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As an empath, emotional turmoil may rise up around you at any time. Grounding yourself is a technique that helps you realign with who you are. It helps you differentiate between your own emotions and the emotions of those around you. When done properly, it realigns you with your inner being and allows you time to reflect on who you are and what you are feeling. Essentially, by grounding yourself, you are taking back control over your life. You are refusing to simply react to what is around you by focusing on yourself and what you need or want to do.

As you learn to ground yourself and as you learn the techniques in the following chapters, know that your goal is to become a balanced empath. A balanced empath is described as someone who uses the emotional sensitivity that is an innate part of their nature and uses it to create positivity in their life. To be described as balanced, you must be an active participant in your own emotional healing, allowing it to fulfill you and bring happiness to your life.

Once you have become a balanced empath, you will learn to communicate and relate to others as you never have before. Yes, it can be difficult to deal with the negative emotions that occur around you daily. When you ground yourself, however, you can focus on the positives and form authentic, meaningful emotional connections with those around you.

The most critical step to becoming balanced is learning how to separate your own feelings from the emotions and thoughts of others. It is entirely possible to control your sensitivity. Those who have studied these practices of grounding and those who have learned to block out the emotions of others lead the most successful lives. Why? It is because they do not emotionally burnout as they go through their day. It is for this reason that you must learn control over your highly sensitive nature. The first step will be discussed in this chapter, learning how to ground yourself so that you can modulate your own emotions. The following techniques will help you bring quiet to your mind, letting you focus so that should you choose to use your empathic abilities, you will actually be able to help.

One of the best things about learning to balance yourself as an empath is that you will become capable of helping others. You will no longer feel as if you are suffering, just existing as a helpless spectator while those around you experience their own personal hell. Because you can clear your mind to concentrate on the problem, rather than the emotions that it brings, you become capable of expressing thoughts in a way that offers healing and empowerment. Some empaths express this through art work, while others work in fields where they can help others. Some empaths may even use it in their personal life, such as helping a distressed teenager go through the difficult changes of life. Even if you do not choose a profession where your empathic nature can help, bringing that balance into your life will do you good in so many different ways.

As you read through the following techniques, keep in mind that you are still learning to control your empathic nature. Grounding yourself is something that must be practiced. It may not feel natural to ground yourself at first, especially since you have spent your whole life up to this point tuning into the emotions put out by others. Though it does not feel natural, it is the right thing to do. It is important to move past this discomfort and push to study and practice these techniques if you ever want to live what might be considered a ‘normal’ life.

It becomes harder for your mind to focus on all the emotions of the people around you if you are already engaged in what you are doing. Take a small snack with you to eat throughout the day. Something with variety, like a trail mix, might be a good idea. This technique would also work if you were going out to eat in a restaurant and did not want to be bombarded with the jitters of people on first dates or the anger of the wife whose husband checked out the waitress.

To eat mindfully, all you must do is focus on what you are eating. Chew your food slowly and taste it thoroughly. If you are chewing an almond, focus on its crunchy exterior but milky interior and its slight sweetness. If you are eating a sandwich, pay attention to the different flavors that come together when you take a bite. Aim to fully taste and truly enjoy your food. In addition to distracting from all that is around you, you will find that you are focused on your own enjoyment from eating.

Start this visualization by seeing yourself as a tree. Your body is the trunk of the tree and your arms and head are the branches. Imagine that the heart of the tree is beating within you, that it exists not only as you but as the deepest part of your being. Then, imagine that you have grown roots from the bottom of your feet to deep into the earth. These roots are flexible and they will follow you wherever you go, grounding the core of your being to the ground where you walk. These roots that connect to the trunk of your soul allow you to turn your focus inward. You will not float away into the worries, anger, and other negative emotions of others because you are deeply rooted within your own self.

Have you ever had an encounter with a powerful negative emotion and not been able to shake it afterward? This is a fairly common experience, because once you come into contact with that emotion your mind becomes more receptive to it throughout the day. The reality is that you cannot avoid all the negative emotions that exist in the world. Instead, try washing yourself of that negative experience once it is over. This is especially true if you had physical contact with that person.

As you wash your hands, feel that negative energy coming off you. If it seems to be rooted deeply within you, picture it flowing from your heart and mind, sliding down your arms, and being washed from your hands. Wash until that negative emotion no longer has a hold on you. Showering works in the same way. Imagine yourself being cleansed of negative energies as water runs from the top of your head to your feet. The negative energies are being washed down the drain and you will step out of the shower as a refreshed, grounded version of yourself.

Crystals are said to work because of the incredible earth energy within them. Crystals are grown in the crust of the earth, usually for millions of years before being discovered. During this time, they are exposed to high temperatures and pressure, which creates an object from the earth that contains an incredible amount of energy. The type of crystal that has been created determines the type of energy that is put forth.

Grounding crystals help center you with the energy of the earth. You should feel balanced and connected. As you focus on this connection, you will focus less on all the emotions of those around you. Additionally, grounding crystals can help with common problems that empaths face, including an inability to focus, crankiness, anxiety, and panic. Here are some of the best crystals for grounding:

● Smoky quartz stones – These stones are considered the most powerful for the root chakra, which brings one closer to the earth. It has a subtle, uplifting energy and works by neutralizing the negative vibrations or energies around you and replacing them with light.

● Hematite Stone - This stone has incredible grounding powers, leaving behind a magnetic energy that centers you by sticking you to the earth. The magnetic energy that resonates from it helps with calmness, centering and balancing. Hematite stones calm by drawing the negative energy that exists in your energy field and within your body and then holding it as its own. Some people find that hematite is either too powerful or too heavy for them so keep this in mind as you make your choice.

● Jasper Stone - The Jasper stone has been known for its grounding and healing energies since ancient times. They come in numerous colors and patterns. When choosing a Jasper stone, you should always look for the one that is the most beautiful to you. Crystals often call to the people who need them most. The way that the Jasper stone works is by deepening your connection with the Earth. The type of Jasper crystal you choose will have additional properties. For example, the Red Jasper stone re-energizes the body.

● Prasiolite Stone - The Prasiolite stone grounds you deep to the earth and helps remove any negative energies that exists in your space, body and mind. As the negative energy flows out, it is replaced with a renewing positive energy. This makes it an ideal choice for empaths.

For your crystals to remain effective, it is important that they are cleansed regularly. There are many websites that will teach you how to clean crystals online. For the crystal to be effective, you just must carry it with you. You can keep it in a pocket, hold it in your palm or even wear it as a piece of jewelry to feel its grounding effect. Though all of these are grounding crystals, they all have their own unique effects. If your crystal does not feel right, try another variety.

Every day, you should make an effort to physically touch the earth. You can touch water, concrete, grass, dirt, sand, or any other part of the earth’s make-up that you choose to touch. The reason this is important is because each time that you do this, you ground yourself to the earth. This connection benefits you physically and emotionally. Within our bodies, mental and physical free radicals attack our healthy cells. Direct contact with the earth allows us to absorb the electrons it puts forth, which work as antioxidants (that fight free radicals) in our body. Not only does physical contact with the earth ground us, it helps sustain us.

Another way that you can connect with the earth is by going out in nature. Visit your favorite spot in the woods or by a lake. Go barefoot if you can so that you can feel the energy of the earth beneath your feet. As you do this, reflect on how you feel inside. Think about which emotions you should be feeling, based on your current situation in life and release those that do not belong to you. Something else to remember as you commune with nature is that there is nobody around to judge you. Feel free to speak out loud and hear yourself analyze, coming to terms with your true self.

If you already have experience with meditation, then you may be able to skip guided meditation and meditate on your own. As an empath, however, it is unlikely that you have been able to achieve the clear mind that is necessary for meditation. Guided meditation is helpful because instead of you having to try and focus on nothing, a voice will guide you through the exercise. You clear your mind by listening to that voice and following instructions. Often, this takes you to a place of quiet and stillness.

You can find guided meditations that are specifically for grounding. Often, these focus on breathing down into the earth and draw attention to your root chakra. As you focus, your mind will slow. This type of grounding meditation is beneficial in more ways than one. Not only does it balance you, it cleanses your mind of any negative energies and helps you shield yourself from future encounters with negative energy.

Essential oils are often derived from plant parts, from the stems and leaves to trees and roots. These oils come from nature and offer a direct connection to earth. Using essential oils is a great way to center yourself, bring the natural effects of the earth with you wherever you go. Essential oils have many applications. They can be made into a perfume or tincture. You could also diffuse them in oil, leaving a healing and grounding aroma in the air around you. If you dilute the oils properly, you can even apply them directly to your skin or add a few drops in your lotion. Something to note, however, is that you should always buy therapeutic oils that are 100% pure. If they are synthetic in nature or impure, it is highly unlikely that you will find the grounding capabilities that you expect.

There are numerous essential oils that can remove negative energies from your life. Some even say that any combination will work as long as it is a pure oil. A proven combination of oils that cleanses negative energy and welcomes positivity is lavender and sage. The Native Americans also have their share of oils and herbs they use to produce the same effects, including pine needles, sweetgrass, cedar and juniper.

Sometimes, the best way to ground yourself is to dive deep inside and tackle your problem head on. Sit in a quiet space or go out in nature to ground yourself and then ask yourself the following questions:

After you have answered these questions, try another grounding technique to help let go of the emotions that are not your own. If you do have occurrences in your own life that is contributing to your negative feelings, address them so you have greater peace of mind.