This is a grounding technique called dropping the anchor.
This exercise aims to bring your attention to what's happening here and now.
It's not about trying to distract you from unwanted thoughts or feelings,
Or even to get rid of them.
The idea is that if you feel like you're experiencing an emotional storm,
Then you can drop an anchor so that you don't get swept away with it.
But even if you don't feel like you're emotionally overwhelmed,
This exercise can help bring your attention and awareness to the present moment.
Let's start by just noticing how you're feeling right now.
What do you notice in your body?
What thoughts are you experiencing?
Is there something painful or difficult showing up for you right now?
If so,
Practicing this regularly can help you feel more able to handle this difficult experience.
Not by avoiding it.
But by opening up to it.
Before we move into the body.
Just take a moment to settle into whatever position you're in right now.
If you're sitting,
Feel free to sit forward slightly in your chair and let your feet rest flat on the floor.
Or if you're lying down,
Let your body soften into the surface beneath you.
Either way,
Just allow yourself to arrive in your body exactly as you are right now.
Now let's take a moment with the breath.
Bring your attention to your breath.
You don't need to breathe in any special way.
Just allow a slow,
Natural breath to arrive.
Breathing in.
And out.
One more in.
.
.
And slowly out.
Just letting this breath settle you gently into this moment.
Now I invite you to see if you can push your feet down into the floor.
Or the mattress beneath you.
Really push them down and feel the surface beneath you.
If you're sitting,
Sit forward in your chair and gently straighten your back.
Or if you're lying down,
Just feel the full length of your body making contact with the surface beneath you.
Notice how the surfaces support you.
Now slowly press your fingertips together.
And as you do that,
Gently move your elbows and your shoulders.
Feel your arms moving all the way up from your fingers to your shoulder blades.
Now let's take a slow,
Gentle journey through the body.
Let's begin at the feet.
Can you feel your feet right now pressing down?
Or are they relaxed?
Notice the temperature.
And the weight of them.
The contact with whatever surface they're touching.
Now bring your attention slowly up to your calves and your shins.
Not trying to change anything,
Just noticing what's there.
Now to your knees,
Thighs,
And hips.
Resting into the chair or the bed.
Notice the weight of your body being supported.
Now bring your awareness to your belly.
And notice if the breath is moving here.
Is there a gentle rise and fall?
Just observing.
Now bring your awareness to your chest.
This is often where we carry a lot of tension.
Perhaps you can notice your heartbeat.
Or is there a tightness or an openness there?
Whatever is there,
It's allowed to be there.
Awareness to your shoulders and see if you can let them drop even just slightly away from your ears.
Bring awareness back to your arms,
Your elbows,
And your hands.
Perhaps press your fingertips together one more time and notice the sensations there.
And finally,
Bring awareness to your jaw and your face and the top of your head.
Really allow the jaw to soften.
And now let's take a moment to acknowledge that there might be pain.
Or struggle here in our body and our mind right now.
You didn't ask for it,
But here it is.
And it's challenging and it's really difficult.
And maybe you really want it to go away.
Gently acknowledge to yourself what that pain is.
For example,
You can say to yourself,
Ah,
There's sadness.
Or there's anxiety.
Or here's that story again.
And notice that you're the one saying those words.
You're the one that's noticing.
The uncomfortable feelings and sensations and thoughts are there,
But you are also here.
You are not the storm.
You are noticing the storm.
Now notice as well as this pain.
There's also a body around that pain.
A body that you can move.
That you can control.
Gently straighten your back again if you're sitting or press the back of your body into the surface beneath you if you're lying down and notice your whole body now.
Your hands,
Your feet,
Your arms,
And your legs.
And just gently move them and feel them moving.
Have a good stretch.
Notice your muscles stretching.
Give yourself a gentle self-massage wherever there might be a bit of tension.
Press your feet down and feel the surface beneath you.
Now take a slow breath in.
And breathe out gently.
Now have a look around the room.
Look up.
And look down and side to side.
And notice five things that you can see.
And now notice three or four things that you can hear.
Perhaps it's the sound of my voice.
Sounds coming from nearby.
From the room around you or from further away.
Just noticing that there's something difficult or painful here that you're struggling with,
But at the same time,
See if you can notice the body where it rests.
And gently move that body.
Have a stretch.
Take control of your arms and your legs.
Maybe you're a little bit less caught up in the emotional storm now.
Are you a little bit less hooked by these difficult thoughts and feelings?
Are you but less swept away by the storm?
You can test this out by moving your arms and your legs and having that stretch.
Do you notice that you have a little bit more control?
Take one more breath in.
And slowly out.
The storm may be still here,
And you are also here,
Steady,
Grounded,
And maybe a little bit more present.
Whenever you're ready,
You can carry that forward with you.
