Tornadoes, drought, out of control fires and floods surround us here in the United States. Add the Boston Marathon bombings, wars around the world and constant images of people suffering, and it is difficult to keep yourself grounded. By grounded I mean that you are fully aware of your own body, are in the present moment and feel connected to the earth. Going into a state of over responsibility is not helpful to you or to anyone you want to help. Doing this means you bring their energy into your body and give your energy to them. No one can function at their best without their own energy available. The way to be of the greatest service to those that you love and strangers you truly care about is to stay grounded, to acknowledge your empathetic feelings and to pray for everyone’s highest good.
It is so easy to think that it is wrong to feel good when others are suffering and yet, you feeling terrible does not help them one bit and it lowers your own ability to help. Staying in gratitude for the blessings you have, praying for the ones in need, and actively helping whenever you can see a concrete way to do so, is the most useful way to support others.
And if you are the one in the midst of the full blown catastrophe, staying grounded, acknowledging that what is happening is happening, are all empowering. None of us can really help ourselves if we are stuck in our heads arguing with what is true–“this should not be happening, I should not be feeling this, that person should not have had that happen.” Accept that what is happening is real and stay in your body, ready to react to what is needed. And for extra credit look for the humor in the situation if that is possible. When you have even a second of laughter, you change your mind’s ability to see new solutions and you help your body move out of crisis mode. None of this is to say that you should not have feelings of despair, or moments of rage, or hours of confusion. I am only saying that moving back into your body and into the present moment will allow you the best opportunity to work out what you need to do next.
So whether you are the one witnessing the crisis or you are the one right smack in the middle of it, ground yourself and listen for the inner guidance that can speak to you about what is the next step.
