health and safety, or the wellbeing of those in your care
Physical dissociation or lack of connection to the body
Unresolved ‘inner child’ trauma
External factors typically include non-beneficial energy being absorbed into our biofield from other people, places (e.g. geopathic stress) and things (e.g. electromagnetic frequencies or EMFs). When we don’t have strong boundaries and good discernment about what’s ours and what’s not, that non-beneficial energy typically stays in our system and blocks our flow until we notice physical symptoms like aches and pains.
3) Movement of the pole stars
The biofield is a bit like a Zorb, the blow-up plastic balls you can climb into and bounce down hills in for fun. The bigger your biofield, the more cushioning you have as you bounce down the hill of life. The smaller your biofield, the more you’ll feel the impact of every obstacle you hit on your journey.
This theory is backed up by the research from the Institute of HeartMath whose experiments indicate that the bigger your biofield the better your immunity and resilience to stress and illness.
When the Earth Star contracts or gets tucked up between the feet, the whole biofield seems to shrink along with it. It's pretty common to find that if the Earth Star has contracted inwards, the Soul Star will have too and the whole biofield has become smaller.
It appears that the ideal position of the Earth Star is about 40cm below the feet, but when we’ve been ill, or experienced obstacles, rejection, trauma, confinement or a lack of freedom or safety in our lives, sometimes our Earth Star can move up close to our feet or even get tucked up between our heals or ankles.
This tucking seems to be a subconscious defensive mechanism, like the head of a tortoise retreating into its shell, but like many short term survival strategies, they‘re not beneficial in the long term. A tortoise can’t live in its shell forever.
4) A reversal in polarity
Common threats to our body’s natural polarity include prolonged exposure to sources of electromagnetic frequencies (EMF’s) like: cell phones, computers, TVs, microwaves, the electrical wiring in your house and high-tension wires.
5) Stolen energy
Our energy can also be depleted by ‘energy vampires,’ or people who drain us when we’re around them, leaving us no energy left in the tank for ourselves. Having good discernment and boundaries helps you identify these vampires before they can steal your energy.
(NB: Improving those traits are some of the many benefits of Biofield Tuning.)
HOW DO YOU PREVENT YOURSELF BECOMING UNGROUNDED?
The cheapest and easiest way to ground yourself is to walk outside barefoot on the ground. Some surfaces are better for grounding than others - for example, grass, sand and soil are better than tiles and concrete.
For even more rapid absorption you can sit or lie down. I like to lie on the grass on a cotton beach towel because I enjoy feeling the movement of Earth as she moves through space. It also reminds me that she's our Mother Ship and home in the vastness of space and that we have to protect her as she protects us.
Earth energy hotspots, like the one I visited at Kura Tawhiti (see my previous blog post) seem to be grounding and recharging stations par excellence. I could feel the benefits to my energy field as soon as I arrived there.
STAYING GROUNDED OVER WINTER
That’s really nice if the weather is warm, but besides getting regular Biofield Tuning adjustment sessions for your pole stars, how do you ground yourself if the weather is wet and cold? Where I am right now in West Auckland it seems as if the wind and rain are never going to stop, which has been the main motivator for me to write this blog. Here are some of the ways you can stay grounded over winter...
Swimming
Going for a swim in a naturally formed body of water like a lake, river or the sea is a great way to ground and it doesn’t matter if it's raining. Have you ever noticed that when the weather is cooler the water feels warmer? Even if it doesn’t, don’t let that put you off. According to ‘The Ice Man’ Wim Hof, exposure to the cold starts a cascade of health benefits including: reduced inflammation, fortified immune system, balanced hormone levels, improved sleep quality, and the production of endorphins - the feel-good chemicals in the brain that naturally elevate your mood.
Mineral baths
I love baths, and they’re even better with the addition of about half a cup of magnesium sulphate, otherwise known as Epsom salts, which you can buy from the supermarket for a couple of dollars.
Magnesium is a mineral of intense scientific interest because of its potential in the prevention and treatment of neurological disorders. Magnesium also serves as a cofactor in more than 300 enzymatic reactions, and is essential for regulation of blood pressure, insulin metabolism, and is required for the synthesis of DNA, RNA, and proteins.
Sulphate can strengthen the walls of the digestive tract helping to improve the absorption of nutrients and make releasing toxins easier. Like magnesium, it can also help ease headaches and migraines.
