Grounding Practice
Are you feeling scattered? Overwhelmed? The bustle of shuttling children to school, demands of work and constant inundation of information can leave us feeling off centered and disconnected. The practice of grounding through the body can help you manage any challenge life may deliver.
Grounding through the body will reconnect you with a sense of well-being and a calm mind. Grounding often will help you sustain your energy and de-stress from your day.
HOW TO PRATICE GROUNDING:
Check In:
Notice how you are feeling. Are you:
• Tired
• Triggered
• Overwhelmed
• Not Feeling Connected to your Body
• Irritated
• Restless
• Anxious
• Re-Hashing
• Resistant
Note what pertains to you and then take a breath and say:
"IT'S OKAY, IT'S A ROUGH DAY. THIS WILL PASS. I NOW NEED TO COME BACK TO MY BODY"
Take a posture that feels comfortable.
Acknowledge that you named your current body sense/feeling, take a breath and embrace where you are at.
Tune inward and either close your eyes or soften your gaze.
Quickly scan what your body feels like right now. If you are sensing "anxiety" see if you can identify "where" in your body you can feel it.
Place your hands on the body area. Take a breath and exhale slowly, melting the experience of anxiety.
Feel your feet on the earth. If you are lying down, bend your knees and place your feet on the ground.
Gently push your feet, as if you're doing a slow walk on the spot.
Imagine you are pushing away the floor beneath you. There is a little exertion with this.
Now imagine that your feet are planted barefoot in the grass or on the ground. Keep walking, pushing, and exhaling actively. Do this for two to three minutes.
Then stop, pause and notice your body. Sense and see with your inner imagination the ground underneath you that is supporting you right now. Tune into that fact. It's not just imagination, it's also quite literal.
How is your body now?
** Adapted from Somatic Psychotherapy Toolbox, Manuela Mischke-Reeds
