Grounding and Presence

By Janine Agoglia

All my life I have spent time at the ocean. My grandmother used to spend every Summer in Ogunquit, ME and my family would go to visit her there. I remember walking the Marginal Way and spending time in the freezing cold water (although I didn't seem to care how cold it was back then). To me, the ocean meant Summer, Grandma, lobster and fun.

As I have gotten older, I still feel pulled toward the ocean, but now for different reasons. The ocean offers grounding, meditation and peace. You can't help but be fully present at the ocean: breathing in the sea air, listening to the crashing of the waves, watching the waves ebb and flow against the sand, feeling the water lap against your ankles, and tasting the salt on your lips if you dare enter the water (maybe in August). All of your senses are engaged at the ocean, pulling you fully into the moment and away from the swirling of your thoughts.

Click the link to see and hear the Ocean in Maine and take in a moment of peace.

I recently drove up to York, ME for a few hours as I felt the need to feel the ocean's power, experience it's grounding and find my way back to my center. It was a Saturday afternoon and the beach was relatively empty, as compared to the normal crowds of full Summer. I walked along the water's edge, spreading my toes into the sand, letting the (really cold!!) water wash over my feet and ankles. I disconnected from my phone and the internet for a few hours to just be. I watched the waves and let my mind go as I listened to the rhythm of them crashing. I watched people interacting with their children, dogs and each other. I took deep breaths as I sat, walked, closed my eyes, opened my eyes. I took it in with all of my senses.

There is something called "Earthing," which is basically walking barefoot and connecting to

nature, either at the ocean, in the grass, in the woods, or somewhere that your feet can touch the earth and reconnect you to nature. When you get out of your shoes, off of the pavement and feel the ground beneath your feet, your energy shifts. The rising chaos in your mind drops and you feel more connected and in your body and less in your head. Your breath becomes easier, deeper and you feel more present.

I left Maine in a much better state of mind than when I entered. I felt more at peace after my ocean meditation. I am grateful for the ocean and all that it offers.

Janine L. Agoglia has been teaching Vinyasa yoga since 1998. Her yoga journey started in 1995 with Iyengar Yoga and she stumbled upon Vinyasa yoga in 1997. The combination of breath with proper body alignment is what fuels Janine's practice and the classes that she teaches. She believes that yoga should be safe as well as challenging, creative and fun. She always emphasizes proper alignment within the flow, as well as focus, breath and humor to help students find the balance between strength and ease. Deepening one’s physical awareness helps one strengthen his/her spiritual awareness and mind-body connection. Janine loves being able to help people deepen their own practices, finding yoga in everyday life, on and off the mat. 


Her DVD, “Vinyasa Yoga for Regular People” is available for purchase at the front desk at Lumina Mind Body Studios in Wayland, MA.

In addition to being Director of Yoga at Lumina Mind Body Studios in Wayland and Natick, Janine is also a Licensed acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist who practices at Integrative Therapeutics in Natick. To contact Janine, please email her at acuyogamama@hotmail.com.