Grounding And Centering

"Grounding and centering" is a visualization and meditation exercise you can use to focus yourself on the  present and learn to feel more whole, more aware. Try it whenever you are stressed, worried, or nervous. The image of a tree evokes feelings of stability and connectedness for many people. This may take some practice, but with diligence you may find that this exercise helps you.


Some Wiccan teachers require that the student ground and center before and after any magickal or ritual practice, where others require grounding and centering only after the work. The act of grounding and centering itself can take only a few moments or flourish into a full meditation. These practices become easier each time you use them, and will enhance and strengthen your psychic and magickal abilities. There is an added benefit to learning grounding and centering - anytime anyone treats you unfairly, or you lose your cool, or you feel that you are disconnected and lost, floating in this big Universe all by yourself, practice the technique. It is easier to learn grounding and centering by going outside the first few times.

To Ground and Center: Sit in a chair with your feet on the ground to begin. Choose a quiet place without disturbances. As you practice this exercise, you can perform it anywhere.Take slow deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth three times. Close your eyes. Imagine your breath pushing down through the base of your spine, through your feet, like a tree pushing down its roots. Imagine those roots pushing down through the floor and into the soil below. Imagine they can feel something in the quality of the earth, what grows there, and how healthy it is. Push down through the waters under the soil, down through the bedrock, and down into the center. If there's still any tension or fear, let that go through your "roots". For some people, imagining that there is a fire at the center of the Earth and throwing negative feelings into the fire helps to make those feelings dissipate. Imagine you can draw some of that fire up. Feel it as the earth's living creative energy, and bring it up through the rock and the water and the soil. Bring it into your legs and feet, like a tree's roots would draw up water and nutrients. Bring it up your spine and imagine your spine growing like a tree trunk, reaching up to the sky. Bring some fire into your heart, into any place inside you that needs healing or extra energy. As you imagine the growth and energy flowing into you, raise and open your posture and re-focus on your breath. Direct the energy up through your arms and out of your hands, up through your neck and throat and out the top of your head. Visualize branches of energy that reach up to the sky, and let them spread around you and reach back down to touch the earth, creating a protective filter around you. Take a moment, look at that energy web, and notice if there are any places that need to be repaired or strengthened. Send energy in that direction. Now open your eyes. Look around you. How do you feel? Relaxed? Revitalized? More attentive?