Feeling more grounded

         My main focus the last few months in my training has been on relaxing/feeling relaxed in my forms, techniques, sparring, etc..  I had to integrate this aspect into my mind and body so that when I'm cued to, I can stay relaxed, and not revert back to tensing up like I had been doing for however many years.  Now my focus is on feeling grounded.  I don't just mean stability wise, although it is a nice result, but I mean really feeling connected to the earth beneath my feet and the subtlety in pressure in my feet as I shift my weight.

        I've been analyzing how I feel in my stances, regardless if I'm doing forms, techniques, or sparring.  Slowing everything down, because when I go at normal speed I lose sensitivity.  Once I have a good feeling for things I'll go at a normal speed again and see if I can feel the difference.  Part of it is definitely energetic.  I imagine a beam of light that enters the top of my head that flows down and roots into the earth.  Great visual exercise I learned years ago to help with grounding.  Having that foundation makes it a bit easier then to then imagine/redirect that energy out through the rest of my body, but I still struggle with that aspect (neigong).  I'm still more used to Qigong where I'm cultivating energy.  If I am giving energy, it is fir healing and not striking.  Similar concept I suppose.  In either case, staying grounded is imperative, otherwise you give up too much of your own energy and you can quickly feel ungrounded/dizzy/faint.  

        I find that if my foundation is solid and I'm feeling "grounded", then the rest of my movements also feel freer and easier, versus when I'm not feeling as "grounded" my movements feel strained (less supportive).  Been working on my opening bow and feeling out how I feel, just that first movement in particular gives me a lot of feedback.  Something to explore more.