Grounding is a topic that comes up when discussing how to relax, heal, and focus. It’s electrically centered, it’s not tangible, yet very real. There are three things that I can think of that give me the feeling of being grounded. Writing, knitting, and being outside. The feeling is peacefulness and quiet, like fanning the fog out of view.
Writing
Writing wasn’t always something I pinpointed as an activity that would give me that sense of clarity, however, as I get older and have experienced more life, sitting down to write has been a form of meditation. I rarely feel forced to write, often writing flowery posts on Facebook about some experience I had. It felt good to write those posts, a sort of processing or off-gassing of excitement I wanted to share with others.
Knitting
Knitting is a real grounder. Another activity that requires for the most part to be stationary, which seems to be the foundation of most meditations. I can knit for hours and wander all over with my mind over topics and ideas. Sometimes, I’m not thinking at all, merely knitting away another row. I feel proud to be a knitter, when I’m actively participating in that activity and reaching the completion of an object, it allows me to ponder my ability to be productive and bring something of value into the world.
Outside
Outside. What more is there really to say? It’s the root of being grounded; there’s actual ground out there. Ha! Since Christmas, I’ve spent hours outside sawing down trees on our property to build a cedar stave fence. Smelling the juniper and the mycelium-rich soil wafting up at my feet as I trudge around really allows me to feel present. It might be a form of dissociating, but if that’s what it is, it’s the good kind.