YOU are spirit. If you have a leaning towards spiritual exploration, and/or have settled onto your spiritual path, you may have your own personal concepts of the meaning of “spirit.”
I often hear people say, “my spirit.” Which, to me, indicates they believe that they are their physical body, and have a spirit vs. being a spirit, and having a body. I believe that we ARE all spirits, and we have bodies. We are spirits manifesting in physical bodies. Whether human, dog, cat, horse, bird, fish, or bear, we are all spirits, with bodies.
There has been much discussion, debate, and studies conducted to prove that animals experience emotion. All bodies have and experience emotions. Emotions are of the body. So, yes. Animals definitely experience, and have a wide range of, emotions. Just like people do. But animals are more than just their bodies, just like people are. We are again, all spirit with bodies. It is because we have bodies that we can experience emotions, and other aspects of the physical realm.
Without the use of a body a spirit can not experience the physical world, including emotions. Whether animal or human. Without the ability to manifest through a body, we, as spirit, are in, and can only experience the spiritual realm. Emotions, the intellect, and other experiences, such as pain are only part of the physical experience. To experience them we need a body. And for a body to experience life, to be alive, it needs a spirit, a spiritual being to manifest its energy through it. We need each other, spirit, and body, to experience the physical world.
Obviously, we know the scientific meaning of life, and the aspects of the body that need to be healthy for the body to be alive. But it is the spirit, the soul, the spiritual being and whether its energy is energizing the body that determines whether it is alive or not, and the state of vitality of the body.
As spirit we have the ability to move our energy in and out of our body. The body is always in the present moment. As spirit, we can be in the present, the past, or the future. We can use our bodies to help us at spirit to manifest more consciously into the present. Focusing on our body’s rhythms and experiences can automatically help draw our attention as spirit more into the present. Some meditation practices encourage focusing on breathing, which is a fabulous start! When one focuses their attention on their breath flowing in and out of their lungs it brings their awareness more to their body, and thus more to the present moment. Remember, your body is always in the present. As I mentioned, you as spirit, can be anywhere, at will. The present, the past, the future. Even another city, state, or country. Wherever your attention is, that’s where you are as spirit.
It can be fun to just notice. Allow yourself to be aware. Check in when you think of it. Where is your attention? Is it on the task or activity you are currently doing? It might be! Are you thinking about other things on your “to do” list? Perhaps you’re enjoying thoughts of an upcoming event that you’re looking forward to. Or maybe a memory was triggered and you’re dwelling on something from the past. There’s no right or wrong, or good or bad about it. Each is just a different experience.
However, the more you are in the present, the more in control of yourself, your body, your energy, and your actions you will be. In addition to focusing on your breathing, you can be aware of your heartbeat, your pulse. Notice the weight and mass of your body, your clothes on your skin, the temperature of the room. Use the senses of your body to help draw your attention as spirit more to it, and to the present moment. Tune into any sounds, smells, and tastes in your mouth. If you close your eyes, as in meditation, it can help lessen distractions. We take in so much information with our eyes, that when we close them, it helps us to focus more on ourselves, and our bodies. However, if you are sighted and your eyes are open, you can use your sense of sight, and what you see, to further draw your attention into the present. We often learn to move our attention out into whatever we are looking at, so this is something to be aware of. Practice staying with your body, as you look at external sights.
These techniques are simple and can be done with your eyes closed or opened, as mentioned. But there is one other technique that is just as simple, but in my opinion, is the most important. It’s called grounding. You may have heard the term grounding before, but it may be a different style than what I am sharing about.
