Practical Magic: Solid Grounding

Freya Blom

Sep 29

3 min read

Hello, and welcome back to Practical Magic.

You may have noticed there was no issue in August (and this issue is already very late in September!). I took August off because I needed every bit of my energy to look after myself through the UK heatwaves, which I found incredibly challenging. I could feel the intensity burning through our natural resources, much like when people who are already depleted reach for caffeine to push through the day, but underneath it all can still feel the energy deficit. Seeing what the heat did to the land was hard and also got me reflecting on what it must be doing to us people too.

As I've spent years consciously creating a life that matches the way my energy works, I'm now at a point where going against it comes at a very heavy price. So instead of writing, I took myself off to Wales for a few very nurturing days in the countryside, with horses, birds and rabbits galore. I know not everyone has that luxury. Some of you have young families, some of you have demanding work lives, and many of you are juggling both. So this issue will be about something that we can all access in uncertain and challenging times, but don't always think to do:ground ourselves.

The case for solid grounding

As we move through the Year of the Fire Horse, encountering all manner of destabilising events, natural disasters and intense politics, the most important thing this month is to lean into compassion for ourselves as we encounter change. And the only way to hold the level of change we're experiencing is to ground ourselves intentionally, as much as we possibly can. September onwards is asking for solid grounding.

Gratitude for the small things

We're all told that nothing is promised, but in this age of seeming plenty we don't often feel it. If you do one grounding thing this month, make it registering the small things. It's the most nourishing and grounding practice I know. When we see people losing access to the most basic components of living, like clean water, food and shelter, it's a call to all of us to pay attention to our surroundings, our environment and our resources, and to honour and care for them as best we can. A slow cup of tea, a favourite blanket, savouring fresh air, all of these things remind us of the precious tiny miracles we are bathed in daily.

Ways to ground

1. Remembering your connection to nature

Our connection to the Earth's natural electrical charge is why people recommend walking barefoot on grass. You can also get grounding mats (big reveal - I have my feet on one during all my client calls!) and even sheets for your bed, all of which create a similar effect (although being out in the green is arguably far more beneficial). Remember to visit with your favourite tree or spot in the garden, if you have one.

2. Choosing food for regulation

Eat slowly. Choose nourishing whole foods that feel comforting and steadying and easy to digest. Go easy on the heady, dysregulating energy of sugar, processed foods and alcohol. Their invisible energy tax on our organs makes everything much harder than it needs to be, and can often cause our mind (our meaning-making machine) to conjure up all kinds of problems in an attempt to feel better, when it's our body that is actually suffering.

3. Attention

Notice the small things around you that bring you pleasure and are within your control, and pay attention, too, to what you consume. Less information, less of the fire hose of content, and more reading, listening, walking and savouring.

4. Your foundations

Beyond the obvious ones (sleep, movement, hydration, nourishment), this time of transition is a good time to revisit and tend to your structural foundations: your home, your work, your relationships. A time to assess whether anything about them might need to change and adapt with you, and/or with the season.

A few questions to sit with this month: