Grounded. What does it mean to be grounded? Not spacy. Not scattered. Or as children say...not daydreaming. When did we stop daydreaming? Now we say our thoughts are racing, or our mind is not here. Daydreaming sounds like so much more fun!

So grounded is the opposite of all this. It is the place where we feel totally present. We are aware of the body and its sensations. We are aware of the breath. We are completely present. It is the opposite of being unfocused, and is in fact, yoga.

All that grounding is, is what yoga is. Every time we come to the mat we become aware of the body, the mind is watching it and we breathe. We are attempting to find our connection with the floor and the earth below it. We are seeking our place in the world.

In all of yoga we are focused on being present. As I write this I think, when will I get to bed? My tummy is really full from that blueberry pie. Oops! I crossed my legs again!. It is very challenging to be present and totally focused. There are so many distractions. The sounds... The crickets chirping. The night train sitting on the tracks. The flow of traffic on the highway. The thoughts - see above. Our constant craving for everything to be done and perfect.

And with yoga, it is all happening at the same time. It's simply a matter of what you choose to pay attention to. Isn't that easy?

Meditation is a way of grounding, bringing ourselves back to the present moment. We get lost in our thoughts. Daydreaming. And then we come back. Time after time after time.

Being grounded means feeling stable and rooted, like a tree. Standing postures are good tools to help us feel grounded. We reach down through the feet and feel like we know where we are. Balancing postures help us find our feet, our stability, our balance and our place in the room.

Drinking water might help you feel present. Eating meat, protein or simply eating may bring you back to your earthly body.

Sitting on your sitz bones in a seated twist, you find yourself awake and aware of twisting spine.

Lying on your belly for back bends: cobra and half locust and you are there. You are dropped down through the pelvis and feeling heavy toward the earth.

One last time for grounding..lying on your back. Nothing to do. Savasana. The final relaxation brings you back to the ground. Back to your roots. Back to your self. Letting go of all external "stuff" and remembering who you are.

Today started out as one of "those days". You know, where everything you touch falls apart, or you cannot get the bag or jar, or paint can, open. Or the screw breaks off. Your big blue garbage can spills into the street before the nice men come to pick it up. And I got so frustrated. I found myself yelling to the cats: "I can't deal with this!" And I had to back off, and take a deep breath and say, none of that mattered.

What was precious and what mattered was that my girls looked at me with wide eyes, watching my every move like it was the most exciting thing they'd ever seen! And that was feeling grounded, being with my cats, who allow me to talk to them and yell around them. They let me move their world to wash the towel or shake out the throw rug, or vacuum behind them. And through it all, they are present. They are watchful. They are awake. And enjoying every moment. OK, well, maybe not so much the yelling or vacuuming.

Being grounded for me means knowing I am present and I can do whatever I need to do at the moment. So I guess it's off to bed for some sleep.

Thanks for listening.