Like everyone, I was stricken by the recent events in Norway. The searing shock and pain, feelings of loss and horror, are almost unimaginable.
But it is their response to this event that is the subject of this post: the utter grace and love that have flowed forth, rather than the instant retaliative responses we so often come to expect.
As Stacey Robyn and her Go Gratitude group say:
Rather than resort to retaliation and fear-mongering, the people
of Norway have chosen a peaceful response. Our Norwegian
brothers and sisters are choosing LOVE, Peace, Openness and
Freedom in the face of manufactured fear, terror and illusion.
A new pathway . . . is being embodied,
and is an example worthy of emulation for every nation on
the planet. Blessed BE!
I'm also reminded of the horrible attack on an Amish school a few years back. Once again, that community chose to respond with love and forgivenness, and healing became possible as a result.
Now of course I would rather be a part of a nation that responds with calmness, love and peace when acts of aggression are experienced. Of course I believe that is the way for life to improve, rather than just get into a nasty cycle of getting back at someone who's wronged us. Of course it makes sense to me that retaliation simply makes for an increase in violence and pain and loss. And I'd love to be part of a nation that feels strong and confident enough to react with love.
So how can I help my community, my state, my nation emulate these principles?
By asking myself the question: do I live that in my daily life?
There are so many times in my day - to - day existence in which I get an opportunity to practice this idea; how do I do?
Too often, when someone cuts me off in traffic, I send ticked-off energy back at them. Yet when I have the presence of mind of take a deep breath and wish them well, I feel so much better. When I encounter a rude clerk, or a client who wants to "yes-but" everything I say, or a contractor who doesn't show up when promised, how often do I take it personally and send back feelings of annoyance or even (a personal favorite) self-righteousness? How can I help myself remember to send back love and acceptance?
Gandhi knew a thing or two about these matters: he knew that if you want to have the wherewithal to withstand the big stuff, you have to practice it in little ways, on a daily basis. When he was a young angry attorney, outraged by British policy toward his people, he didn't accomplish much and only found himself more and more frustrated. It was when he discovered the magic that comes in finding peace inside onself , letting go of anger and spending time forgiving, that everything started to change. His famous quote:
You must be the change you wish to see in the world,
has never been more true. If the Norwegians are able to respond to this event with such forgivenness, love and grace, it's because as a culture they live that.
Have you ever been really, really angry with someone, and expected a really really angry response, only to have them look you in the eye and say "I am so sorry"? Didn't you melt? Or at least take a step back and have to reconsider the whole situation?
Too often I catch myself being irritated with such minute nothings! As I look at it, it seems like such a waste of good feeling, of beauty, of opportunity for delight.
There is a little miracle of a book called The Gentle Art of Blessing by Pierre Pradervand. It is full of stories of people who have found their lives changing in amazing ways when they taught themselves to respond to all sorts of situations with blessings. (To get a beautiful taste of his philosophy, check out:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WegAgepCYfo
So I find myself thinking that the best way I can honor those lost in Norway, or indeed in any violent situation around the world, is to practice peace in my daily life, to foster a wave of blessing and forgivenness, for we know that energy builds and like attracts like.
What are your thoughts?
Friday, July 29, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Baby, It's Hot Outside
ooh boy, i'm too hot even to capitalize. . .
i'm one of those people who makes fun of people who complain about the weather. i think it is such a waste of energy, time, thought. and because i believe in the laws of manifestation, you know: the idea that what you put your attention on increases, whether you want that to happen or not, it just seems ridiculous to me to put my attention on something that i want to go away. but keep your ears open when the temperatures stay in the 90s for more than three days. . .you can start to hear a whine coming from my direction, and if those temps go longer than 5 or 6 days, you'll usually catch me opining on the dire state of the weather, feeling shame-faced about it the whole time. geez.
