Plants are a natural source of grounding. After all, they’re living beings who enroot themselves into the earth, and they use their roots to keep themselves in place despite the wind and other weather. Taking advantage of their healing and metaphysical properties, you can use plants to ground yourself. It’s all-natural, beautiful, and easy to do.

What Grounded Means

But, first things first. Let’s define what we mean by “grounded.” It means you and your energy are focused and steady much like a well-rooted tree. Moreover, you’re physically, emotionally, mentally, energetically, and/or spiritually rooted.

This doesn’t mean rigid or unchanging. After all, trees sway in the breeze, follow the sun, and grow. It’s just that trees do all this while their roots remain firmly planted in the ground. They grow and transform from a strong and solid place. Which is an optimal point of reference for your personal and spiritual growth.

People who are grounded are fully present, live in the moment, and are aware of their physical boundaries and surroundings. They have clarity and conviction and can “hold their ground:” they don’t tend to waver or oscillate with each new interaction that they have. Nor, do they endlessly ruminate over their next steps.

Another way to look at it is when you’re grounded, you know it. And, when you’re not, everybody else seems to know it. Joking aside, hectic “modern” lifestyles, characterized by constant change and endless demands, are ungrounding. Consequently, lots of people are either at times or even chronically ungrounded. Fortunately, plants offer many healing attributes to help you stay grounded or re-ground.

What UNgrounded Means

People who are ungrounded tend to be spacey, scattered, and unfocused. They frequently change their focus. Others and external events can easily sway them.

Ungrounded people may even experience some degree of dissociation. Being temporarily ungrounded is relatively common and even normal, especially for those who live in a modern fast-paced, rapidly changing environment. Being chronically ungrounded is another thing altogether, and can lead to considerable long-term unbalance and dysfunction.

Grounded And Ungrounded All In One

People can be completely grounded, or they can be grounded in some aspect of their lives and not others. For example, they could be emotionally grounded, but confused and conflicted about their spirituality. Alternatively, they can be spiritually grounded and clear and committed to their beliefs, but mentally flutter from thought to thought. They could also be clear thinkers but lack a sense of being physically present or energetically connected to the earth.

Lots of people who provide alternative and complementary healing services seek ways to maintain or increase grounding for themselves and their clients. Though some see energy work and spirituality as disconnected from the earth plane and even necessarily less grounded solid grounding aids both energy and spiritual work. A tree that is well-rooted can extend its limbs high up and out into the sky. The same is true for people.

Aromaromatic Plants to Ground Yourself

Let’s focus on aromatic plants and their derivatives, essential oils. These oils are extremely concentrated, powerful, and energetic (i.e., energetically vibrational and healing).

Interestingly, those for grounding tend to derive from trees: their bark, needles, and resins. Although, some are extracted from roots and rhizomes of herbaceous plants.

They also tend to be characterized by their base fragrance notes and are comprised of larger, heavier molecules or what’s called sesquiterpenes. Apparently, being more dense and weighty yields more grounding.

Oils For Grounding Blends

Grounding blends tend to be deep and resinous. More lightly scented blends are just not as impactful, though, they can help. For example, adding essential oils derived from conifer trees such as black spruce, silver fir, or cypress (also grounding) can lighten and brighten the blend.  Some of my favorites oils are:

• Angelica Root (Angelica Archangelica)
• Benzoin (Stryax benzoin)
• Black Spruce (Picea mariana)
• Cedar (Cedrus altanica)
• Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens)
• Frankincense (Boswellia carteri)
• Himalayan Cedar (Cedrus deodora)
• Myrrh (Commiphora myrrha)
• Oakmoss (Eugenia prunastri)
• Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin)
• Petitgrain (Citrus aurantium)
• Sandalwood (Santalum album)
• Silver Fir (Abies alba)
• Tarragon (Artemisia dracanculus)
• Vetiver (Vetiver zizanoides)

I like to make a blend that has a “personality” consistent with the intention of the blend, e.g., solid and deep for grounding and/or light and bright for uplifting the spirit.

In particular, I love black spruce for grounding in an energy healing session. It can uplift the deeper, richer grounding notes.

For More On Using Plants to Ground Yourself, See:

• Starchaser’s Mind Body Spirit Blog;
• Personal Growth, Natural Healing, and Wellness in-person or virtual workshops on grounding

or, Contact me.

Updated June 24, 2022