Practical Witchery: Grounding (1/3)

Dear Reader,

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One of the first skills I was taught as a young witch was how to ground and center myself. Grounding and centering are very helpful for managing stress and anxiety in addition to being extremely useful in preparation for magical work. The first steps in grounding are a matter of becoming aware of your personal energy state. This is intimately tied to your mental and emotional state. The more agitated you are, the higher your personal energy state will be.

Now, as anyone with a basic understanding of psychology can tell you, there are two kinds of stress. Good stress is the sort that comes with the excitement of a much anticipated fun event. Bad stress is the sort that comes with things like a dreaded exam in a class you're struggling with. In terms of personal energy state, good or bad stress are neutral and they just elevate your energy levels. Grounding restores your energy levels to your personal baseline neutral.

Grounding can help reduce stress and anxiety through the restoration of one's baseline energy level. It is more effective, however, as a psychological tool where in one learns to let go of the stressors. In either case, grounding is a healthful practice for any witch to learn, regardless of the variety of witchcraft they are practicing.

The method of grounding that I am going to share with you today is a combination of one that I was taught when I was a very young witch and a method of becoming fully present in the moment that I was taught to help me cope with my cptsd. This is a sensory based exercise. Before you do this exercise it is important to find yourself sitting in a comfortable position. This doesn't require full lotus to be effective (indeed if you're not flexible and experienced in yoga, full lotus is going to make this exercise harder to do).

As you are sitting, focus your awareness on your breathing. Draw in a deep breath to a slow count of three. Hold it for a count of three. Exhale to a count of three. Then pause for a count of three. Repeat this process until you are comfortable with it. This can be an immediate quick relief for mild anxiety and partial grounding.

Move your awareness from your breathing (but continue the process as best you can) to your body. Starting at the top of your head, feel the tension in your body. As you move your awareness down through your body, feel that tension softening and relaxing. When you reach your feet, feel the tension going down from your feet into the floor and the earth down below. Continue this process until you are fully relaxed and comfortable.

At this time, your excess energy has been released into the earth to disperse. You are now ready to begin magical work.