I have often heard the term 'grounding' used in meditations when people have a tendency to fly off into the far reaches of - well something. Sort of like a tether to keep them connected to the earth. But grounding can be much richer than that.

Some people suggest that when you are grounding or connecting with the earth, you imagine that your feet are growing roots to connect you deeply to the earth and have that provide a base of stability. My yoga teacher suggested that the roots go so deep we can feel them hit the centre of the earth and bounce back a bit. I liked that.

But my approach is a bit different. I find this meditation joyful, simple and easy to do anywhere - standing in line at the grocery store, waiting for the subway or just enjoying the moment.

Imagine that your aura is an energy field that extends about 6 - 12 feet out from you in all directions (2-4 metres). You don't have to see it or feel it, just imagine that it exists.

Realize that the earth also consists of living energy, just like your aura, and where your body meets the earth, these living energies intersect and mingle. Often we ignore this and see or feel ourselves as separate from the earth, when our energy is mixing with it all the time.

There's no need to imagine it any particular way or try to feel anything. Just get a sense of these energies combining.

Then remember that since the earth is so vast, it has energy reserves that are just as vast. It's enormous and so is its living energy. So tap into that a bit and draw a bit of the living energy of the earth upwards into your own living energy. Not just where they might seem to intersect, but all through you.

And allow that influx of fresh, huge, joyful, living energy to refresh you, restore you and to bring you joy.

See how it affects you. At times it can bring refreshment. At others it might offer stability. And it is always offering joy. What it tends to do is bring balance that is just perfect for that moment.

There are no right or wrong ways to do a meditation. The instructions are guidelines; adapt them to who you are and to your needs at that particular time. Be curious about the process itself.

Remember most meditations become richer the more you practice them. They reveal more of themselves. It can take practice to remember to do a meditation when you need to, and it can take practice to go through the steps. But that's why it is called practice, and for most of us, we practice for the rest of our lives.

Meditations like these are a regular feature of my free monthly Ezine, Starry Night. Subscribe today!

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