well, i don't even know what day this is, i just know that it's a whole lot hotter than i like, and i'm grumbling. oh yeah, i have my coping techniques. the usual cool liquids and sitting near fans helps a lot, and wearing as little as this culture lets me get away with, and staring at my darling sheltie pooch who is in this same weather wearing a fur coat and who remains cheerful and playful and. . .i use the heat as an excuse to lie around and read under or next to a fan as often as possible, and i get up really early and stay up quite late, hoping for a chance to nap in the hottest part of the day like those intelligent mediterranean cultures do. but still. grumble grumble.
i'm reminding myself how happy i was to get to the time of the year when i don't need to spend 15 minutes putting on coat,hat,mittens,scarf,heavy socks and boots before leaving the house. i'm reminding myself how much i love to garden. i'm reminding myself that there are people i know and love who revel in this weather, and i can choose to be happy for them; after all, everyone should get the kind of weather they love at least now and then, right? but secretly i think they are just plum demented.
so today when the weather is again hot and steamy, and i know it's much hotter and more unbearable in austin where my brother and his family live, and knowing that doesn't seem to help at all, and i'm full to the gills with cooling liquids and grumbling about all the peeing it engenders, i'm aiming to play with ideas that are further 'out there' to see if i can find a way to make this fun instead of perceiving it as such a drag. hmmm.
ok, here's one: what if i imagine that i'm really from another planet and this planet's temps feel a little coolish. that might work. just imagine that the sensation i'm perceiving as uncomfortably hot is really just a tad chilly. hey, this is interesting, because i remember times when i've stuck my hand in some water and not been able to tell for a split second whether i'm perceiving hot or cold. what if i just use that power to imagine that the sensations running along my spine aren't a river of sweat but rather a cooling liquid full of nutrients - hey, wait a minute, that's actually true! sweat is a liquid that's meant to cool (and does, beautifully) and is full of mineral salts, etc.
oh, and i'm just remembering that in old-fashioned books, women with a sheen of sweat on their brow actually didn't have sweat on their brow because ladies didn't sweat, it wasn't nice. no, no, their complexions were dewey. i like that. right now i'm really really dewey. i'm swimming in dew.
and i can remind myself that i wait all year for vine ripened tomatoes from my own garden, and my tomatoes love this heat. love, love, love it. they are genuinely happy when it doesn't cool off at night one jot. they are happy campers.
so, here's what i've got going so far: i'm pretending that i'm a tomato-loving, dewey complected alien from a hot climate. it's time to go get some more cooling liquids and think of something to fix my cousin for breakfast; i wonder if she'll notice me seeming a little more out-of-this-world? i'll let you know how it works. meantime, what do you find helpful with weather that makes you crazy/oops, let me change that to "challenges your powers of perception and manifestation"?
i'm one of those people who makes fun of people who complain about the weather. i think it is such a waste of energy, time, thought. and because i believe in the laws of manifestation, you know: the idea that what you put your attention on increases, whether you want that to happen or not, it just seems ridiculous to me to put my attention on something that i want to go away. but keep your ears open when the temperatures stay in the 90s for more than three days. . .you can start to hear a whine coming from my direction, and if those temps go longer than 5 or 6 days, you'll usually catch me opining on the dire state of the weather, feeling shame-faced about it the whole time. geez.
well, i don't even know what day this is, i just know that it's a whole lot hotter than i like, and i'm grumbling. oh yeah, i have my coping techniques. the usual cool liquids and sitting near fans helps a lot, and wearing as little as this culture lets me get away with, and staring at my darling sheltie pooch who is in this same weather wearing a fur coat and who remains cheerful and playful and. . .i use the heat as an excuse to lie around and read under or next to a fan as often as possible, and i get up really early and stay up quite late, hoping for a chance to nap in the hottest part of the day like those intelligent mediterranean cultures do. but still. grumble grumble.
i'm reminding myself how happy i was to get to the time of the year when i don't need to spend 15 minutes putting on coat,hat,mittens,scarf,heavy socks and boots before leaving the house. i'm reminding myself how much i love to garden. i'm reminding myself that there are people i know and love who revel in this weather, and i can choose to be happy for them; after all, everyone should get the kind of weather they love at least now and then, right? but secretly i think they are just plum demented.
