Why spiritual experiences often arrive through the body, not beyond it

I was chatting with a friend about being a guest on my podcast. I told her I’m most interested in stories of those moments in nature when something stirs so deeply in us that we feel it in our bodies-goosebumps, tingles, that unmistakable shiver of awe.

She knew instantly what I meant and said, “Yes, to have those experiences requires being very grounded.”

I agreed. And then I realized the irony.

“Grounded” is one of those words we toss around, yet it means very different things depending on who you ask.

According to Merriam-Webster, to be grounded is to be “mentally and emotionally stable: admirably sensible, realistic, and unpretentious.” A solid definition-but it brings to mind Mr. Banks from Mary Poppins: stern, practical, orderly, and perhaps allergic to imagination.

But for many of us, groundedness means something else. It’s not about shutting down imagination-it’s about rooting it.

It’s being firmly in our bodies. Balancing head and heart. Refusing to let the cultural pressure to be “rational” sever our connection to the mystical. It’s keeping our toes in the soil while allowing our senses to stay open to wonder, to magic, to mystery.

When I first opened to a more spiritual path, I noticed something unsettling. So many practices seemed to encourage leaving the body behind-to transcend, to “rise above.” Meditation often suggested that the goal was to release the confines of the physical, to surpass it.

I’ll never forget a retreat in British Columbia where we were meditating on the beach. The midges swirled endlessly, biting us, and the challenge was to “rise above” the irritating sting of the physical world. It was one of the most distracting meditations I’ve ever experienced.

And yet, the very next day, I immersed myself in the cold, fresh water of a nearby lake. Every cell of my body came alive. I felt the water envelop me-sensuous, refreshing, whole. Not escaping the body, but embodying it completely. The contrast could not have been more stark.

In interviewing nearly 200 people about mystical encounters in nature, I’ve noticed a pattern. Every truly enchanted experience comes with a rush of vibrational energy moving through the body. It often feels like a wave of electricity or light, not unlike descriptions of kundalini energy.

I first recognized this connection between body and spirit at a different retreat. We were sitting in a circle on a wooden floor, guided through meditation. At one point, the facilitator paused. In that silence, I suddenly felt a cascade of tingles-like shimmering vibrations-flowing from my crown down to my root. Moments later, the guide shared that a spiritual presence he had invited had “arrived” in the room.

That was the moment I realized: these tingles, these physical sensations, were not random. They were signals of connection-body confirming spirit.

Eastern philosophy teaches that true harmony comes from the balance of yin and yang. Head and heart. Earth and sky. Thought and feeling.

In our culture, we are so head-focused-trained to analyze, measure, and rationalize. But the heart, the body, and the senses need nurturing too. When we allow ourselves to be grounded-rooted in body, open in heart-we create the conditions for awe, wonder, and profound encounters with the living world.

You don’t need a mountain retreat or a forest immersion to practice groundedness. You can begin in the smallest of ways:

Allow stillness. Even one minute of pausing is enough.Notice your body. Feel your weight in the chair, your feet on the ground.Engage the senses. Notice the texture of your clothing, the breeze on your skin, the scent of the air, the sounds around you.Let presence expand. As you anchor into your body, you also open yourself to the unseen currents of life moving through and around you.

Groundedness is not about escaping the physical-it’s about finding the sacred through it.

So I’ll return to the question I began with:

What does being grounded mean to you?

Thank you for reading. If this piece sparked something in you, I’d love to hear about it in the comments. Do you have a story where you experienced light as awareness? As awakening? As love? Feel free to share-and if you enjoyed this, consider subscribing or forwarding to a fellow light-seeker.

Check out my podcast “ The Enchanted Earth Podcast, ” where you’ll hear stories of profound connection to nature. Also, you may be interested in my newest book, The Enchanted Earth: Embracing the Power of Nature to Discover the Wild in You (Mango, 2024).

I do one-on-one spiritual mentoring and offer online courses in feng shui, earth energy healing, biophilic design, and spirituality. Discover 🌿 Your Enchanted Archetype with this quiz!

With reverence and Earth blessings,
Maureen
🌍 Host of The Enchanted Earth Podcast
🌿 Earth Energy Practitioner & Teache

Originally published at https://maureencalamia.substack.com .

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