getting grounded

I expressed to teachers Mark McLaughlin and Nikki Costello in their workshop last weekend that, even though I firmly believe in the powers of my meditation practice to relieve anxiety and connect to my Self, I sometimes experience a strange side effect of panic, as if the world has finally opened up to my physical and soul Self so purely that I cannot handle its intensity.

How can it be that I can feel all of the feelings so immensely on both sides of the spectrum - like I could both vomit and be the epitome of supreme health, sink or fly, melt or elevate, evaporate or fortify, weep or laugh, die or exist eternally, feel exhaustively confused and deeply connected?

Not only do I feel all of these things, but often I feel them all within the same moment, as if the ground beneath me could split in two and cave in, or I might float so high I could end up in the clouds and expand into every particle of the universe.

I can assume that many of us have had experiences like this, whether we are going through a rough patch or are in a feel-good groove, and are all probably seeking ways to exist within these two extremes.

How do we stay on solid ground when we are faced with the fear and uncertainty of enlightenment, and/or how can we cultivate deeper connection to Source/Self/Universe if and when we feel stuck in the mud?

Click here to read the full post, including what it means to get grounded, and a simple meditation and tips for when that feels like the last thing we are capable of.

Mark referred to dharana, or the precursor to deep meditation, as focused attention. If and when we are experiencing joy or panic, connectedness or aloofness, we can still practice focusing our attention on those feelings and moments, whatever and wherever they may be, and perhaps use a similar approach to observing experiences as we would use for meditation.

What does practicing focused attention and getting grounded mean to you?

Read on for nourishing springtime salads, good new music, and fun wellness happenings.

Photo: baddha trikonasana at Yoga Vida Dumbo, Brooklyn.

springtime salads