Meditation For Grounding After Trauma

Dear Friends,
In times of profound shock and grief, our nervous systems need gentle anchors. This short, somatic meditation is designed to offer just that—a safe haven within. It uses the simple, grounding sensations of the breath and a visualization of comforting warmth to help soften the edges of overwhelm. It is a practice of returning to the safety of the present moment, whenever you need to pause and breathe.

This meditation is lovingly dedicated to the memory of those lost, and to all who grieve, heal, and help in the wake of the tragedy in Crans-Montana. May it offer a moment of softness and grounding.

Much love to you all,
Anna

Text, picture, and voice: Anna T. Martin
Music: VOLO

Transcript

Hello friends,

Welcome to this session.

Recovering after unexpected and traumatic events can take a long time.

It requires a lot of energy.

The purpose of this meditation is to find a quiet space within ourselves where we can take a nap when the world becomes too much to handle.

As much as we can't change reality,

We can soften its edges.

Listening to this track regularly may help you on your path to recovery.

Okay,

Let's begin.

Find a quiet space where you can sit or lie down.

Close your eyes and if it feels comfortable,

Gently turn your attention inward.

Pay attention to the air entering and leaving your nose.

Notice how the temperature of the air changes.

It often feels a bit cooler when you breathe in and a bit warmer when you breathe out.

Notice the sensations between your eyebrows as you breathe in and on your upper lip as you breathe out.

Feel the back of your neck relaxing and allow your shoulders to drop down.

If there is tension in this area,

You can gently shrug your shoulders up towards your ears and then back down.

Breathe in through your nose as you bring your shoulders close to your ears and sigh deeply as they come back down.

Let's do this a few more times.

If you prefer to stay still,

You can visualize your shoulders going up as you breathe in and then down as you exhale.

One last time,

Breathe in through your nose,

Shoulders up,

And breathe out through your mouth,

Shoulders down.

Now imagine that someone you love and trust has gently placed a sweater around your shoulders.

The fabric is soft and warm.

It smells wonderful.

You are safe here.

Maybe you feel some tingling in your neck or hands or legs.

That's okay.

This can happen when we let go of tension.

There might be a sensation of warmth or coolness.

Simply observe what is going on in your body without any need to change it.

Breathe and notice the contact of the soft sweater on your shoulders.

If you like,

You can silently thank the person who put it there.

In this moment,

You are taken care of.

You are supported.

You are loved.

You can return to this feeling anytime you need a rest.

You can listen to this track during the day or before going to sleep.

You can share this moment with someone or experience it on your own.

Now we are going to slowly come back to the here and now.

Take a deep breath in through your nose and a deep breath out through your mouth.

Begin to introduce some small movements like wiggling your fingers and toes or stretching your arms and legs if it feels good.

When you are ready,

You can slowly open your eyes.

Be gentle with yourself as you move.

And if you are ending your day,

May you have a restful night.

Remember,

You are taken care of.

You are supported.

You are loved.

Namaste.