Hi there,
This is Jennifer.
I'm glad you're here for this grounding practice.
I'm going to start by telling you one of my favorite meditation jokes because I think when you're getting started with meditation,
It's nice not to take yourself too seriously.
It helps you quickly find some ease.
So where does Buddha hide when he's invited to a surprise party?
In the present.
And that's what we're going to do now.
Get into the present and you are the gift.
Mindfulness practice begins by using or finding an anchor as a starting point.
An anchor can be your breath,
Noticing where you feel your breath as it comes in and out of your nose and into your lungs and belly.
An anchor can be resting attention somewhere in your body.
Or it could be anchoring yourself by paying attention to the various sounds around you.
This meditation will focus on your body as an anchor to help you bring steadiness and calm into your present moment.
It's nice to do when you're feeling overwhelmed or as a daily practice to slowly build resilience if you're prone to anxiety.
It's a practice that really helped me a lot.
I invite you to settle in,
Shift around a bit and see if you can get 5% more relaxed.
Check in with your posture,
Making sure your back is straight,
But not too rigid.
And gently close your eyes or soften your gaze.
We're going to start by taking three nice,
Slow,
Deep breaths in and out.
Inhaling and exhaling.
Inhaling and exhaling.
And one more nice,
Slow breath into a soft belly.
And as you let that go,
Feel the weight as your body settles.
I'd like you to start by noticing your feet.
Where are they?
Are they flat on the floor or tucked underneath you?
Can you feel the connection of your feet resting against whatever they are on?
And check in and see if your feet and your mind are in the same room.
Our minds can go anywhere.
Can you bring yours here?
And rest the attention in the weight of your feet there beneath you.
Drawing your attention up your legs,
Towards your hips and waist,
Notice the connection between yourself and whatever you're sitting on.
And take a few easy breaths here,
Resting in the weight of your feet and the solidity of your connection to your chair.
Feeling the weight of your body being supported by the chair,
By the floor,
By the earth.
Moving your attention now up to your lower back.
What's going on there?
Anything?
There's nothing you have to do.
Just notice if there's anything there in your lower back that wants to be felt.
Move your attention a little bit farther up your spine.
And when you get to your shoulders,
Let them drop,
Fall away from your ears.
Anything going on there?
Any movement,
Sensations?
Again,
We're just checking in to see if anything wants to be noticed.
Moving up towards your head and your face,
Relaxing your jaw,
And the space between your eyebrows and your forehead.
And what happens when you connect the And what happens when you connect the space from the top of your head all the way down to the bottom of your feet,
Through all of your energy centers?
One continuous space.
This space where you have experienced everything in your life.
The space where you interface with the outside world.
This body that carries you to all of the places you dream of.
Your sacred space.
And notice what's happening there.
Are there any sensations that are buzzing,
Aches,
Tingling?
Whatever you're noticing,
Know that it's all okay.
It's all okay.
Are there any places where you're holding tension?
Are there any places that would like just a little more softness?
And is there anything these sensations want you to know?
If they could talk,
What would they say?
Is there anything to let go of?
Or for now,
Do you simply need to rest with it?
And as you ask these questions,
If a strong sensation or feeling comes up,
Go back to the heaviness in your feet on the ground,
The support of the chair,
The strength of your back.
And remember that you are being held and that everything is okay.
And if your mind wanders,
That's normal too.
Gently bring yourself back to the here and now and to the heaviness you found in your body resting here.
Know that the support you found here is always available to you in stillness and rested attention.
One of my favorite teachers would remind us that solidity correlates with safety.
So if you ever need some safety,
Wherever you are,
Remember you're always attached to your feet.
And you can bring the energy arising in your body down into your feet away from your head and get it grounded.
You know how to do that.
You just did.
Thank yourself for taking some time to listen in.
I think an important part of this process is letting your body know that you're listening and that it can trust you.
So when you're ready,
You can bring some movement back into your toes and fingers,
Take a stretch.
Open your eyes.
And know that you can always return to this feeling of solidity and safety throughout your day.
Sitting at your desk at work,
Standing in the kitchen preparing a meal,
Or a few minutes at the beginning or end of your day.
Let your memory and the ability you have found here to ground yourself be your superpower as you navigate this otherwise hectic world.
Wishing you well.
