This is the first in a series of posts I wrote while retreating to Harbin Hot Springs.
Body Awareness
I have a tendency to live in my head, completely unaware of the body I’m blessed to inhabit. When I get massages, the massage therapist always asks, “So is there any place in your body that needs special attention?” My standard answer is, “Nope. It’s all good.”
Then my massage therapist (who I can just see shaking her head, knowingly) will start the body work and find all these sore, twisted knots all over me.
It’s not that I’m in denial. It’s that I’m honestly that disconnected. My steady state is that I simply don’t notice my body unless I make a conscious effort to tune in. Even Mojo Mentor and Pink Goddess Caroline saw this when she did my Pink Intuitive Reading. My spirit was floating around the astral planes, communing with the Divine, while my shell of a body was left on earth, untended.
What Do You Mean, I’m Grounded?
When someone first spoke to me about staying grounded (and trust me, Pinkies- there have been many people talking to me about staying grounded!), I resisted. Why would I want to stay in my weak, limiting, imperfect body when my spirit could be cruising around the astral planes? The body seemed almost inconsequential to my life’s purpose, so why should I stick around and endure its endless restrictions? Better to live in my head, swirling with creative ideas, manifesting dreams, listening to Signs from the Universe, and putting my highest good into the world. Right?
Wrong. I see it now. Not that there’s anything wrong with flying around the astral planes. Not that creativity, intelligence, thoughts, and other manifestations of the mind don’t have great value. But we are spirits that live in bodies, and if we live solely in our heads, the brilliant creations of our minds and spirits can get lost in Neverland, with nothing to ground them.
But what does that mean, to be grounded? You know it when you see it. And you know it when it’s not there. Haven’t you met people who are creative, spirited, passionate, but, well- flighty? They feel like a whirlwind of energy and when they leave the room, you feel a little tired, like you’ve been riding the rapids on a rocky river. Those people tend not to be very grounded.
And then you’ve met others- maybe they’ve very earthy, centered, calm, and peaceful. Perhaps they’re not spewing forth with creative energy. They move a little slower and stand firmly planted on the ground. In their presence, you feel stillness, like a lake with no ripples. These people tend to be more grounded.
Owning Balance
But imagine if you could combine the two. If you could take all of the creative, passionate divinity of the mind and spirit and ground it, such that there is an open channel between the spirit realm and the core of the earth, imagine the potential for creation, for healing, for true connection. That is my goal right now.
While I’ve been here at Harbin, I have been practicing exercises to get in my body. First, I’ve tried to still my mind. With the exception of writing this post, I have not opened my computer to write; I have tried to avoid thinking or figuring anything out; I have been meditating to quiet the monkey mind; I have focused on breath.
At the same time as I have been trying to still my mind, I have also been engaging in activities to enliven my body- doing yoga, bathing in hot and cold mineral springs, hiking in nature, free form dancing, and getting a Lomi Lomi massage and Watsu (water shiatsu). All of these things have been aimed at helping me get grounded and stay rooted in this time of great energetic change in my life.
Yesterday, after a cycle of moving between an ice cold pool (mind you, it’s 20 degrees outside where I am!) and a 113 degree natural mineral spring 7 times, Mojo Mentor Tricia Barrett and I sat by a waterfall at Harbin. The river that creates this waterfall parts two trees- an oak tree and a fig tree. The flow of water is arguably the most creative and destructive force in nature. Just look at the Grand Canyon. You would think these two beautiful trees would be at the mercy of this river, as it flows down the mountain. Surely, the powerful force of water would override a living thing’s desire to live and thrive.
Strength in Roots
And yet, this has not happened. These trees stand tall, roots exposed and subjected to a constant flow of the river, because these trees are deeply rooted into Mama Earth. Even though the sand and clay beneath these roots has been washed away, these strong, steadfast roots hold the trees upright.
I think these tree roots and the waterfall that flows over them are a fitting metaphor for life. Sure, it’s exciting to stay in your mind. Magic can happen in the mind- beautiful thoughts, passionate creations, conversations with yourself and the Universe. But unless you root your mind and spirit into your body and the earth, you risk allowing any potentially destructive force to sweep you downstream. Unless you’re grounded, every little crisis can tip you over by pushing you with a feather. Every breeze of change, transition, or trauma can unravel you. But if your mind and spirit rest upon well-grounded roots, you can weather any storm.
I don’t know about you, Pinkies, but I’m committed to growing stronger roots and would love to hear your wisdom about how to best accomplish this. I know so many of you are Pink Gods and Goddesses when it comes to staying grounded, and I know others of you are just like me- flying around the astral planes and wishing to feel more connected with your body and yourself. Please share your journey, your wisdom, and any thoughts this might stir up for you.
Plugging in to the Earth’s energy,
Lissa