While you can be grounded anytime and anywhere and doing any activity, if you are new to grounding, it can help you to sit comfortably in a straight back chair, with your eyes closed. You’ll want to have your feet separated and flat on the floor, and your hands separated and resting in your lap. Take some nice, slow deep breaths and relax your body. Be aware of the area near the base of your spine. This is your first chakra. Allow yourself to create, imagine, visualize a flow of energy flowing from the area near the base of your spine all the way down to the center of the earth. Let it flow straight down with no effort. This is your grounding cord. Securely attach it to both ends, the center of the earth and your first chakra. Take a deep breath and experience being grounded. How does your body respond to being grounded? Get a word or words to describe what it’s like to be grounded right now. Does it feel familiar, or new? Continue to allow your grounding to flow. Being grounded can help to lessen stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as help you be less scattered and more in control of your life.
You can also use your grounding to release energy. Physicists have proven that everything is energy. Everything. Everything physical and everything related to the spiritual realm. There are just different kinds of energy. Some we can physically see, and some we can’t. There are energies that are beneficial and those that can be disturbing and disruptive. We can release any energy we do not want. When we release unwanted energy, we make more room for the energy that we want. Out with the old and unwanted energies, and in with the new and desired energies.
Practice releasing energy now. Be aware of your grounding flowing from your first chakra to the center of the earth. Get the concept of releasing any unwanted energy down your grounding. Just let it go. With no effort. Just allow, and let it flow. This process does not harm the planet in any way. Once it gets to the center of the earth, the energy is neutralized to be reused again.
Be aware of an area of your body that you carry a lot of tension. That is stored energy. Allow that energy to flow down your grounding. Let it go. Relax your body by releasing energy. How does your body respond as you release energy from it? You can release any energy that you want. Releasing energy also strengthens your grounding. If you ever feel like you need more grounding, simply send more energy down it.
If you are ever feeling scattered, overwhelmed, or uncomfortable in any way, remember your ability to ground. Simply grounding helps to calm your body’s nervous system. Then you have the added benefit of releasing any energy that is making you uncomfortable. You may tune into something specific, but you don’t have to. There have been times I didn’t know exactly what energy I was dealing with, but knew I needed to let it go. So, I did, and my body felt better.
Grounding is a spiritual technique, as is releasing energy. You create your grounding as spirit. You release energy as spirit. When you create as spirit it takes no effort. If you ever find yourself trying hard to ground, or release energy, that’s your body trying to get involved. Bodies use effort. Spirits do now. Remember, everything is energy. Including effort. So, you can release any interfering effort energy down your grounding.
Using spiritual techniques, such as grounding and releasing energy, will help you get to know yourself as spirit. The soul, the spiritual being that you are. I’ll end this blog post, just as I began it. YOU are spirit. Enjoy your unique, and uniquely beautiful spiritual journey, here on earth.
The Year of the Snake will begin January 29th and continue through February 16th, 2026. While there are many fans of reptiles, including snakes, for some they evoke fear, dislike, and other less than pleasant responses. The Chinese Zodiac philosophy provides a more neutral, desirable perspective, including a representation of transformation, renewal, and spiritual growth. Just as snakes shed their skin to allow for new growth. Shedding the old that they are ready to let go of, which may also have parasites attached. Making room for the new, fresh, healthy, clean skin. Out with the old, in with the new.
The Year of the Snake has the same references attached, so consider that as we enter into 2025. A year of letting go, cleansing, healing, allowing space for an emergence of fresh perspectives, more self-expression, sharing, and shining of the real YOU. In reality, I have just described what each year, as well as every single day, can be. But this is a fun way to be reminded and encouraged to identify what is non-beneficial in our lives. Validating this can empower us to make a choice to keep and remain as we are, or remove and replace, or take steps to do so.
Letting go of some things may seem easier than others. There may be non-beneficial patterns that have become ingrained habits. You may experience emotions in your body that make it feel safer and more comfortable to hang on, and frightening or even terrifying to change or let go. Using the meditation techniques that I practice and teach can help your body feel less afraid and more confident to move forward. They can create a stable foundation of safety, as well as provide techniques to consciously create change. You can let go of fear, anxiety, and other discomforts from your body using these tools.
