Welcome,
I'm glad you're here for this brief grounding practice,
A chance to pause the ever thinking mind and all the urgent doing by dropping down into the feeling body and leaning into the soothing and centering support of the ground.
So let's begin by settling into a comfortable position,
This could be sitting or lying down,
Resting the back of your body into the chair or bed.
If you are sitting,
Have your feet planted on the floor,
Then if you haven't already,
Closing down your eyes or you can lower and soften your gaze,
Inviting yourself to transition inwards,
Quieten,
Soften,
Settle in.
And now opening your practice with a few deep nourishing breaths,
Breathing in through your nose and out through your nose.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Noticing the breath and then letting it go.
Welcoming and letting go.
Allowing the breath to become natural once again as you bring your awareness to the surface on which you rest.
Noticing all the parts of the body that connect with that surface,
At your feet,
All along the backs of your legs,
At the seat of your body,
Across your back,
Perhaps also the backs of your arms and your head.
And just sensing how the surface holds and supports you,
Connecting you to the ground deep below.
Continue to breathe and on your next exhale,
See if you can settle a little further into the surface below,
Your body softening into its support.
The ground is always available to you and you can lean into it anytime for a sense of support and balance and connection.
So let's take some time to really explore how it feels to be connected to the ground.
Just by bringing awareness to your feet and the surface they rest on.
Noting the parts of the feet that touch that surface and the parts that don't.
And observing how that surface feels.
Is it soft or firm?
Smooth or more textured?
You might even shift your feet back and forth a little to explore how that surface feels.
And wondering your awareness at the back of your legs.
And noting the qualities of the surface below.
Perhaps you notice the temperature or how much it yields to the weight of your body.
Do you notice any sensations such as pressure or warmth?
And then travelling up to your back.
And noting the parts of the back that connect more deeply with the surface below.
And those that touch lightly.
And scanning the whole of the back for sensations.
Maybe pressure.
Or perhaps there are other sensations like tingles or vibrations.
Remembering that whatever you feel or don't feel is perfectly fine.
We're just mindfully observing.
And then panning out to become aware of the whole body supported by the ground.
Anchored.
Connected.
And thinking about the qualities of the ground.
How it is strong,
Resilient,
Dependable.
Continue to breathe.
And with each in-breath think about drawing up the qualities of the earth.
That strength.
And sturdiness.
Its steadfast support.
And then shifting focus to your out-breath.
And on each exhale think about letting go of tension.
Releasing it into the ground.
Letting go of stress.
And pressure.
And struggle.
Just as much as you can.
Thinking about relaxing into the earth.
Sinking.
Melting in.
Feeling the gentle pull of gravity on the body.
And how the ground cradles and supports you.
Just enjoying a few more moments here mindfully breathing,
Resting and relaxing into the ground.
And dwelling on the feeling of being supported,
Anchored and safe.
Now allow my voice to start bringing you back to your day.
And invite some movement back into your body,
Wiggling your fingers and toes,
Rolling your shoulders back and down.
And stretching out in any way that feels good.
And when you are ready,
Open your eyes.
Thank you for your practice today,
Please know you can return to it any time you're feeling overwhelmed,
Lost in thought or disconnected.
And need to feel a little more grounded and relaxed.
