Hi Bluebird,
I have verY strong feelings about this. Grounding!!
I will tell you two ways, one physical, and one spiritual.
Physical: This is the one I equate to qigong, or, Chinese method in general. As opposed to being on top of the ground, like standing on a surface, see yourself standing in the ground, maybe knee deep. This produces a grounding effect. Whenever you are moving energy up from the bottom, like in the seven steps, go into the ground, say 10 or 12 feet, moving the energy in and out of the earth. Grabbing the ground with your feet , or sending down an image of roots, tying into the ground...
Spiritual: Mother Earth is a living being. She knows you. All the lives you have walked on Mother Earth...your body always returns to her. You can talk to Mother Earth. Thank her for all she provides, and ask to connect to the "appropriate center", or "her center in a healing way", and visualize yourself going down and attaching to the center. Bring up the energy from that center to the bottoms of your feet, up through your legs, to your bottom chakra(base of the torso). See the energy fill up that area, and move up through lower chakras, or body, up to the heart level. This is a basic ground, plus, you are acknowledging a "relationship" with Mother Earth. Acknowledging the relationship , and your communication/prayer, is an act of love.
This is more on the Native American side, but I ground this way in meditation and qigong work. So, you can either move in and out of the earth, or plug into the earth, or have a relationship with Mother Earth. BTW she does communicate with us if we go to her, and, she likes tobacco! Putting a little tobacco on the ground, saying a prayer...I often carry tobacco. It reminds me of my relationship with her. It also comes in handy if I see a great rock or feather I want to take home. Placing a little tobacco on the ground and thanking Mother Earth for what you are taking, or what you have been given, is very appropriate. The other day, I was sitting in a room, looking outside. I was away on a bike trip, in a nice setting in the woods. I saw a redtail hawk feather come down, (vertically!!), and stick into the ground. Needless to say, a time to get the tobacco, and that feather!
Bottom line. And I feel very strongly about this, regardless of it coming from another source. Have the relationship. Don't "just" plug in and ground without the relationship.
"She" will help your exercise, just like the Master's energy. This is my personal feeling. I am not speaking for any system here.
