Groundedness - A way of life...
When we turn being grounded into an integrated part of our personality, behavioral patterns, emotional expression, relational dynamics, space holding, spiritual embodiment and awareness we are able to hold space for the complexities and multi inner dimensions we are. Like the Angel Oak Tree here.
Groundedness - A life changing tool to maturity, compassion, empathy, inner peace and deep release.
We've all heared about getting or being grounded but what does it actually mean? What does it imply? Why is it important?
Emotions & Groundedness.
We all have emotions. We've experienced when our emotions take over, take control of our behavior. Sometimes we go blind with rage hurting someone else in our tantrum. Sometimes we forget our adult age and we turn into the 5 year old that can't get an icecream. Jalousy can blindfold our eyes so we can't our active or non-active part in the relationship and you end up with violent outbursts of anger and rationality is forgotten. Love can blindfold us too making us fall in love with an illusion and a hopeless dream and leave us in an exaggerated pool of love without realism. Emotions can dominate our behavior in such ways that it becomes destructive patterns and we become EgoManiacs only concerned with our own feelings and needs. Emotions can cloudy our minds aso realism and rationality becomes distant shadows unable to speak any sense into our brain and gut.
In tantric philosophy and Embodied Flow™ we are taught to attain and build up a containor, it is a way to hold yourself and at the same time have an awareness of the whole. With an embodiment of a containor we don't spill over, take our emotions out on others or steal/interrupt the moment from someone else.
When we practice groundedness we can do: Feel, experience and keep the container all at once. This requires a willingness to learn and have a dedicated practice.
The containor is linked to holding space. When we embody the contaianor we hold space for ourselves. Think about a cup full of mixed liquid. It needs a certain temperature not to freeze or boil over. You are that cup and your emotions the liquid.
An interesting question and a beautiful consequence of having and being aware of your own container:
How can you hold space for others if you can't respectfully hold space for yourself? If you are a child when it comes to emotionally expressing your emotions how can you hold space for other "children", fearful people, traumatized persons, people that need counseling, therapy? When we are ungrounded we can reject, suppress or exaggerate our emotional experience. To embody shame fully and not dissociate, spill over, react, get violent, flee or freeze we must be grounded, deeply rooted down and vertical in our spine. Great healing can occur when we finally get solidly grounded.
We are not ever fully educated in groundedness. We will never be perfect, including your therapist. We are human and we will always be in process, development, transformation, regression, progression. But. We can create an awareness around the whole topic "Groundedness" and then embody it. In the practice of Embodiment and Groundedness it will become more and more of a default, what we automatically do in different situations, especially challenging situations.
Groundedness & Mindfulness.
Two different pieces of the same pie. When we practice mindfulness we are aware of ourselves and our surroundings. We eat noticing how we chew, paying attention to when our tummy is actually full, we are observant of other people's emotions when we deliver a tough message, we tread carefully in the forest, we appreciate details since we actually notice them. When we are mindful we tend to do everything a little bit slower, we notice our own reaction to something, we wait, and then respond. In practicing mindfulness we automatically practice patience and observance. Much like Kashmir Shaivism a branch of Tantric Philosophy practiced in Embodied Flow™ we become Perceivers, Perceivers of ourselves, other beings, structures of the world and space in between.
Groundedness takes things a little bit further. It is both more specific but also wider as it is directly adressing roots and verticality. Groundedness is having roots, like a tree or a flower. It is not just the ability to be the Perceiver but also rooted. Many people are not in touch with their roots, unfortunately, as it is not taught in schools, in society, in families or in therapy. It is directly overlooked because it is intrinsically spiritual. Spirituality is, sadly, in many cultures tabu, nonsense, non existent, making humans superior to nature but also dissatrously separate, creating suffering and pain. Groundedness and our roots are directly linked to our chakra system, our energy systems, to our bones, feet. There is no way around acknowledging that we are part of nature, biological organisms in the same way as a birch tree, apple trees, rhododendron, roses and lotuses. Teaching Groundedness becomes an issue since it means acknowledging and embracing the fact that everything is energy and we are not separate and thereby cannot dominate Earth and Human Beings. Big problem in politics, warfare and for many cops right? The consequence and acceptance of this, that we are not separate but living biological organims, mean leaving the infantile belief behind that one religion is right and all the others are wrong, it means leaving black and white thinking in the past.
We become vertical when we are grounded. Our spine become longer, and just like tree, the bigger and deeper the roots, the taller you get. The trained eye can look at a person and see the depth of their roots. The couch potato does not have deep roots and the angry driver behind you does not know what roots are. When your boyfriend hits you physically or verbally groundedness nor mindfulness is present. In our emotions, when drowning in them, depression, being the victim, resentment, fury, hatred we are no longer vertical. We become scattered, or absorbed, loosing roots, mind and heart, we become superior or inferior to ourselves and others.
Verticality and Groundedness are ways to mature and to become compassionate, clear and strong Human Beings, strong enough to deal with and face fear. We become Brave Hearts.
Spirituality & Release.
Release is an intrinsic quality and function, which is a huge benefit, in being and getting grounded. It means your root chakra is spinning and functioning. Deep release, fully letting go is not possible without a functioning root chakra or grounding channel. Spirituality and release go 100% hand in hand. If you dismiss spirituality your will only get so far. The lessons will come back to you over and over again manifested in different ways until you accept the bigger picture and fully embrace, understand and embody the fact that everything is energy. We are all unique living biological organisms, at the same time interconnected via our heartbeat, bloodstream, ion, respiratory system, air and molecules. We are flowers with different petals, stems, roots and length.
For workshops and courses see website, I can also travel to you. Send me an invite.
Leika Mark Noppenau
Reflection Yoga & Therapy.
