How Grounding Can Help With Everyday Life
Sometimes it’s hard not to fall into a repetitive routine. Wake up and do the same thing over and over again. The hustle and bustle of everyday life keeping us busy and on a never ending cycle making it hard to really be present in the moment and spending time cultivating in the stillness of what’s going on around you. You never really notice it until you're knee deep!
Grounding is a technique that really allows you to, be one with your surroundings, take time to slow down, be present in daily life + there are many ways to practice! Breathing, centering, imagining, and just BEING are some easy ways!
To start this practice effectively, find a small patch of grass, hold a tree branch or trunk, some dirt outside - wherever you can find a nice place outside to start this practice. Roughly 20 min. a day will go a long way for your blood flow, nervous and immune system.
Starting with breathing, take a few moments to just breathe as you normally would. Allow the air to flow in and out of your lungs as freely as it typically does. In and out, in and out. Then as you breathe in, imagine the air filling your lungs and as you breathe out imagine it pouring out of your mouth and emptying your lungs. Do this while breathing in through your nose on a count of 3 and breathing out through your mouth on a count of 5. In 1......2........3..... out 1.....2.....3....4.....5. These counts are totally adjustable and should be adjusted as you feel comfortable. This allows your body to be centered and calm to be ready to start the next steps! The key to this is to slowly breathe out of your mouth. This has been proven to calm the body and refresh the mind.
Next we move onto a practice called imagining. Imagining is a fun way to really take hold of your own mind. Bring to mind a place of pure happiness or sense of safeness, whether that is the beach, in your partner's arms, or even eating your favorite candy. Bring everything to this thought; the smells, the feelings, the taste, etc. Notice how you begin to feel. Does your mouth start watering? Do your eyes start to close? Did you get butterflies in your stomach? For example, my place of pure happiness is my meditation pillow. I can smell hints of sage and palo santo, I feel my ankles placed on the ground as my butt rests on the pillow. I can feel the breeze of the open window next to me as the birds are making music of their own. I hear the hustle and bustle of the cars driving on the highway in the distance. I can feel my clothes touching my skin and the weight of the watch on my arm. I can taste the lasting toothpaste on my tongue. All of these things make me feel happy and warm. Make me feel like I have a sense of self worth and I can really start to feel happiness and hopefulness for what is to come.
The next exercise is similar to the previous but is more in the moment. This allows you to give thanks to yourself and to the people and things around you. When you find yourself really enjoying something whether that is a person, a place, a movement, a treat, stop and just live in that moment. Call all of your senses to that moment. Really land where you are. Feel you feet on the floor, wiggle your toes, smell the things around you. Notice the flavor on your tongue or the placement of your lips. Are they smiling? Puckered? Relaxed? Smell the air as you take a deep breath. Really dig deep into the movement. And take a second to let that moment sink in. Is there a reoccurring sound or a strong scent you can stamp with this moment? Say all of these things out loud. “I feel the ground below my feet. I smell the fresh scent of a warm baking sweet bread. I hear the noises the oven is making as it is heating up and the birds chirping through the open window.” Let it become a core memory you have that you can come back to as you please.
Like all skills, grounding must be practiced regularly. Grounding can help in many ways including improving focus, sleep, cortisol rhythm, wound healing, stress relief, blood flow, and reduces inflammation. These are only some of the amazing benefits of Grounding. To learn more about Grounding, check out this post from our friends at Primally Pure.
Tate Cribbs,
Customer Success Manager, Raum Goods