Breath For Grounding

In this meditation, we'll explore the breath as a tool for grounding - a way to focus on the present moment and calm the nervous system. If accessible, this is a wonderful practice to do outside, sitting directly on the earth, but can be done anywhere. Join Stephanie for this gentle meditation for any level of meditation experience.

Transcript

Beginning by finding a comfortable position, Seated upright. If you're able to, This can be a beautiful practice to do outside, Seated on the earth. I'm feeling your feet on the ground, Or your seat on the ground, And taking three deep breaths. In through the nose, Down deep into the chest and the belly, And then sighing out the mouth, Allowing there to be a release, And then bringing your breath back to a comfortable, Normal flow without trying to change it, Without trying to make it faster or slower, Deeper, Allowing it to be exactly as it is. I'm starting to follow the breath, Moving in through the nose, Swirling at the back of the mouth, Throat, Moving down into the chest and belly, And then retracing its steps out on the exhale. And then on the next inhale, You might even imagine that as the breath moves down through the body, Instead of stopping at the belly, It goes all the way down to your seat, Your root, Like a thick, Healthy root of a tree. And the breath goes deep, Deep, Deep into the earth, Connecting you to the earth, And like a plant, The breath is giving you roots into the earth. On the next few breaths, Noticing that on each inhale, And the breath moving down through the body, And out the sacrum, Like the root of a plant, Deep into the soil, And the different layers of earth and rock and mycelial networks, Down into the molten core of the earth. And as you feel this direct connection between you, Your breath, And the earth beneath you, The ground beneath you, Notice how the body feels when in this place and state of grounding. Without trying to change anything or judge anything, Just noticing. Does the body feel heavy or light? Does it feel constricted, Intense, Or open and relaxed? As you feel the support of the ground and the earth beneath you, And allowing yourself to be there for some moments. And after some time, Being in this deep connection to the earth, You might start to wiggle your fingers or toes. Maybe you roll the neck ever so gently and slowly, Tenderly. Maybe you even give a gentle swirl of the hips and start to wake the body up. And as the day or evening goes on, Noticing how it feels to move through those parts of the day after spending some time to ground with breath.