For the purpose of this post lets draw a distinction between “staying grounded” and “keeping your center”.

Lets suggest that keeping your center is about maintaining your clarity of mind, and your own unique set of values and beliefs. Keeping your “truth”. (related post: using reiki to keep your center)

Lets say on the other hand that staying grounded is to do with how we manage our energy as we move through our days and our reiki path.

# Not getting carried away 

Staying grounded is then about not getting carried away with things like syncronicity (meaningful coincidences), signs, higherself, visions, reiki guides, messages, ascension, enlightenment, those sorts of things.

Aswell as keeping a healthy connection to our daily life and its contents. The people we love, the people we meet, the work we have to do, and the world and culture within which it all exists.

This is easier said than done.. and I would be the first person to step forward and confess to periods of getting really caught up in my spiritual practise, spiritual life and spitirual values. (Not to mention all the mysterious and interesting things that can come along the path.)

# Give reiki to the feet

One of the best ways to stay grounded or to help your clients stay grounded is to give them lots of reiki to their feet.

The symbolism of why this works is obvious, but it is also good because it draws the persons energy down into their body. We send our eldest son to a Waldorf Steiner school, which is based in anthroposophical philosophy. They talk about this alot, about the children coming “into” their bodies. They feel it is a part of developing a balanced and well rounded world view.

It seems, amoung people I have given reiki to, that, most of the time, people who have at one point or another experienced difficulty staying connected with their body, normal life or their life situation, usually have too much of their energy in their upper chakras, and do not have a balance throughout their body.

Spending time giving reiki to the feet helps this alot.

# Drinking lots of water

This helps reduce clearing symptoms generally, or I should probably say, at least it reduces the severity of clearing symptoms.

And it is good to remember that a lack of grounding during your reiki training or spiritual path is just another clearing symtpom. (”This too will pass”)

# Practise the reiki ideals and stay humble

One of the biggest factors that will help a person remain grounded, it seems to me, remains a commitment to practising the reiki ideals. The essence of the reiki ideals is kindness. And at the heart of kindness is a fundamental lack of selfishness. A strong antidote to the energy that carries you away.

And too, it is great if your reiki teacher is able to avoid getting caught up in things like “special” signs, messages from spirit guides or whatever.

If you happen to be a reiki person responsible for giving reiki to someone else or training them in the reiki path and its healing arts.. it is even more important to demonstrate a balanced attitude and approach to the experiences and occurances that can arise on the reiki path.

# Conclusion, why is staying grounded necessary anyway?

It is very easy to get swept up in the excitement of the spiritual adventure and very tempting to start making vast changes in your life. This can even become an addiction for some of us. Chogyam Trungpa, one of the pioneers of Tibetan Buddhism in the west wrote about it brilliantly in his book Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism.

Staying grounded helps you maintain the heart of your reiki ideals.

The practise of kindness.

It also stops you from going over the top when integrating reiki, or any spiritual practise for that matter, into your daily life. It helps you maintain your connection with your family and friends, your work and your life situation.