Is grounding an objectively difficult task in our modern society?

[u/CasuallyPeaking]

How many of you struggle with keeping yourself consistently grounded? Every once in a while I find myself being too high / floaty. I used to get myself into a bit of "trouble" because of those states. Nowadays I tend to function well enough in any state I find myself in but still sometimes when I finally manage to land I reflect back at what happened and am left with a big "wtf" moment.

Feeling more than just the confines of my own body comes relatively easily with a steady practice nowadays. I don't really know how to feel about it. Sometimes it's cool and useful, other times it's exhausting.

Is it objectively difficult to maintain grounding in our technologically advanced society where most people are so "heady"? Or is this just me? What are your experiences? How do you stay grounded?

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[u/Zestyclose_Mode_2642]

Is it objectively difficult to maintain grounding in our technologically advanced society where most people are so "heady"?

I think it's always been difficult throughout history to keep practice a priority while simultaneously living a lay life. Retreats and monastic culture are a thing for a reason.

But maybe we could make a case for now being harder than ever for the average pracititioner not to stray because of the sheer availability and diversity of distraction and sense pleasures available, and the increasing normality of living a life of pure indulgence.

There's also the fact that these "newer" distractions like modern video games and social media are an order of magnitude more distracting than the previous kinds since a lot of smart people gather and try to make these things as addictive as humanly possible for the average person.

[u/brainonholiday]

I like to think about this in relation to the balance of the elements. Too much air and not enough earth element and you feel spacey, ungrounded. Some people are extremely grounded by nature and by disposition. You can feel it when you're around them. Some people can feel like they are always in the clouds. It is definitely something you can work on. Look for some practices with elements. There's some good grounding meditations out there. It could be the case that people are less grounded with technology.

It's always been recommended in meditation circles that when you feel ungrounded eat some heavy, greasy food (if you tolerate it ok) and maybe lift some weights, ground on the earth with bare feet in grass. And take a break from meditation. Unless you're doing some kind of grounding meditation I don't think the common types of meditation help with feel more grounded.

[u/CasuallyPeaking → u/brainonholiday]

This is a nice dose of common sense. I resonate with the elements approach. I am very airy by nature and can also be connected well with fire. There are times when I go into full earth mode but it's not a "natural" state for me. 

And just yesterday I also got the conclusion to eat more greasy food and lift weights, go figure.

Oh and spot on for taking a break from meditation. I tend to get into this loop where I feel bad about dropping the practice since I progress nicely and it's a net positive for my life but lay living requires adjustments here and there.

[u/XanthippesRevenge]

Check out Ayurveda. Vata people seem to have trouble staying grounded. They tend to be thin with fast metabolisms so they are easy to spot 😅 but eating an Ayurvedic diet can really affect this.

I don’t have that problem except very rarely. I am quite grounded. That benefits me a lot in staying sane, but it was a big hurdle to get over to actually become a person with any kind of spiritual perception who was not always clinging to “logic.”

Each type has their strengths and weaknesses. But if you haven’t tried it, diet is a total game changer here. Do some trial and error and see what works. There are general principles but it’s a little different for everyone.

[u/neidanman]

nei gong has worked well for me. It opens the body and gives you more of a physical connection to internal work through body scanning & other practices. It also works to bring in and ground energy in the system. As your energy level goes up from this and this is integrated with the body, its gets easier to stay more grounded for longer periods. Also the main focus starts away from the head, and only moves there gradually, after building more foundation around the rest of the body.

[u/duffstoic]

Yes, I think so. This is why I’m back to practicing Centering in the Hara. It worked for Zen Master Hakuin, and it also works for me.

Most meditation techniques for me at least are not very compatible with getting things done and managing incredible amounts of sensory overload, as they take my already sensitive nervous system and amp up the sensitivity to 11. But centering in the hara reduces sensory overload in very direct ways.

It both grounds me in the body and clears the mind, allowing me to get stuff done with ease (wu wei) but also maintain a level of detachment from the insanity and chaos of the world, so I can be a loving leader instead of following the world into suffering.

The head is a good and useful thing, but not a good place to live 24/7. Most meditation techniques get me more in my head too, like noting or anapanasati at the nostrils, although that's definitely not everyone's experience and yours might be different from mine.

For me though, getting into my lower belly center is the key to everything: it transforms fatigue and sleepiness, allows me to make quick decisions instead of getting stuck in overthinking and analysis paralysis, transforms my autistic overstimulation and hypersensitivity, makes me feel super confident and empowered, clears up procrastination, and much more. I do find I need 1-2 hours a day to really get these benefits, but it's the same with other meditation techniques for me.

Also I can do centering in the hara lying down (hands over belly and basically do belly breathing), sitting (also hands over low belly helpful for me), standing, or even walking sometimes if I really get centered first. At that point I can bring it into activity too, although sometimes I lose it and that's also part of the practice. 🙂