By Kandace Hawley
How to stay grounded and centered when times are tough.
I write this in a time when uncertainty, anxiety, and fear plague our minds and hearts collectively. There seems to be no end to the global calamities. The COVID pandemic, Russia’s invasion of European Ukraine, and the looming existential threats of climate change and/or nuclear war can leave many of us feeling helpless in despair. And while it is admirable to be able to feel something so strongly on behalf of the human collective and the world, sometimes the collective forces can become too burdensome and debilitating to bear. When this happens, it’s important to discover your roots and the depths within you.
Carl Jung, father of analytical psychology, once wrote, “He who is rooted in the soil ensures. Alienation from the unconscious and from its historical conditions spells rootlessness. That is the danger that lies in wait for the conqueror of foreign lands, and for every individual who, through one-sided allegiance to any kind of -ism, loses touch with the dark, maternal, earthy ground of his being” (CG Jung CW. 8, pg. 103).
Like a tree with shallow roots, we can all fall victim to the chaotic winds of the collective. To deepen our roots, we must face ourselves and look within shadows of the unconscious to discover and connect with our inner most-true essence. Our unconscious contains not only lost treasure and personal inner demons, but at its most fundamental layer, it also contains a vast ocean of primordial imagery and energy that binds humanity. To ground ourselves in this layer of the psyche is to ground ourselves in something untouchable and timeless.
This process is not without pain, however. Connecting with the collective soils of the unconscious also involves confronting our own personal shadows, confronting wounds, healing past traumas, and discovering lost parts of ourselves. Yet it’s this work precisely that gives us the solid integrity we need to face the collective storm. When we know ourselves wholistically and truly, there’s not much that can waver us.
I would also like to claim that this is the great work of our time. In our post-enlightenment, Western culture is materially rich, but spiritually poor. One of the best things we can do to help our collective circumstances is to engage in spiritual introspection, discover our depths, and realize our potential. In this process, we realize what value we can offer society and how we can contribute to lessen the storms. And keep in mind, when it comes to how individuals can help the greater society, it’s not always about what we do externally. Our state of being can also be felt collectively. Therefore, by simply looking within and deepening our roots, we can help ease the tension and anxiety of our times.
So, I invite you to discover your roots and your soils—however that might look for you. It might start with literally walking barefoot in a garden as spring emerges, or expressing your inner contents through art. It could be plunging into the depths of your psychic shadows and healing past traumas head on. Or you might just feel that you need to disconnect from everything that is happening around you and simply breathe. Regardless, I advise that you look within and ask yourself habitually, “What do I need to do today to deepen my roots?” Only you will know what’s right for you right now. And on those days when you’re feeling particularly swept up, just remember, there’s endless, abundant, and nutritious soil within you.
Kandace Sheri Hawley is an educator and writer who believes that every individual holds the key to their own truth. Her overall aim is to enable people on their own path to self-realization and discovery. She runs a podcast called “En Soma,” where she combines her academic background in education with her studies in Jungian Theory from GAP, along with her years of experience in analysis to share perspectives on spirituality, philosophy, society, and existence in general. You can find her at http://www.ensomapodcast.com.