so today when the weather is again hot and steamy, and i know it's much hotter and more unbearable in austin where my brother and his family live, and knowing that doesn't seem to help at all, and i'm full to the gills with cooling liquids and grumbling about all the peeing it engenders, i'm aiming to play with ideas that are further 'out there' to see if i can find a way to make this fun instead of perceiving it as such a drag. hmmm.
ok, here's one: what if i imagine that i'm really from another planet and this planet's temps feel a little coolish. that might work. just imagine that the sensation i'm perceiving as uncomfortably hot is really just a tad chilly. hey, this is interesting, because i remember times when i've stuck my hand in some water and not been able to tell for a split second whether i'm perceiving hot or cold. what if i just use that power to imagine that the sensations running along my spine aren't a river of sweat but rather a cooling liquid full of nutrients - hey, wait a minute, that's actually true! sweat is a liquid that's meant to cool (and does, beautifully) and is full of mineral salts, etc.
oh, and i'm just remembering that in old-fashioned books, women with a sheen of sweat on their brow actually didn't have sweat on their brow because ladies didn't sweat, it wasn't nice. no, no, their complexions were dewey. i like that. right now i'm really really dewey. i'm swimming in dew.
and i can remind myself that i wait all year for vine ripened tomatoes from my own garden, and my tomatoes love this heat. love, love, love it. they are genuinely happy when it doesn't cool off at night one jot. they are happy campers.
so, here's what i've got going so far: i'm pretending that i'm a tomato-loving, dewey complected alien from a hot climate. it's time to go get some more cooling liquids and think of something to fix my cousin for breakfast; i wonder if she'll notice me seeming a little more out-of-this-world? i'll let you know how it works. meantime, what do you find helpful with weather that makes you crazy/oops, let me change that to "challenges your powers of perception and manifestation"?
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
A NAME BY ANY OTHER ROSE. . .
I had something completely different in mind for this week's blog, but you know how it goes. . .you get distracted by a side path and the next thing you know you're in a part of the woods that you didn't even know existed.
I accidently Googled my own name (trying to get to this blogspot; see how slow I am when it comes to computers?) and the next thing I knew, I was finding other people with my name who sound pretty darned interesting. There's a Margaret Swift in North Dakota who was a "farm wife who picked up a brush" and now creates lovely paintings of nature scenes; another who choreographs Texas line dances, which you can watch on you.tube, and a G.P. in British Columbia. The one I found the most fascinating and actually spent more than two minutes reading about is a Margaret (Welles) Swift who was a survivor of the Titanic! Wow! As one who's rather interested in the history of the Titanic, has seen the movie (which I still think was way too long), and more recently, been bewitched watching Downton Abbey, I find it quirky and exciting that someone with MY name lived through that ordeal. It's known that she was a first class passenger and was rescued on boat #8 along with two female companions; the male who was part of their party went down with the ship. Talk about survivor's guilt; how do you accept the fact that you got to live and lots of others didn't simply because you were female and could afford a first class ticket? Hmmm.
That Margaret Swift was 46 years old at the time, and lived to be 82, so she clearly still had a lot of living to do.
It got me thinking: how many of the survivors came back feeling that they were spared for a purpose? Those were times in which the general thought was that God controlled everything and had a big old masterplan, so did (most) people think that those who died were "called" because they were done with their Earthly Travails, and those still here still had things to do? Did it give them a sort of kick in the pants to not take tomorrow for granted but to get on with whatever it was with which they wanted to get on?
