Becoming Grounded in Your Body

Do you sometimes feel jittery? Wired and tired? Anxious? Do you sometimes feel tension in your shoulders, jaw or belly? How can we move away from these sensations into becoming more grounded in our body, calm in our minds and peaceful in our spirit?

The first step is awareness. Closing your eyes, become aware of your body and different sensations. Notice, without judgement, what you are feeling and sensing.

Next, take a long slow inhale, through your nose, hold for a moment at the top of the breath, exhale through your nose or your mouth, and hold the breath out of the body for a moment. Repeat this cycle 4 times. Open your eyes and do another scan of your body. Notice again, without judgement, any sensations. Do things feel less tight? Less constricted? If not, can you do another round of 4 breaths? As the ancient yogis said, “Those who can control their breath, can control their mind.”

Try adding a calming mantra, word or phrase with your inhale and exhale. You may try thinking, “Calm” on the inhale and “Breathe” on the exhale. See how that feels for you. When you have finished 1-2 breath cycles, stand up and place your feet hip width apart and imagine you have roots growing from the bottom of your feet, all the way down into the center of the earth. Bring in this connection with Mother Gaia, the Great Mother, and breathe in a sense of gratitude and peace with this connection.

Different grounding techniques work for different people, so try these out and see how they feel for you! I hope these tips help and that you feel a bit more grounded in mind, body and spirit every day.