Ways to Ground, Center and Shield

If your world at the moment feels off the rails, either the world at large, or your personal sphere, it is usually a clear reminder to ground, center and shield. Part of that unsettled feeling my be due to a lack of that lovely trio of magical and spiritual practice.  These three actions can help us through our chaotic or overwhelming days, set a firm foundation for our magical practices, and guides us through this ins and outs of our lives.

As you are reading this, stop what you are doing, and ground, center and shield. We tend to forget to do this kind of work daily, because other things grab our attention, or life seems too busy to put much effort into yet one more thing. If you are not sure how, read on for ideas to help get you back on track.

What is grounding, centering, and shielding? Simply put, to ground is to physically connect yourself to the present reality. To center yourself is to also tie yourself to the present moment, not the times where you are mentally and spiritually whirling off in a hundred different directions (sometimes physically, as well). Centering takes the energy you have given away during the day to others (family, friends, co-workers) and helps bring back that energy to your center. When you are centered, pay attention to how that feels. For me, I feel content, and the energy is flowing smoothly through my body. No jangly, jittery, unsettled feelings. Instead of feeling depleted and worn out, wanting nothing more than to zone out in front of mindless entertainment, with this practice, you are able to bounce back just a bit more quickly to what’s in front of you. To shield yourself is exactly what the word implies: putting up a shield for energetic drainage and attacks. Even if you don’t think you have anyone who is jealous, dislikes you, or feels negatively towards you, practice shielding. Because you truly don’t know what is going on in someone’s mind, and some careless, jealous energy they send your way may affect you without your understanding why.

Ways to ground yourself:

Meditation, chanting, walking barefoot on the grass, hugging a tree, touching the dirt in a houseplant, rubbing herbs between your fingers, deep breathing, planting your feet firmly on the ground and imagining roots growing from your feet to way below the surface of the floor, smelling a favorite scent, looking at a candle flame, taking a bath. Drinking a soothing beverage, taking a nibble of a comfort food, covering yourself with a weighted blanket or cozy shawl can all help ground you.

Quick ways to center yourself:

Find your energy center, and breath deeply into it. Shake your hands, stomp your feet, visualizations. Breathe in gratitude, breathe out anxious thoughts. Count slowly, 1-100. Place your hands on your belly and breathe into your physical center, filling up your lungs with air, and breathing out fully. Snap your fingers, clap three times, drink a warm, soothing beverage. Imagine a line running down your entire body, from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet, and straighten that line as much as possible. Give yourself some huge hugs. Check your temperature; if you head, hands or feet are cold, cover them and get warm. If too hot, cool yourself with a cold drink, fan yourself vigorously, or immerse your hands in cool water. Hydrate by drinking at least one full glass of water, if not more.

Quick ways to shield yourself:  

What would make you feel more protected? A fortress? Glass or steel walls? A force field? First, decide what helps you feel most protected, and visualize yourself surrounded by it. Find your energy center, breathe deeply, and feel it expand until it’s outside you, like a giant, strong bubble. Like dressing up? Imagine yourself as a medieval warrior, surrounded by shields. Feel the heaviness of the shields, the weight of them, along with the comfort of feeling protected. Mirrored shields are also great for shielding, because it takes negative energy directed towards you, and bounces it back. If you have some jewelry that you wear for protective purposes (hematite rings, a special pendant, or a bracelet) practice touching it to immediately activate your shields.

Give any of these a try, or come up with ones that resonate with you. Try to make it part of your routine at the beginning of the day, perhaps as you brush your teeth, or spend time at your altar. Practice being able to ground, center and shield at the snap of your fingers. And if you forget? Do it when you remember, and notice how different you feel when you do so. It may encourage you to make more effort to do this practice regularly. Integrate these practices into your spiritual practice, and note its effect on your energy levels and well-being. This practice is worth investing in, noting its effects, and updating when they don’t feel as effective. May we all move into our days ahead more grounded, centered and shielded!