An experienced practioner, life-teacher for many and founder of vitality centre Kenkon will give his perspective of grounding and what this means. Enjoy this article and hopefully you can use some of the techniques and find some wisdom.
Sydney Leijenhorst is a Wageningen based martial arts teacher, Qigong teacher and the head of vitality centre Kenkon. He has been teaching energy work practices for many years and brings ancient practices available to those interested. From all over the world people come to the vitality centre, Kenkon, for different martial arts trainings such as Karate or Hojo Undo. Sydney is receptive to student's needs, and hosts regular Qigong classes at Kenkon and Spectrum. In this interview we will explore his perspective on grounding.
Get organized, get connected and get results.
Sydney, what does grounding mean for you?
Grounding, being grounded, is for me a general sense of okayness, of being accepting of what is in the moment. There are multiple levels to this, in dutch we say 'lekker in je vel zitten' which means feeling well within your skin. This goes along with a stable mind and certain sense of peace. Then there is another level which is grounding in groundlessness. Grounding is the deepest expression of letting go that one can experience. This allows you to drop your personality as this can also be a restriction to who you are in the present moment. Grounding is present within every class I teach. It is the basis within of which a stable, peaceful and focused mind follow as a result.
What has your experience been with grounding?
Since I was young I have had a connection with grounding. I started with different types of martial arts and being grounded is very important in those disciplines. It is important to have a stable base, otherwise a clear and concentrated mind cannot follow. In fact, grounding is important for any type of high level performance. There has definitely been growth in my sense of grounding. When I look back at videos from a couple of years ago I can definitely see a difference in my grounding. This is an aspect which can grow in time, resulting in greater focus and stability which helps lead to an overall more peaceful sense of being. Moreover, at this point in my life I have been practicing and teaching so much that being grounded has become a natural way of living.
Grounding as a social act
Grounding can be seen as a social act as our sense of being grounded has an effect on the people around us. Next to that, grounding practices can be done together. In the trainings and practices I teach here at Kenkon there is a sense of community where grounding is something you do together. Just like eating together is also a sense of communal grounding.
What does grounding mean in the current day and age?
Nowadays, the term grounding is much more common then when I was young. This can be seen as a response to the fact that many people, especially in academic culture, are mainly present in their head. Due to this the focus on mental work the connection with our feet and surrounding has decreased. This results in people who are stressed, mostly present in their mind and in another moment. The search for inner peace, techniques for grounding and mental health has therefore grown over the last years.
On campus, for example in Forum, there's a lot of chaotic energy present because of the sheer amount of energies of a wide variety of people. What can you do to stay grounded and at ease in such situations?
There are different things which can help with this. Consciously being aware of your center by focusing on your lower abdominal breath and feet on the ground are things which can be helpful. A good tip would also be to become aware of the space between you and the people rather than the people themselves. This helps with spacing yourself in a situation. Another way would be to allow all to be there but not to react, this would be the feminine way. The masculine way is more focusing on your goal, going there and coming out. In the end it is best to have a balance between both masculine and feminine type of way. This is also fun as you can experience yourself what works for you.
What kind of advice can you give the young people who are reading this and want to be more grounded, at ease and stable in general?
It is normal, when you're young, to have moments when you're not grounded. You are exploring life, getting to know yourself, what you like and what you don't like. You are getting a lot of information but exploring which information is useful for you. In this process it is normal to not always feel grounded and at ease. In this age I think it is best to try out as many different things as possible. There is one mantra which I would recommend to everyone. Get organised, get connected and get results! Grounding and ease will come.