I'm not a big fan of the Divine Masterplan idea; I was raised with it, but it never made sense to me. My current idea, which keeps evolving, is that we are all evolving -- even Divine Love, or Source, or Infinite Joy, or whatever I call that-which-I-have-difficulty-calling-God-because-of-too-many-yucky-definitions-which-people-have-killed-and-died-for-because-they-thought-they-knew-the definition-and-were-right-and-everyone-else-was-wrong, on any given day. I believe that Creation with a capital C didn't just happen a long time ago; it's happening NOW, every nanosecond of every day, and the biggest miracle of our lives, lives which are loaded with miracles, heavy with them, full to the brim, is that we get to participate in that Creation with a capital C. In fact, we have no choice: we are doing it every nanosecond whether we realize it or not.
Isn't this exciting? We're helping write the script as the play's being acted out. In some way, big or small, we are helping decide the lighting, the sound, the props, and at any given moment, whether it's a comedy or tragedy or something completely new.
This is my current belief, and I believe it with my whole heart, while trying to remain open to new wisdom as it bops me on the head or tugs at my heart. I really really believe this. I am a co-creator. What I do and say and how I be matters.
So why do I still waste so much time? Why aren't I more focused and committed and purposeful?
OK, I could waste more time beating myself up for often being lazy, distracted, and confusing what I feel I'm meant to be doing with what I feel other's expect me to do. But no.
Right now I'm pausing to think about what that other Margaret Swift might have felt in the remaining 36 years of her life. Maybe that life is mysterious and you just never know when a bizarre set of circumstances might sink an unsinkable ship and dump you into icy waters. And that if you are one of the blessed who get back home again, you might find it harder to take people and resources and circumstances for granted. I don't know that life would take on more meaning, exactly, but it certainly would take on more value.
So I ask myself, how do I maintain that sense of blessed purpose without needing a titanic event? For now, I'm going to evoke the spirit of this earlier Margaret Swift, print out her picture, and have her greet me in my little meditation spot each morning. Let's see how that works. ( What do you find helpful?)
P.S. This is the first time I've successfully uploaded pictures (with a great deal of help from my sainted daughter) so I now consider myself trainable. Hurrah!
I accidently Googled my own name (trying to get to this blogspot; see how slow I am when it comes to computers?) and the next thing I knew, I was finding other people with my name who sound pretty darned interesting. There's a Margaret Swift in North Dakota who was a "farm wife who picked up a brush" and now creates lovely paintings of nature scenes; another who choreographs Texas line dances, which you can watch on you.tube, and a G.P. in British Columbia. The one I found the most fascinating and actually spent more than two minutes reading about is a Margaret (Welles) Swift who was a survivor of the Titanic! Wow! As one who's rather interested in the history of the Titanic, has seen the movie (which I still think was way too long), and more recently, been bewitched watching Downton Abbey, I find it quirky and exciting that someone with MY name lived through that ordeal. It's known that she was a first class passenger and was rescued on boat #8 along with two female companions; the male who was part of their party went down with the ship. Talk about survivor's guilt; how do you accept the fact that you got to live and lots of others didn't simply because you were female and could afford a first class ticket? Hmmm.
That Margaret Swift was 46 years old at the time, and lived to be 82, so she clearly still had a lot of living to do.
It got me thinking: how many of the survivors came back feeling that they were spared for a purpose? Those were times in which the general thought was that God controlled everything and had a big old masterplan, so did (most) people think that those who died were "called" because they were done with their Earthly Travails, and those still here still had things to do? Did it give them a sort of kick in the pants to not take tomorrow for granted but to get on with whatever it was with which they wanted to get on?
I'm not a big fan of the Divine Masterplan idea; I was raised with it, but it never made sense to me. My current idea, which keeps evolving, is that we are all evolving -- even Divine Love, or Source, or Infinite Joy, or whatever I call that-which-I-have-difficulty-calling-God-because-of-too-many-yucky-definitions-which-people-have-killed-and-died-for-because-they-thought-they-knew-the definition-and-were-right-and-everyone-else-was-wrong, on any given day. I believe that Creation with a capital C didn't just happen a long time ago; it's happening NOW, every nanosecond of every day, and the biggest miracle of our lives, lives which are loaded with miracles, heavy with them, full to the brim, is that we get to participate in that Creation with a capital C. In fact, we have no choice: we are doing it every nanosecond whether we realize it or not.
 |
| from spacetoday.org |
Isn't this exciting? We're helping write the script as the play's being acted out. In some way, big or small, we are helping decide the lighting, the sound, the props, and at any given moment, whether it's a comedy or tragedy or something completely new.
