Somatic Practice: Grounding The Body

This grounding practice invites you to pause, rest, and be present with your body, just as it is. You are guided to focus your awareness on physical sensations such as gravity, shape, and connection to the earth. This somatic mindfulness practice can help create a sense of anchoring that settles the mind and body, regulates the nervous system, and brings stability and peace to our day.

Transcript

A short grounding practice for sitting.

Bring your awareness to your feet,

Resting on the ground.

Notice the contact points of your toes,

Your heels,

The sides of the feet.

Let your mind linger with these contact points.

Simply sensing the connection of the earth below you,

Supporting you.

Notice the shape of your feet.

Sense it from the inside out.

Seeing what it's like to be fully in your feet.

Notice the weight of the feet.

The way gravity hugs you down to the center of the earth.

You can imagine roots growing out from the feet,

Down to the ground,

And to the earth below you.

Roots growing down,

Reaching for steadiness,

Searching for nutrients,

Finding stability by their very nature.

Just as a tree knows how to root down into a forest floor,

Your body knows how to ground.

Allow your muscles to relax,

Your bones to get a little heavier.

Drop your energy down into the earth.

The body knows how to ground.

If we give the body space and time and safety,

It will find the earth just like roots find the earth.

You belong on this earth,

Right in this moment.

You may wish to explore tapping with the feet as part of your grounding practice.

It's not necessary to ground in stillness.

Rhythm and movement can often be an easier way to find grounding.

Try lifting one foot off the ground and then placing it back down.

Then the other foot off the ground and then coming back.

Keep going and find a slow steady rhythm that works for you.

Step by step.

One foot after the other as if you're slowly walking along a beach or forest path.

Notice if this movement helps your mind stay focused on the feet.

Step by step.

One foot after the other.

Finding your path in life.

Coming back again and again.

The weight of the feet.

The sensation of gravity.

The sense of anchoring that the connection to earth provides.

Your body knows how to ground.

Do this practice as long as you like.