This last Sunday, our community decided to start using our blog in a new way. We’re going to use it for discussion and reflection with the whole community. It was pointed out that we talk about some big questions at the Sunday gatherings, and that it’s not enough time to reflect and digest the questions. So we’ll use the blog to do just that. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to respond.
One of the things that came up at our meeting was how a “grounding” exercise is really important to start our celebration gatherings. That led to a couple questions: What do you do to ground yourself? and then a more basic question: What is “grounding”?
So these are the questions I’m going to throw out today, answer any or all of the ones you’d like to: What does it mean to be grounded? What do you do to ground yourself? Why do you looked to ground yourself? What does it have to do with your faith? With justice work?
Have at it!
The blog of the Spirit of Truth faith community about faith, the church, politics, justice and everyday life.
For me, grounding is a way to deal with stress. I've never really thought about it in terms beyond that, which is why I appreciate this conversation.
ReplyDeleteI think grounding can be both a way of getting focused, but also a way to sort of lose focus--get away from what everything/body else is pushing at you.
If I look at my life--the daily things I do--there's a lot of almost rituals and in a way, those ground me. Without them, my day doesn't feel right. I get up at 5, do internet-stuff, do my blog, just sit on the couch and be in my own space. I guess it is a way that I get grounded, or at least calm about the day.
What it has to do with my faith? Up until recently, faith has always been a passive thing for me--I have it because that's how I was raised (and I'll say it--I have faith because of fear; I'm afraid that if I don't have it, I'll go to hell). All that means is that it's a big struggle for me to think about faith as being a part of my life; not just this thing over there in the corner.
I like the blog questions; yay!
Amity
For me, grounding is about bringing all aspects of myself back into my body and being fully present in the Now. I meditate and being grounded is the key for me having a good meditative session. It allows me to be open to seeing and working with the movement of the Spirit in my life.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Amity's comment about how she grounds herself through daily rituals, it occurs to me that maybe that's why the Catholic church and other churches are so ritualistic - they use rituals as grounding tools.
For years I have done different things for a time, including Zen meditation and other forms of listening or sitting or walking meditation. I am so "plugged in" in terms of phone and computer and radio. I'll admit that I like being plugged in like that but I find that I have to put a check on it and have these moments of "fasting" from the equipment. Grounding for me is a way of reteaching myself to focus on on thing at a time whether its one thought or one person, God even a piece of music. When I'm doing good at grounding myself I like to use the vibration of the phone to remind me to breath and my goal is that when I answer I will be present only to the person I am talking to. If you have been on the phone with me you may know that I do not always meet this standard.
ReplyDeleteThe imagery of "being grounded" to me, is about having something to hold onto, being anchored by what is important.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any great answers about how I get to a grounded place. I try different things. But I think it's important to be grounded in what is central to your life and work, because without it, you drift. I try to stay grounded in this: I believe (sometimes more assuredly than other times) that I'm called to work for justice in the world. I am also convicted that I can do that by building honest relationships with people around our values, and making decisions on how to act together around those values. So the values, and the people are what's important.
Being grounded, for me, is feeling connected to the people around me, to god, the struggles of the world and our local community, and to my own. I have really enjoyed meditation and would love to see the group experiment with different kinds. I tend to make my best decisions and act out of love when I am feeling grounded.
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