This is my current belief, and I believe it with my whole heart, while trying to remain open to new wisdom as it bops me on the head or tugs at my heart. I really really believe this. I am a co-creator. What I do and say and how I be matters.
So why do I still waste so much time? Why aren't I more focused and committed and purposeful?
OK, I could waste more time beating myself up for often being lazy, distracted, and confusing what I feel I'm meant to be doing with what I feel other's expect me to do. But no.
Right now I'm pausing to think about what that other Margaret Swift might have felt in the remaining 36 years of her life. Maybe that life is mysterious and you just never know when a bizarre set of circumstances might sink an unsinkable ship and dump you into icy waters. And that if you are one of the blessed who get back home again, you might find it harder to take people and resources and circumstances for granted. I don't know that life would take on more meaning, exactly, but it certainly would take on more value.
So I ask myself, how do I maintain that sense of blessed purpose without needing a titanic event? For now, I'm going to evoke the spirit of this earlier Margaret Swift, print out her picture, and have her greet me in my little meditation spot each morning. Let's see how that works. ( What do you find helpful?)
P.S. This is the first time I've successfully uploaded pictures (with a great deal of help from my sainted daughter) so I now consider myself trainable. Hurrah!
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Not There Yet
Sorry, dear readers, but please keep in mind that I am a mind from the 16th century. . .I have been diligently working on two posts, which I shall share with you eventually, but I am stumped by my inability to figure out how to add pictures and believe me, these posts need them. I've spent the day often feeling stupid and annoyed with myself and annoyed with my computer and annoyed with anyone who got in the way at the wrong moment. . .yuck. Not what I was hoping to share. Here at the close of the day, I am spending some time remembering that it's okay to be on the front end of a given learning curve, even if it is one that any average 10 year old has already mastered. . .I'm just sure this process is good for my ego.
To relax and calm myself, I am listening to Eric Whitacre (click to see his amazing TED talk and get a taste of the music I'm listening to) and drifting happily on the soaring voices joined in performing his remarkable works. And I am writing to you, partly to apologize to myself and the world for getting my energetic knickers in a twist, and partly to close out the day on a more uplifting note for myself. It occurred to me to revel in post 16th C. inventions for which I feel a deep and abiding delight and/or gratitude. And then to open it up to you to mention a few of your favorites. . .
I truly am grateful for the Internet and all it makes available to us, literally at the push of a button (or for you more up-to-date, the touch of a screen). I love that it is getting more and more obvious just how tiny and precious is this amazing Blue Ball on which we dance, thanks to the connectivity of the Internet. Wow.
Those who know me know that everyday I thank the Divine, and Thomas Crapper, for flush toilets. (Yes, I know T. Crapper didn't invent the toilet, but he modernized it into what we know today). I can squat in the woods with the best bear, but I am soooo grateful I don't have to! The cleverness of the design, the simplicity, and the fact that those of us in this part of the world can and usually do take flush toilets so completely for granted. . .well, let's remember that's not true yet in many parts of the world, and that right here it only goes back a very few generations.
Recorded music. My oh my. Think about one or two or three of your favorite, and imagine hearing it for the first time and knowing that if you EVER wanted to hear it again, you had to play it yourself or get someone near and dear to you to do so. The exception was of course some standardized church music, some of which is gorgeous, and lots of which is, in my opinion, blech. We take for granted that we can hear a piece, want to hear it again, and purchase a CD or download it or whatever, and play it on an almost crazy number of devices. Fantastic.
