I am often asked by friends and clients about ways to stay grounded, protected and present in their lives. In essence, what they are asking for is how to stay in touch with the true essence of who they are, and to retrieve that place of inner wellbeing when its interrupted by life events and circumstances. These days I’ve been struggling a little with staying balanced and aligned with my inner harmony, so I thought I’d post some of my favorite tips and exercises.

Many things can make us feel ungrounded, as though we are not wholly present inside of our bodies. If you find yourself ungrounded, try the following and add to them your own variations:

Becoming a Tree:  Stop what you are doing and pull your awareness back to your body. Take some deep breaths in through your nose and bring the air deep into your belly before your exhale. After 2 or 3 breaths, begin to imagine you are a tree. Your feet are your roots and you are extending and growing these roots deep into the heart of Earth. Visualize and feel this if you can. When you have reached the heart of Earth, begin to draw, with your breath and intention, the healing and grounding energy (I like to imagine it as a red color) of Earth up through your extended roots, through the soles of our feet, and into every cell in your body. Keep breathing the energy in until you feel grounded and balanced.

Activating the Earth Star Chakra: The Earth Star Chakra exists below the base of your spine (where your Root Chakra is) and acts to ground you to the energy of the earth. To ground yourself through the Earth Star Chakra, simply close your eyes, and with intention, mentally say the words “Earth Star Chakra Activate.” This is simple, but should be done with intention, and a few seconds of concentrated breath and mental imagery if you are a visual person.

Eating: We often become ungrounded when we are hungry. If you feel that this is the reason for feeling irritable or light-headed, choose a healthy, grounding food, such as nuts, lean meats, root vegetables or dark chocolate.

Stones and Crystals: If you feel that you are frequently ungrounded, consider carrying or wearing the following stones or crystals: black tourmaline, black obsidian, or moss agate.

Our bodies, just like the Earth, are constantly seeking a balanced and harmonious state, but many forces can off-set this. Here are some techniques for bringing balance back to your being:

Time in Nature’s Classroom: Time spent outdoors in nature will help your body realign into its natural rhythm. Of course, the more time, the better. In particular, I find walking in the woods to be incredibly healing and balancing. Other techniques include: walking barefoot over the substrate of Earth, doing yoga or tai chi outdoors (or indoors), mediating outside, and hugging or sitting under a tree (I like the energy of pines and maples for balancing).

Regular Exercise: Especially outdoors. Balancing exercises including walking, swimming, yoga and tai chi, which work to gently open and align our energy centers.

Eating Well: Everyone’s body is different, so learning what types of healing foods best balance your body is beneficial. It’s also important to drink water throughout the day. I find smaller meals more balancing than a couple of large meals. Also, try not to woof your food down, but chew thoroughly and add gratitude to your meals directed to the life sources you have derived your food from.

Stones and Crystals: There are lots to choose from. Some of my favorites are: rose quartz, amethyst, hematite and clear quartz. Choose the stone that you are drawn to. For example, you may be drawn to a red stone, indicating that your root chakra is out of balance, or a green stone because your heart chakra is closed off.

Art: I am using this term in the broadest possible way. Art comes in so many forms, and we are each born with our own unique expressions of it. Your art is what makes your heart and soul sing. For me, this is writing. What makes your heart sing? Try to nurture this energy through creative expression every day.

Water:  Water is a natural balancer. It is the element of our emotions. Swimming, especially in a natural body of water, can be incredibly balancing, especially with gentle strokes or floating. Baths are also balancing. I try to take a cleansing/balancing bath at least once a month and always feel more peaceful afterwards.

Daily Meditation/Mindfulness: Spending even just a few minutes a day in mindfulness or the quite space of a meditative state can do wonders for our emotional and physical wellbeing. There are many resources available to assist you with this practice online and in bookstores. But, it need not be complicated. Closing your eyes, sitting comfortably, and relaxing with deep, belly breathing, will help bring you to a state of inner harmony. When thoughts pester your mind, allow them to flow through.

Many of us, unintentionally, pick up emotions and energies that are not ours, or are not in alignment with our inner harmony, throughout our days. These energies can make us irritable, anxious, angry, tired and argumentative. Here are some simple ways to cleanse these energies:

Imagine a Waterfall: Close your eyes, if you are able to (e.g., don’t do this while driving) and imagine you are standing under a beautiful waterfall. Feel the energy of the water pounding like a drumbeat over your body, vibrating your cells back into alignment. Stay in this energy for as long as you feel you need cleansing and give gratitude for the element of water.

Standing under Falling Water: Standing under an actual waterfall outside, or the waterfall of your shower, will naturally cleanse your body of impurities, including emotional ones, especially when done with intention. Ask the water to help cleanse you of emotional baggage, and feel the unwanted energies leave your body, carried with gratitude by water into Earth where they are recycled into new growth. Give thanks to the water and Earth. Since many of us shower or bathe everyday, this is a great opportunity cleanse emotional energies.

Cleansing Baths: Take a cleansing bath at least once a month, to which you might add: sea or epsom salts, apple cider vinegar, baking soda, and/or essential oils. There are many recipes online for cleansing and detox baths. Choose what feels right for you, while being cautious not to over-due it.

Cutting cords: I like to call in the energy  and assistance of AA Michael and his Sword of Truth when I feel that I have energetic cords that need to be cut. This could include attachments of energies that you know exist between you and another person that are based on fear, and not love, or cords that you feel binding you, but are unsure where they come from. To cut cords, try to enter into a quiet, meditative-like state, and visualize or feel the energy of AA Michael as you call in his presence. Feel and visualize his sword gently, but decisively, cutting the etheric cord(s) that are not wanted. Feel and visualize your energy returning whole to yourself, with the unwanted energy returning to source. Ask for non beneficial energies to be transmuted into the energy of “love, light, peace and happiness,” and give thanks.

As mentioned above, some of us, especially empaths, take on energies that are not harmonious to our wellbeing. There are various ways we can protect our energy fields from these absorptions. Here are a few:

Calling in the Cloak of Archangel Michael: AA Michael wears the blue cloak of protection and carries the shield of truth. You may call in this energy at any time, or perhaps you want to start each day by evoking it. You may also call it in for your children, or other minors, to help shield them. To do this, ask AA Michael to cover you (or your child) with his blue cloak. Imagine and/or feel this blue, shielding energy moving up from your feet, your legs and torso, and over the back of your head, like a cloak. Give thanks.

The Gold Energy of Source and Metatron: I like to use AA Metatron’s energy and/or the gold energy of source to shield myself, groups of people, and even the planet. It’s a powerful, gold energy comprised of the highest frequencies of love/light. This is a shielding of absolute love, and should be done with this intention. Imagine this energy as a golden ball of light, and extend it out as large as needed. Again, give gratitude.

Stone and Crystals: For extra protection, you may want to wear or carry close to you, shielding stones or crystals, or make a medicine bag of small stones to wear around your neck. These may include: amethyst, rock quartz, bloodstone, black onyx, black tourmaline and citrine. Use, with intention, what stones feel right for you.