What is Grounded Spirituality?
Winter is a good time to return to Earth.
Grounded spirituality is rooted to this Earth.
Grounded spirituality does not need to make itself special.
Grounded spirituality does not need to ascend or fly away to the 5-d.
Grounded spirituality does not need to dismiss the world as a mere dream or illusion.
Grounded spirituality says:
It is ok to be here.
It is ok to love people exactly as they are.
It is ok to get a job.
It is ok to learn useful skills.
It is ok to serve.
It is ok to have normal conversations.
It is ok to build relationships and networks.
It is ok to learn personal finance & wealth-building.
It is ok to go to the gym.
It is ok to blend in.
It is ok to develop discipline.
It is ok to be a leader.
It is ok to be a citizen.
It is ok to vote.
It is ok to put down roots in a small town.
It is ok to farm.
It is ok to build an honest business.
It is ok to keep your living space tidy and pristine.
It is ok to live in a safe, uneventful neighborhood.
It is ok to have kids.
It is ok to pay taxes.
It is ok to live a ‘boring’ life.
It is ok to stay close to family.
It is ok to see a doctor or dentist sometimes.
It is ok to have healthcare.
It is ok to educate yourself.
It is ok to send your kids to a school that feels like a good fit for them.
It is ok to integrate with society.
It’s also ok to live on the fringes of society and do everything in totally unorthodox, ‘new paradigm’ ways.
But it is wise to check in and be sure you’re not rushing to ‘escape the matrix’ out of a reactive antagonism.
Out of an inaccurate dualistic view of ‘those higher realms of light’ VS ‘this lower realm of earthly darkness.’
Grounded spirituality loves the world just as it is.
While also endeavoring to make it a more beautiful place for all.
Through small, everyday acts of kindness and presence with those around us.
Grounded spirituality recognizes that grandiose or utopian visions usually crumble in practice.
That does not mean we should not dream or attempt epic things.
But it allows us to do so with humility—and with an appreciation for what our ancestors were able to build.
Grounded spirituality cherishes life.
It cherishes the simplicity of falling snow, smooth stones, and lazy clouds drifting across the sky.
Grounded spirituality finds wonder, aliveness, and poetry in all of it.
For years, grounded spirituality has beckoned to me, whispering, “It is ok to be human.”
Has grounded spirituality been beckoning to you?
With Love,
Jordan Bates
P.S. Happy 2025, family. We made it. We love you. Blessings. 💙
Jordan, you've done it again. This is such an empowering and loving way to walk throught this beautiful/crazy/wonderful/intense world we are living in right now and it resonates so beautifully with my heart and soul.
Hi Jordan. An excellent piece on what grounded spirituality can be. I come out of a literary criticism background. You might be interested in Lionel Trilling's book Beyond Culture where he writes about the tradition of "adversary culture" that exists in the arts especially since the Romantic revolution in the 19th century - culture that creates a stream of antagonistic reaction to mainstream culture. And the pitfalls that can entail. As you say in your piece it's okay to be normal. In our spiritual investigations. Too much of spiritual pursuit these days seems to want to ascend and dismiss the world as "mere illusion" as you put it. Are you familiar with Ken Wilber's works? He emphasizes the importance of immanence and not just transcendence.