Digital cameras. I am no photographer. And I'm parsimonious. I used to be awfully hesitant to take pictures, because of wasting all that money and other resources on film and developing. Now I joyously click away, knowing I can delete to my heart's content. And getting to see at least a little version of the picture I just took! Clearly magic. Now I just need to learn more about uploading, photoshopping, etc. . .
Central heating. The idea that in the midst of winter, one can have an entirely warm body, not just the side facing the heat source, is still a very new idea on this planet. I remember clearly at my maternal grandparents, turning slowly like a bird on a spit, so that one side didn't get overheated and the other frozen. I also remember no heat upstairs, and the drinking water next to the bed frozen in the morning. It's easy to forget that much of the world still doesn't take central heat for granted, and that, once again, even in this affluent country, you don't have to go very far back to find out just what a luxury it is. I still don't have central air, but I suspect it won't be long. Fabulous.
Lending libraries and their amazing librarians. Hey, that's a whole blog post in and of itself. But as I close for now, I'll go pick out a book to read for a few minutes before drifting off into the arms of Morpheus. . .and feel intense tho' drowsy gratitude for those amazing institutions and their guardians.
Your turn.
To relax and calm myself, I am listening to Eric Whitacre (click to see his amazing TED talk and get a taste of the music I'm listening to) and drifting happily on the soaring voices joined in performing his remarkable works. And I am writing to you, partly to apologize to myself and the world for getting my energetic knickers in a twist, and partly to close out the day on a more uplifting note for myself. It occurred to me to revel in post 16th C. inventions for which I feel a deep and abiding delight and/or gratitude. And then to open it up to you to mention a few of your favorites. . .
I truly am grateful for the Internet and all it makes available to us, literally at the push of a button (or for you more up-to-date, the touch of a screen). I love that it is getting more and more obvious just how tiny and precious is this amazing Blue Ball on which we dance, thanks to the connectivity of the Internet. Wow.
Those who know me know that everyday I thank the Divine, and Thomas Crapper, for flush toilets. (Yes, I know T. Crapper didn't invent the toilet, but he modernized it into what we know today). I can squat in the woods with the best bear, but I am soooo grateful I don't have to! The cleverness of the design, the simplicity, and the fact that those of us in this part of the world can and usually do take flush toilets so completely for granted. . .well, let's remember that's not true yet in many parts of the world, and that right here it only goes back a very few generations.
Recorded music. My oh my. Think about one or two or three of your favorite, and imagine hearing it for the first time and knowing that if you EVER wanted to hear it again, you had to play it yourself or get someone near and dear to you to do so. The exception was of course some standardized church music, some of which is gorgeous, and lots of which is, in my opinion, blech. We take for granted that we can hear a piece, want to hear it again, and purchase a CD or download it or whatever, and play it on an almost crazy number of devices. Fantastic.
Digital cameras. I am no photographer. And I'm parsimonious. I used to be awfully hesitant to take pictures, because of wasting all that money and other resources on film and developing. Now I joyously click away, knowing I can delete to my heart's content. And getting to see at least a little version of the picture I just took! Clearly magic. Now I just need to learn more about uploading, photoshopping, etc. . .
Central heating. The idea that in the midst of winter, one can have an entirely warm body, not just the side facing the heat source, is still a very new idea on this planet. I remember clearly at my maternal grandparents, turning slowly like a bird on a spit, so that one side didn't get overheated and the other frozen. I also remember no heat upstairs, and the drinking water next to the bed frozen in the morning. It's easy to forget that much of the world still doesn't take central heat for granted, and that, once again, even in this affluent country, you don't have to go very far back to find out just what a luxury it is. I still don't have central air, but I suspect it won't be long. Fabulous.
Lending libraries and their amazing librarians. Hey, that's a whole blog post in and of itself. But as I close for now, I'll go pick out a book to read for a few minutes before drifting off into the arms of Morpheus. . .and feel intense tho' drowsy gratitude for those amazing institutions and their guardians.
Your turn.
Friday, July 1, 2011
"Young lady, you're grounded!"
