“You’ve always had the power, my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself.” - Glinda the Good Witch, The Wizard of Oz
Ten years ago, I would have rolled my eyes about what I'm about to tell you. It's been a hard-won lesson, but such a gift.
Over the last few years, via my coaching work and yoga, I’ve noticed how important grounding myself with a true connection to my body is in the process making my dreams real. It’s counter-cultural, but if you think about it, it makes perfect sense. I used to be stuck in my head, ideas swirling around, basing everything on intuition and trying to ‘figure it all out’ before I took action. I was stuck in a prison, and it felt impossible to manifest what I was dreaming of. Fear always got in the way. But once I began listening to my body and really being grounded in it (being integrated), things started to shift in a quick, magical and profound way.
I used to treat my body as a vehicle to get my brain to meetings. Sure, I’d exercise and eat healthy, but mainly for aesthetic reasons. I would work long hours, burn the candle at both ends, forget to eat, and let my ambitions trump my body’s needs every time. No wonder my body eventually forced me to slow down. I wasn’t listening, so it had to scream. Little did I know that the lessons I would learn would be the key to creating the life I’d been trying to force by working too hard all along.
So why does grounding to the earth work in creating my best life?
If you think about it, we are electrical beings- our brains communicate with the rest of our bodies with electricity (in any given moment, a human brain produces enough electricity to power a small lightbulb). Electricity wants to ground- that’s why lightning strikes the ground; it’s the path of least resistance. This is why it feels so good to create things - it’s the natural order of life. So when we keep our ideas and frustrations up in our head without grounding them, it can cause things like anxiety and “burns us out”. This is why we find it so nourishing to go on a hike, do yoga, meditate, or get a massage. It allows us to connect our minds with our bodies and be in this physical world, rather than up in the ether of our minds. This helps turns us into courageous creators rather than fearful dreamers.
This was clarified for me via a book called Eastern Body Western Mind, and reflects what the Chakra system teaches us. I love knowing the philosophical, scientific and spiritual reasons for things being true.
Annelise Ross shared a lovely analogy with me too. We’re taught about Father Sky and Mother Earth. In most western religions, we look to God for all our answers but forget the balance of mother earth - we are spiritual beings having a physical experience, so we mustn’t forget to tap into the power that is grounding to accompany our spiritual connection and inspiration. Without it, we miss out on much of the magic of life.
How do I ground to alleviate fear?
Do any activity that gets you in your body. Using the body compass (a tool I can teach you to calibrate for yourself; your body always knows what decision is right for you), was the first consistent thing that tipped the scales for me. Yoga is also excellent, as well as massage, breathing exercises, a meditative body scan, dancing, or doing anything active as long as you are present and mindful. Done consistently over time, you’ll develop a sense of presence, power and courage. Not only that, but it’s a signal to the universe that you are a good steward of your life now, so you’re ready to create and receive more.
So Glenda the Good Witch was right. You’ve had the power all along. So now, what are you going to do with it?
Thank you Annelise and Katia Murdoch for helping me deepen this learning so profoundly. I’m so grateful for you both.