Let's say you're managing 67 different things,
That you look at multiple screens for hours at a time during the day,
And let's say it's getting tough to focus on any one thing at times.
Maybe it's time to ground yourself.
Maybe it's time to stabilize,
To come into this moment fully.
Maybe it's time to focus on what really matters and just be here now.
This is self-sovereignty.
I'd like to offer you a tool.
A tool to ground you whenever you need it.
A tool that gets easier each time you use it.
Something that not only grounds you but that helps you let go and even laugh a little because it's actually fun to use.
So let's go on a journey and I'll teach you a tool.
It's called a grounding cord.
Close your eyes and settle in.
Notice your exhale.
Notice your inhale.
And now you're walking on a trail which is on a hill,
A large hill,
And there's just enough room between tall wispy grasses for you to walk.
Your hands just reach the bright grass and you move your fingers through the blades.
As you walk you notice some things.
The color of the sky.
The shape of the hills.
A small creature.
Maybe a bird or a squirrel.
As you keep walking you make your way to the edge of the hill and there awaits a platform of large round boulders that are sitting in a cluster.
You wander over to one of them and place your hand on it.
It is large,
Rough,
Heavy,
And unmoving and it's been there for thousands if not millions of years.
You inhale and you exhale.
You lift your gaze to the hills beyond the boulders and there is a tall fir tree that stands unwaveringly.
You notice a couple of details in this tree.
Perhaps a branch or its trunk.
You ponder the root structure of this tree.
As you inhale and exhale.
Finally you bend down and smooth your hands over the dirt just below you.
It is dark.
It's dark rich soil and you spend a few moments feeling its nubs and pebbles and grit,
Grabbing a handful of it and letting it go through your fingers.
You inhale and exhale.
And then you spot a little perch nearby,
A little seat near the boulders that's fashioned into the earth and you make your way over to it.
Here you sit down and settle in even more.
You're ready to try something.
As you sit and feel a light breeze on your face,
You focus on the base of your spine.
Inhale.
Exhale.
You imagine blue light extending from the base of your spine to the center of the planet.
You see a line of blue all the way down to the center of the earth and it attaches to your spine.
Let yourself get here in your own time.
You may or may not see this vividly in the beginning.
It will come.
Again it's a blue line of energy from the base of your spine to the center of the earth.
Notice what this is like.
Now change the color of that line to bright yellow.
A line of bright yellow from the root of your spine to the center of the planet.
It's okay if you don't see it perfectly in all its detail.
Bring your attention to the line of yellow energy from the base of your spine to the center of the planet.
What is it like to focus this way?
Keep noticing lightly.
And now choose your own color.
What color would you like to try for your grounding cord?
Lavender,
Bright green.
Choose one.
No right or wrong.
And then notice what you notice.
This color again starts from the base of your spine,
Goes to the center of the planet.
Inhale,
Exhale.
Be gentle as you notice this experience.
Time to try something else.
A tree trunk.
Imagine a tree trunk going from the base of your spine to the center of the planet.
Have it be as wide as your hips.
Let it simply appear.
Let it reveal itself and don't push too much.
What is it like to have a tree trunk as a grounding cord?
Allow yourself the full experience.
Allow whatever comes up to come up.
Settle into your body.
Ground.
Be here now.
Some discomfort might arise.
Pain as well and distraction.
And it's okay.
If all the things start circling in your mind,
You've got a grounding cord to come back to.
So breathe and come back to that.
Next is a stone pillar.
Imagine a pillar of stone from the root of your body to the center of the earth.
Notice its color.
Notice what it's like to have this and how it's different from the tree trunk.
Breathe and settle.
Breathe and settle.
This might be uncomfortable at times.
It may have been a while,
Years even,
Since you were truly here,
Alive and alert in your body in this moment.
Welcome to being a little more present,
A little more stable.
Allow this exploration to be compassionate,
Where as you ground you welcome whatever comes as it comes.
You're stabilizing.
You're coming more and more into the present moment.
It's a process,
So be sure to breathe.
And now for something a little different.
How about a long piece of spaghetti?
I mean a really long piece of spaghetti,
Starting at the base of your spine and ending in the center of the planet.
It might be wiggly,
Buttery,
Even gluten-free.
Try it out.
Let this spaghetti be your connection to the center of this planet.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Let whatever comes up come up.
Next,
A rolled up piece of bologna.
As you can tell,
You have full permission to be a little silly.
In fact,
It's encouraged.
There's no need to be serious or somber here.
All that matters is that you are grounded.
Grounded and serious are not the same thing,
So explore being silly and grounded with your rolled up bologna grounding cord.
See for yourself what it's like to allow bologna to help you ground.
You might find yourself relaxing a little more and enjoying this a little more because you're letting some silly in.
All right,
It's your turn to choose.
What will your next grounding cord be?
A giant flashlight?
A tower of Legos?
A giraffe's neck?
An elephant's nose?
A very long jellyfish?
Maybe a tall thin piece of cheese?
You decide.
It's all an exploration,
So be easy.
Try things.
See what works.
Once you have it,
Allow yourself the full experience.
Be here now with this grounding cord of your own making.
Let whatever comes up,
Come up.
All right,
You can continue to ground and I'm just gonna admire you for a second.
It's pretty darn brave to come into your body and to be grounded.
I mean if you really notice life today,
There are entire industries dedicated to keeping you out of your body,
Which keeps you out of your truth.
And each time you ground,
It's an act of self-sovereignty.
It gives you a chance to know your own truth.
So you have this tool now and you can try whatever you want to use for your grounding cord.
See what works,
See what doesn't,
See what arises in you as you ground more and more.
You might respond differently to people and they might respond differently to you when you're grounded.
You can also notice how focusing might be easier.
You can do this at the grocery store,
During a meeting,
When you're on a video call,
With your kids.
I mean really just anytime.
And it does get easier the more that you do it,
So be compassionate with yourself.
Welcome to your grounding cord.
Enjoy the exploration.