When I was in high school, I heard the title phrase a lot, particularly during my junior and senior years. My friends Kitty and Mike and Mark were rabble-rousers, protesting the Viet Nam non-War and promoting something bizarre called Earth Day and letting our hair grow to Rapunzel lengths: fun stuff like that. The dean of our high school despaired of us ever learning to toe the mark, and he would barrel down the hall thundering that we were grounded; we'd groan, and after school head to detention instead of drama club or debate club or whatever club we'd much rather have been going to.
These days, the phrase, "you're grounded!" has come to mean something rather different.
Along my path of learning about healing work, I realized that there were times I'd do good work only to be left feeling airy-fairy and floaty and unable to do more good work. About that time I heard about a local healer named Warren Grossman who taught classes in working with Earth's energies, and through him I learned the importance of grounding.
Energy is energy, and ungrounded energy flies around and can't focus and often causes difficulties (think of houses before lightening rods). Grounded energy is useful, purposeful, and can accomplish a great deal. I found that when I remembered to ground and do my energy work, I could stay clear-headed and have a lot of energy coming from Mama Earth to source me, and when I didn't, I got goofy (I mean like walking into walls) and tired.
Over the years, I've taught many of my clients how to ground, and they often report their lives going much more smoothly just with that one missing piece; when they ground, they feel better, clearer, have more energy, sleep better, and digest their food better. Pretty amazing, considering how simple it is.
What is grounding? Well, it's simply putting one's attention on the connection to the Earth that is there all along. The thing is, when we get super-cerebral, living in our heads, and don't spend much time out of doors, and wear shoes that mis-shape our feet, and a host of other things that are considered normal in our current culture, we block or miss a lot of the benefits Mama Earth is trying to give us. It's amazing that a few moments actively paying attention to our feet on the ground, sensing our energy going deeply into the earth as if we were trees and had roots, can bring such benefits. But it can and does: don't take my word for it. Try it yourself.
There are, of course, myriad ways to ground, each fitting different applications, but that basic technique makes a big difference, and it's simple.
What seems to not be simple for many of us, doggone it, is REMEMBERING to ground. I've been at this for years, and I still catch myself struggling, struggling, struggling at something. Then, hello!, I remember to ground, which only takes moments and instantly feels soooooo good. Afterwards whatever I'm doing goes more easily and smoothly, and I feel silly for not having remembered sooner.
I used to get pretty aggravated with myself for not remembering, but it finally occurred to me how counter-productive that was, and now I tend to see the silliness in it, and laugh, which of course feels better, and is a much better reinforcement for remembering the next time. My friend Sarah adds this jewel: she has caught me smacking my forehead in the timeless gesture of "oh, duh!' and suggested that instead I stroke myself around my head and heart kindly- even sexily- and say, "wow, this is getting easier and easier to remember!" Laughter invariably ensues.
Imagine a world in which you scold your errant teen, "You're grounded!" and he or she scolds back,"yeah, well, you too!" and you both laugh and go into the backyard and ground together, sharing the bliss of that connection with the amazingly loving presence beneath our feet. In my experience, problems don't usually disappear when I ground, but they sure do take on a more balanced perspective.
Part of what happens for me, and is reported true by others, is that any feeling of being engaged in a power struggle lessens or even dissolves, and I can truly acknowledge in my heart that we're simply seeing different sides of the same situation, and both want good solutions.
Imagine a world in which our elected officials grounded at the start of any meeting? Imagine teachers and students grounding at the start of class (actually I did this for several years at a day care at which I worked, and it made a profound difference in the mood and tone of the class). Imagine a police officer grounding before he approached your car when you'd been speeding? Imagine you grounding before you get into your car to drive?
This stuff is fun, and I believe can go a long way toward helping ourselves, and then rippling out in marvelous ways. Try it. And if you have difficulties or want to take it to deeper levels, give me a call and we'll make an appointment.
