Centering exercise promotes spiritual growth and provides a solid foundation for your being so you can function at your best.
It is a disciplined way to become less scattered by taking a few minutes to focus your mind, your intention, and connect with the stability and nurturance of the universe and the earth.
This brief meditation can also be thought of as a grounding exercise that helps you realize the benefits of your relationship to the earth. Often the emphasis on spiritual development is focused upwards toward the sky. This is wonderful and good, but the earth is our home.
Indigenous peoples recognize this dual relationship in their spirituality. For instance, in Native American ceremonies they include both heaven and earth with phrases like, “father sky” and “mother earth.”
A Personal Centering Exercise Experience
In my hospital work, I learned the power of using a centering exercise. Caring for people in their most vulnerable time required my focused presence. Yet, there were many competing tasks to accomplish and it was easy to get scattered and distracted.
I first learned to center myself when I took therapeutic touch classes. Grounding yourself is a first step in nearly all energy healing methods.
I found that this simple quick exercise helped me calm down and be present for the person I was with at the time. Once centered, I noticed my patients’ seemed to feel my presence, feel I was listening to them, and they too became more relaxed. I was more able to understand and meet their needs and I became more efficient too.
There are many ways of grounding yourself. Some focus on grounding through the chakras, the foundation of your energy system. Here, I provide the steps to a simple, quick method you can use anytime, any where.
Quick Centering Exercise Steps
- Stop and bring your attention to the present moment.
- Take 2 or 3 deep breaths, filling your lungs on the in-breath and releasing all tension on the out-breath.
- Now, imagine that you are a beautiful tree. Imagine your body as the trunk of the tree with your spine straight, yet flexible respecting its natural curvature. Allow your head to float up as if being lifted by a skyhook while tucking your chin in slightly.
- Feel the strength of your body, giving you form and holding your upright. Sense the strength of your body as being like a tree, remaining flexible, yet firm, even in the strongest winds.
- Imagine golden sunlight being absorbed through the leaves or needles of the tree, nourishing you from above.
- Imagine that you have roots as the tree has roots that flow down into the nurturing soils of the earth. Feel the moisture and nutrients flow up through your body.
- Take a moment to circulate the nurturing golden sunlight from above and the nurturing nutrients that flow up from the earth. Feel the stability and safety of your roots firmly planted within the earth. Feel the wondrous miracle of light as its golden flow vitalizes every cell.
- Now focus on your intention for this time: being present to another, accomplishing an activity, or just to nurture yourself.
- Finish with a deep breath and feel gratitude for this miracle of life and turn your attention to your intention for this time.
Centering Exercise Key Points
Centering exercise is a disciplined way to become less scattered by taking a few minutes to focus your mind, your intention, and connect with the stability and nurturance of the universe and the earth.
Follow these 9 easy steps to become more grounded, more present to yourself and others, and focused for your activities.
