Do you sometimes feel disconnected with the people around you? How do you ground yourself again?

[Saiisha]

For me, nature is a beautiful, magical way to reconnect. It brings me back to the present, down to earth, and feel more connected when I come back to my everyday world. What are some of your go-to practices?

[Dmorri]

I tend to pick up other peoples energy, so I am learning to distance myself from drama. It doesn't mean I don't care, I just have to take a step back and not let it cloud my mind.

[Saiisha]

Debbie wrote: "I tend to pick up other peoples energy, so I am learning to distance myself from drama. It doesn't mean I don't care, I just have to take a step back and not let it cloud my mind."

You're absolutely right about that Debbie - stepping back doesn't mean you don't care - a little bit of detachment actually gives us an objective perspective!

[Saiisha]

Robert wrote: "Well, first I would have to start off saying that that is a process of knowing yourself, which in itself can be a life long study. At this time anything physical - yoga, exercise, qi gong, walking ..."

Very true Robert! Self-inquiry (atma-vichara in Sanskrit) is indeed a life-long study, and the deeper we go, the more we learn about our Self. Thank you for chiming in with your practices through music, drums, horn... that's got to be a great way to shake off any foreign / negative energies.

[Carole]

Saiisha wrote: "Debbie wrote: "I tend to pick up other peoples energy, so I am learning to distance myself from drama. It doesn't mean I don't care, I just have to take a step back and not let it cloud my mind."

..."
I do too Debbie, sometimes if the energy is angry enough it almost hurts me, this just started about 7 years ago. I can , on a good day, observe how the energy is at where I work and adjust my own. Having this ability actually allows me to take a breath and be more understanding of others, I do not take their behavior as personal as I used to as I know it is not really who they are.

[Barbara]

I pick up other's energy as well. I try to remove myself from the overly charged situations and allow it to dissipate by spending time alone with music or in nature. Meditation also works.

[Saiisha]

Carole wrote: "I do too Debbie, sometimes if the energy is angry enough it almost hurts me, this just started about 7 years ago. I can , on a good day, observe how the energy is at where I work and adjust my own. Having this ability actually allows me to take a breath and be more understanding of others, I do not take their behavior as personal as I used to as I know it is not really who they are"

That's pretty amazing Carole, if you can observe and adjust your energy when you're hurt by it - and you're right, as much as we tend to take it personally, the hurtful energy is actually coming from a person who's in a hurtful place - if we can understand where they're coming from, it's a lot easier to help them.

[Saiisha]

Barbara wrote: "I pick up other's energy as well. I try to remove myself from the overly charged situations and allow it to dissipate by spending time alone with music or in nature. Meditation also works."

Trying to detach ourselves from the drama is the most effective way of course :) I just wrote a blog post about how to deal with negativity within our own family and friends, and the big secret, as you said Barbara, is Detachment!

http://www.nestintheforest.com/how-to...

[Saiisha]

Anne S Nicholas wrote: "I don't agree that the big secret is detachment.. Sometimes perhaps, but only when you don't plan to have a relationship with the person. We are not here to detach ourselves from the world, we are ..."

You bring up a great point Anne!! And it allows me to clarify that Vairagya / detachment doesn't necessarily mean giving up the world or our relationships. It's more about detaching from the extreme emotional reactions we feel in response to those experiences. And, I agree with you - we can better understand or help the other person when we can detach from our own extreme emotions / reactions, and instead meet them where they are, stand in that centered space you talk about, and understand where they're coming from.

Thank you for sharing your insight!

[Raghavy]

I completely agree.. I used to think to be detached was to be free of emotion and not give a shit.. But then I began to realise that this kind of 'detachment' will only bring heartache, resentment and numbness to ourselves and in turn our world. To love without attachment is probably the greatest Love there is.

[Saiisha]

Raghavy wrote: "I completely agree.. I used to think to be detached was to be free of emotion and not give a shit.. But then I began to realise that this kind of 'detachment' will only bring heartache, resentment ..."

YES! That's the beginning of the journey toward universal love!