Final note - grounding is very powerful near a tree, as trees ground powerfully all the time and are wonderful models for us. Practicing with trees is one of the best ways to get the hang of it. Yet grounding can be done anywhere - even on the hundredth floor of a building. The Earth's energy is huge, so no worries there. Try grounding in lots of situations and see what you think. I'll be fascinated to hear.
These days, the phrase, "you're grounded!" has come to mean something rather different.
Along my path of learning about healing work, I realized that there were times I'd do good work only to be left feeling airy-fairy and floaty and unable to do more good work. About that time I heard about a local healer named Warren Grossman who taught classes in working with Earth's energies, and through him I learned the importance of grounding.
Energy is energy, and ungrounded energy flies around and can't focus and often causes difficulties (think of houses before lightening rods). Grounded energy is useful, purposeful, and can accomplish a great deal. I found that when I remembered to ground and do my energy work, I could stay clear-headed and have a lot of energy coming from Mama Earth to source me, and when I didn't, I got goofy (I mean like walking into walls) and tired.
Over the years, I've taught many of my clients how to ground, and they often report their lives going much more smoothly just with that one missing piece; when they ground, they feel better, clearer, have more energy, sleep better, and digest their food better. Pretty amazing, considering how simple it is.
What is grounding? Well, it's simply putting one's attention on the connection to the Earth that is there all along. The thing is, when we get super-cerebral, living in our heads, and don't spend much time out of doors, and wear shoes that mis-shape our feet, and a host of other things that are considered normal in our current culture, we block or miss a lot of the benefits Mama Earth is trying to give us. It's amazing that a few moments actively paying attention to our feet on the ground, sensing our energy going deeply into the earth as if we were trees and had roots, can bring such benefits. But it can and does: don't take my word for it. Try it yourself.
There are, of course, myriad ways to ground, each fitting different applications, but that basic technique makes a big difference, and it's simple.
What seems to not be simple for many of us, doggone it, is REMEMBERING to ground. I've been at this for years, and I still catch myself struggling, struggling, struggling at something. Then, hello!, I remember to ground, which only takes moments and instantly feels soooooo good. Afterwards whatever I'm doing goes more easily and smoothly, and I feel silly for not having remembered sooner.
I used to get pretty aggravated with myself for not remembering, but it finally occurred to me how counter-productive that was, and now I tend to see the silliness in it, and laugh, which of course feels better, and is a much better reinforcement for remembering the next time. My friend Sarah adds this jewel: she has caught me smacking my forehead in the timeless gesture of "oh, duh!' and suggested that instead I stroke myself around my head and heart kindly- even sexily- and say, "wow, this is getting easier and easier to remember!" Laughter invariably ensues.
Imagine a world in which you scold your errant teen, "You're grounded!" and he or she scolds back,"yeah, well, you too!" and you both laugh and go into the backyard and ground together, sharing the bliss of that connection with the amazingly loving presence beneath our feet. In my experience, problems don't usually disappear when I ground, but they sure do take on a more balanced perspective.
Part of what happens for me, and is reported true by others, is that any feeling of being engaged in a power struggle lessens or even dissolves, and I can truly acknowledge in my heart that we're simply seeing different sides of the same situation, and both want good solutions.
Imagine a world in which our elected officials grounded at the start of any meeting? Imagine teachers and students grounding at the start of class (actually I did this for several years at a day care at which I worked, and it made a profound difference in the mood and tone of the class). Imagine a police officer grounding before he approached your car when you'd been speeding? Imagine you grounding before you get into your car to drive?
This stuff is fun, and I believe can go a long way toward helping ourselves, and then rippling out in marvelous ways. Try it. And if you have difficulties or want to take it to deeper levels, give me a call and we'll make an appointment.
Final note - grounding is very powerful near a tree, as trees ground powerfully all the time and are wonderful models for us. Practicing with trees is one of the best ways to get the hang of it. Yet grounding can be done anywhere - even on the hundredth floor of a building. The Earth's energy is huge, so no worries there. Try grounding in lots of situations and see what you think. I'll be fascinated to hear.
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