Mud baths
Mud baths also contain magnesium and sulphate, and depending on the region where the mud comes from, they may also contain common minerals such as: zinc, bromide, sodium, chlorine, potassium, calcium and iron. They may also contain volcanic ash, which is known for its anti-inflammatory properties. The sulphur in volcanic mud is said to slow down a person’s ageing process because of its ability to protect against the toxic effects of pollution and radiation.
Clothing
If you’re not a bath person and would prefer to ground while staying dry, there’s a selection of specially designed clothing, shoes and accessories available. Cotton, linen, bamboo and wool are examples of natural conductive fibres, which are more comfortable to wear and allow better air and energy flow than synthetic fibres. As a general rule avoid wearing synthetics such as nylon or polyester as they insulate and promote static build up. (Static build up is that nasty zap you get when you brush your hair or touch another person or a car.)
Shoes
Instead of rubber soles, which insulate, grounding shoes have a soft leather sole. As an ex fashion designer I’m impressed with the styles of grounding shoes that are available on the market nowadays - they’ve come a long way from the humble moccasin and some of them wouldn’t look out of place on a Parisian catwalk.
Socks
Yes, you can even buy conductive socks which are designed with 99.99% pure silver thread to enhance grounding. I can’t comment on how comfortable they are as I’ve never tried them.
Gadgets
Most homes built after the 1950’s have a ground wire in the third hole of their power outlets that allow you to connect earthing gadgets with the ground. There are many grounding gadgets to choose from including: bands, patches and mats.
I tried using a band once, which could be velcroed around the wrist or ankle. I wasn’t a fan because it didn’t allow for much movement and I felt like I was on a leash, especially when I forgot I was wearing it and got tangled up.
Patches work in a similar way, but you stick one end directly on your skin. I’m allergic to the sticky stuff, so they’re not for me either.
For those electro-sensitives out there who might find the electrical “noise” in the earth connection of a power socket an annoyance, a grounding rod is recommended. These are poked directly into the ground and connect to your band, patch or mat and are great for camping.
Bedding
Pillows, sheets and blankets designed for grounding are typically made from 100% organic cotton and have highly conductive fibres (like silver) woven throughout them. Some also come with a connection stud at the edge where you can plug a grounding cord into a wall socket.
Food
We’ve all heard the expression ‘You are what you eat,’ and I believe this to be true. Processed food often contains a long list of ingredients that were created in a laboratory and assembled in a factory, many of which our body has difficulty digesting and expelling, and some of which can be harmful. A build up of toxins can block our energy pathways and cause us to be ungrounded.
I believe eating organic unprocessed foods benefits our body battery and keeps us grounded. That's because unprocessed foods, like fresh fruits and vegetables, contain living enzymes, which are packed full of the energy they’ve absorbed from the sun and the earth. Living enzymes not only give us an instant energy boost, they help us absorb the nutrients we need to create more energy and store that energy for future use.
Gardening
Speaking of poking around in the ground, gardening is my favourite method of grounding because it not only reconnects me with Nature, it also provides me with a great sense of accomplishment, which is an amazing boost for my emotional and mental health as well.
Even if the weather is wet outside, I still take my cat for a walk around our quarter acre section every morning. I hold my umbrella in one hand and do a bit of weeding with the other. I can totally understand why kids are attracted to mud - getting my hands dirty in the soil feels so satisfying.
Meditation
Years spent studying energy patterns in peoples' biofield has taught me that doing indoor grounding meditations can sometimes be as effective as having direct contact with the earth.
Trees provide the perfect imagery for an indoor grounding meditation. If we visualise ourselves as trees we can imagine how our Earth Star and umbilical cord could be the root system, our legs the trunk, and our arms and head the branches. Where our attention goes, our energy flows, so all we have to do is set our intention to draw up earth energy through our roots and direct it through our trunk, along our branches and up to through our Soul Star. Once it gets there, we can imagine it doing a water fountain effect and nourishing and strengthening the outer edges of our biofield as well, which acts like a protective force field.
To keep us in balance we can do this meditation from the other direction as well by setting our intention to draw Universal energy in through the Soul Star and directing it down through our body to our root system and out the Earth Star where it can circulate around the outside edge of our biofield.
Remember: Without strong roots a tree cannot grow strong enough to withstand the winds of change.
That's all from me for now. The rain has stopped and I'm off to do some gardening! Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this blog post, please let me know in the comments below.
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