The traumas that we’ve experienced in our lives can paralyze our minds as we try to live a normal life. Sudden flashbacks can occur from the motorcycle accident that you had. The face of an abuser can appear in a crowd of strangers while walking down the street. There are countless scenarios and examples, but they all have one thing in common. They all need to be let go and healed.
Amelia Vogler, grounding expert and energy medicine specialist, discusses how those who have experienced trauma in their lives can safely work towards freeing themselves from the burden of what has happened in the past.
“Grounding is a practice often associated with establishing an intentional connection with the earth - whether through our imagination, intention, or by physically going outside and placing our feet on the ground. However, when we are talking about healing trauma, grounding practices help us come home to ourselves, which help us fill the vacancies or voids that we carry or help move the stuckness that we are feeling. In addition, this homecoming practice helps us shift limiting beliefs that we have been holding around - not feeling loveable, worthy, or seen, heard, or acknowledged,” says Vogler.
Here are Amelia’s top tips on how people can work to free themselves from past trauma with grounding:
Tip #1: Ground in safety
Safety first, always. One of the first things that I do with clients is to help them to set up a safe place in their consciousness. Real or imagined, this safe place can be where they feel completely at ease, safe, calm, and supported. My safe place, for example, is in a bonefishing boat with my father way out in the flats off of Grand Bahama Island. The water is crystal blue, the sky is massive, and I can hear the birds, the quiet lapping water on the side of the boat, and I can smell the salty air. Create as many details as possible when thinking about your safe place and then ground yourself there and allow yourself to feel, sense, and experience what it is like to be in this place.
Tip #2: Find the feeling behind the belief
Our thoughts are an expression of our inner landscape and can be deceivingly linear. We often try to "think" our way through our suffering, but finding the feeling or the sensation can open up the non-linear experience and give you access to a broader frequency of the experience. From the feeling, ask yourself, "What am I needing?" Healing comes from addressing and attending to this unmet need. If it feels available, you might even use your imagination to experience this need being met.
Tip #3: Feel your feet
Sometimes when we start thinking of challenging experiences, our emotions start getting big and loud. When this happens, we can become flooded by our feelings, and reasoning is difficult. This is an excellent time to practice some physical grounding. Feel your feet on the floor and feel the contact with the ground below you. (This can be done anywhere; it doesn't have to be outside.) Energy follows thought, so as you think of your feet touching the ground, your energy will move from your head to your feet. This is calming and centering. Practice this often, and you will find it more accessible and easier to stay grounded with more balanced emotions.
Tip #4: Anchor in the present place
Orientation is everything. If you have a known safe place (real or imagined), bring this place to mind and heart. Ground yourself in this safe place and then, using a technique of linking - link that sense of safety and wellbeing to the present moment. Look around and see where you are. Maybe you are in your kitchen, and you see the window, your sink, the dish soap, the coffee pot (just off to the right). Let the safety be with you here and also allow yourself the reminder that "you are okay - your heart is beating, you are standing and breathing, and that you are in your kitchen." Keep the details of this place close to mind and heart.
As you begin your process of grounding and the subsequent release of your traumas, Amelia has a few final tips for those ready to begin this journey of freeing themselves.
Tip #5: Do it for you
As you can see, grounding comes in many forms - but at its essence, it is about coming home to yourself. It is about reclaiming safety, about feeling sturdy, about acknowledging your feelings but not letting them run your show. Grounding is a practice, which means all of these suggestions are helpful at the moment but even more impactful if you revisit them often.
Tip #6: Have support
When we repattern trauma energetically, these grounding practices assist in creating a safe environment for that work. I think it is wonderfully supportive of having a friend to share your process; friends by nature are very grounding, and knowing that you are not alone is a critical piece of trauma support.
Tip #7: Consult a professional
These grounding suggestions are not replacements for professional trauma support. It is always recommended that you seek a licensed professional or an individual trained to support trauma through a holistic or energy-based scope of practice.
If you’re interested in learning more about the release of trauma via grounding practices, I would be happy to set up an email, Zoom or phone interview with regular media contributor Amelia Vogler. Amelia has been featured on NBC, FOX, Thrive Global and other media outlets for her work. Many thanks and I look forward to hearing from you!
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