Welcome to this short guided grounding meditation.
So we all need some grounding at times,
Especially when we feel anxious or stressed.
Our lives can be so hectic that we can feel completely disembodied and lost in our own head space.
And disconnected from ourselves and our surroundings and obsessing about things that we can't control,
About things in the future and about things that have already happened.
So being fully present gives us a lovely release and some relief.
Grounded meditation can work wonders.
It's a very simple meditation practice that will help bring you back in touch with the experience of your body and your senses in the present moment.
So this meditation is actually best done sitting with your feet on the floor.
So let's begin by sitting upright on a chair or a sofa and then wriggle yourself into a nice relaxed comfortable position and just shake out any tension.
Now softly close your eyes.
Start to slow your breathing down.
From your breath,
Slow it down.
And then begin to feel the weight of your body.
Begin down at your feet.
Feel your feet on the floor.
And then travel up through the body to the crown of the head.
Feel each part of your body touching the surface it's resting on.
Keep your breath gentle.
And now we're going to use the 5-7 breathing technique.
We'll softly inhale through the nose for five counts.
Hold the breath for five.
Exhale gently for seven.
And then hold again for five.
Relax your shoulders,
Relax your jaw.
Soften the top palate of your mouth.
And let's begin.
So gently inhale through the nose for five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.
Hold.
Gently exhale seven.
Six.
Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.
Hold.
Softly inhale five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.
Hold.
Now continue on breathing as softly and gently as you can.
Ensuring your exhalations are longer than your inhalations.
And as you breathe in and out allow your body to completely relax.
Notice where there's tension and breathe into those areas of your body.
Release the tension with your out breath.
Feel your weight sinking into the chair.
Notice how your weight is distributed over all the points of contact.
The left and right,
The front of the body and the back of the body.
And now return your attention back to your breath.
Continue to breathe consciously.
And anytime you feel yourself pulling away from the meditation,
Just simply return your attention back to your breath.
And now we're going to visualize each breath as it enters the body.
So imagine your breath as you inhale,
Moving up the front of the body from the toes all the way up to the crown of the head.
And as you exhale,
Feel the breath moving down the back of the body to the heels and then into the air.
Inhaling through the front of the body,
Exhaling down the back of the body.
Now imagine that you're standing outside.
It's a beautiful sunny day,
It's warm.
I want you now to be aware that you're barefoot.
You're standing on the grass.
Feel the texture of the grass beneath your feet.
Observe the color.
Be aware of the smell.
Feel both your feet connected to the earth.
Now feel the earth below your feet,
Absorbing any negative or stale energy that you wish to release every time you exhale.
Let your anxiety melt down through the feet into the earth.
And as you inhale,
Feel the vibrancy and the freshness of the breath fill your whole body.
Every cell.
From the feet all the way up to the crown of the head.
Feel yourself fully grounded,
Connected,
Calm and strong.
In your mind repeat the words again.
Grounded,
Connected,
Calm and strong.
And start to become aware and visualize yourself sitting back in your seat.
Once again becoming aware of the weight of your body on the chair.
Feel your feet sitting on the floor.
Feel your spine against the back of the seat.
Feel the softness of the shoulders as they release away from the ears.
The softness of the facial muscles with no tension,
No stress.
And then again gently bringing your awareness back to your breath.
Feeling the light,
Gentle inhalation and the soft,
Gentle exhalation.
Begin to notice the sounds all around you both near and far.
Become aware of your surroundings and then gently let your eyes open but take some time to focus.
Sit quietly and observe how you're feeling.
Continue to sit for another minute quietly and then take some time to gently stretch your body and move peacefully into your day.
