In this episode, I'll guide you through a grounding meditation that will help you relax and feel more rooted in life. Whenever you feel scattered, stress takes over or you’re swept up in some outer chaos, let it bring you back down to earth. I also share some of my favourite yoga poses, crystals and essential oils for balancing your root chakra and simple spiritual tools that you can use anywhere to ground your energy.
I don’t know about you but there’ve been lots of moments lately where my energy has felt scattered and with this constant anxiety that has become our new normal, like I’m being lifted away from my centre. I just want to find my ground, plug my feet firmly into the earth and call all of those missing pieces back home.
With the Root Chakra, or Muladhara, we start from the ground up. This Chakra is located at the base of the spine and it’s your energetic centre of safety, grounding and belonging.
One of my tried and true ways to connect to this chakra is to plant my feet on the ground. Bare feet on the grass, on the earth. Or, if I can’t do that, just imagining it or being in nature.
This is a practice called Earthing. It’s really easy to do and you can do it anywhere. If you’re able to, try it with me now. With your feet on the ground, curl your toes up, spread them and place them back down. Then, lift up your heels and as though you were trying to make your feet longer, stretch them back and place them back down. Like my teacher Eoin Finn says, “toes before pose is our mantra”. Feel the sensations beneath your feet and notice how they take up a little more space now on the earth.
Send any blocked energy or emotions you’re struggling with down through your right foot and into the earth. Through your left foot, feel the healing frequency of the earth as you receive positive, grounding energy and let it flow through your entire body.
On your yoga mat, any yoga pose close to the ground is great for balancing, opening and aligning your Root Chakra.
Seated forward bends like Paschimottanasana, Baddha Konasana, Upavista Konasana or even Balasana (Child’s Pose) will help you feel grounded, safe and protected. Your close proximity to the earth helps you surrender to gravity and as you physically turn inwards with these types of poses, you’ll curl into the cosiest and most comforting parts of yourself.
Chanting can also help bring you back into balance. In a previous episode we talked about how sound and vibration can direct the flow of pranic energy to heal the body and the mantra that corresponds with Muladhara is LAM.
When you work with your Root Chakra, colours and crystals can support you and cultivate a sense of grounding. Visualise the colour red, as you meditate, or you can place a gemstone like garnet, red jasper, black tourmaline or bloodstone on the area of the chakra while lying down to imvite the flow of energy there.
I also love using essential oils in my yoga and meditation practice, either diffusing them in my sacred space or anointing myself with them, like a ritual.
I love doTERRA’s essential oils, but whatever brand you’re using, make sure they’re pure.
Three of my favourites for grounding are:
1. Balance which is doTERRA’s Grounding Blend. It’s a calming blend of tree and root oils like Spruce, Ho Wood, Frankincense, Blue Tansy and Blue Chamomile that can help balance your energy and emotions. It can strengthen your connection with your lower body and the earth.
2. Patchouli which can help you become more present in your physical body. It enhances your mind-body-soul connection. If you ever wondered what my company was named after this is it! That’s because it’s a grounding oil that calms the nervous system and gets you back in flow.
3. Vetiver which has an earthy smell can centre you and bring you back down to earth. This one is great before sleep too.
Let’s close out this episode now with a short visualisation. You can use essential oils if that feels good to you, or maybe you just light your favourite grounding candle.
Start standing, or sitting comfortably if you can, or if you’re driving or walking, just let the words wash over you and come back to the meditation later.
Choose an oil if you’re using one and take three deep breaths, inhaling the scent of the oil from the bottle or place a drop in the palms of your hands.
Essential oils switch the lights on in our brain as they reach the limbic system and connect us more deeply to our emotions.
Let your breath and the scent of the oil nourish you. Close your eyes if you can.
Sink down. Settle here. When you’re seated and close to the ground, it’s easy to connect to the earth.
Take a few deep breaths of the oil again and then let your palms rest on your knees. This is another nice way to encourage the grounding energy you want to cultivate, in your meditation.
Imagine your sitting bones, or even your feet if you’re standing, like electrical plugs reaching down into the sockets of the earth. The power cord of your spine reaching up towards the crown of your head. Feel the pulsation of prana, your life force energy, flowing through your central channel, the Sushumna Nadi. Let your spine be as wide open and as spacious as it can be.
Breathe down to the base of your spine, your root. Feel it plugging down into the earth and imagine the colour red. Red is the colour of earth. Embody the colour of red at your root.
Empowering you, grounding you in this moment. Feeling anchored and connected to the earth.
Silently say the words: “I am here. I belong. I am safe. I am supported. I am held”.
For the last few moments here, relax into the flow of your breath.
Arrive in this body, this breath, this moment.
Take one more deep breath in and release completely. Then, when you’re ready, gently float your eyes open.
Feel the grounding energy that you’ve cultivated. Know that you can always come back here at any time if you feel anxious, stressed or scattered. Turn to these tools whenever you need them, to grow your roots and get grounded.
Thanks so much for listening! If you’re ready to go deeper, I have a free mini yoga retreat waiting for you over at pranapatchouli.com/retreat. It’ll help you find emotional ease, fill up your cup and follow the whispers of your soul.
All you have to do is head over there now and enter your name and email for instant access.
I’ll be back next week with a brand new episode, so until then, from my heart to yours, Namaste.
