The Power of Grounding

I hope you all had a nice weekend. This past week I was focused on grounding. It has been a busy travel month and for me it always takes a bit to settle back down after that. This reading below represents a focus on physical grounding (connecting to the earth) as well as using grounding as a way to allow pain and difficulty to help us grow. Both meanings were helpful to me last week. 

When Cut in Two, Mark Nepo
The cut worm forgives the plow– William Blake

The worm is one of the only creatures that grows from being cut. Mysteriously, if you cut a worm in two, each cut half becomes whole, and you have two worms. 
What is it in how the worm lives that allows it to grow from its pain, and how might we translate that to being human? Well, without looking too far, the worm is completely in touch with the earth. In fact, it eats earth. It lives in soil- inside and out. 
Perhaps the secret to growing from our wounds is to live close to the earth, to live with our hearts and minds and bellies always in touch– both inside and out– with that which is larger than we are. 
Perhaps, when cut in two, it is a life of humility, of risking to be at one with the soil of our experience, that allows us to heal into something entirely new. 

On the mat, connecting to what part of the body is grounding in each pose helps us be more stable. When we are stable, we are lighter and less burdened. Steady, focused breath also helps us stay grounded. This can work together powerfully on the mat.

Off the mat it is largely the same. Feeling grounded helps us think more clearly and make mindful decisions. Taking a few moments to consciously breath (meditate) can accentuate the grounding and help us feel more focused and lighter. What we practice on the mat truly helps guide us off of it. 

Here is a link to my latest Substack article that I published on Friday. I hope you enjoy it. 
https://allisonwaguespack.substack.com/p/the-chickens-of-harbor-island