The Benefits of being Grounded
Having recently returned from Post Grad studies in Body Psychotherapy I’m feeling back in my flow again and grateful for what really matters to me in my life, and this is simply being present, with body, mind, emotions and spirit energised and integrated. Fundamental to this is being grounded. This is a term which is used widely these days, so here is my take on what it means to be grounded.
Grounding is our ability to connect to and feel the ground. To let the ground receive us so we feel stable, supported and safe. Groundedness connects us to the resource of Mother Earth’s energy and our strength and vitality. It enables us to feel at home, here and now.
Emotional Grounding involves allowing and accepting whatever feelings are present within us. This includes the ability to deeply relax and rest in Mother Earth. As we let our feelings connect down into the earth and feel her tremendous support, we can allow ourselves to be mothered by the earth.
The difference between Tai Chi and Qigong
People often ask me, “What is the difference between Tai Chi & Qigong?”
These ancient, multi-layered arts deserve a much deeper study than this newsletter can provide. But here is a good start to a general understanding of how Tai Chi and Qigong are similar and how they differ, and to consider some of the vast scope of body-mind-energy development they offer.
In both arts, as practitioners progress, the potential for physical, mental, emotional and spiritual cultivation is steadily realised. Tai Chi and Qigong are ever deepening, with body, heart and mind being continually refined in development of energy and consciousness.
Letting Go
“To become learned, each day add something. To become enlightened, each day drop something.” Lao Tzu
Thank you Lao Tzu for another great treasure of wisdom. These words help me be present in the here and now, and gently ease my heart. During these times of so much uncertainty I’ve been fighting hard, resisting change and trying to hold back the tides, while standing on shifting ground, trying to maintain balance.
Great pressure can yield diamonds though and the gift for me is that I am increasingly stripped back to what is real in me and more essential in my life.
I’ve become acutely aware of how my tendency to be attached to what was, has prevented me from being fully present with what is.