Grounding techniques are coping mechanisms that can help a person manage painful memories or intense emotions. Grounding exercises are activities that help you connect with the current moment – the here and now. They might be simple techniques (such as taking three deep “belly breaths”) or lengthier, more structured exercises (like meditation). There is no “wrong” approach to ground yourself; different strategies work for different people. The primary goal is to keep your mind and body connected and cooperating.
Many situations when you find yourself overwhelmed or distracted by upsetting memories, emotions, or feelings can benefit from grounding techniques. Grounding strategies are used to help people break away from bad thoughts and flashbacks. By using the five senses to distract a person from their feelings or trauma, techniques like these might reduce the intensity of their feelings or trauma.
Grounding Exercise Guide
- Take a deep breath and bend down with back straight and swoop the ground and as we again stand, trace the Chi or energy into the front of our bodies through the meridians/energy channels.
- On exhalation we trace the meridian channels on the posterior aspect of our bodies as we bend down to gather more of the earth’s vital energy.
Grounding Posture
A person who wants to use this grounding technique should do the following:
- Firmly plant your feet on the ground.
- Knees slightly bent, shoulder width apart and slightly back, chin slightly tucked.
- Make a note of the date and time.
- Slowly and deeply inhale and exhale.
- Describe what they can see in their current surroundings.
- Remind themselves that they are now in a secure location.
- Observe and describe the stuff in their immediate surroundings.
Our goal is to free any blocked energy channels for optimal flow of our body’s vital energy. Repeat this 7 times (7 being the number of wholeness, completeness).
Breathing Excercise
A person who wants to use this grounding technique should do the following:
- Sit comfortably with eyes closed.
- Do the 4-7-8 breathing meditation. Take deep breaths in for 4 seconds through the nose, then out for 4 seconds through the mouth, 7 to 8 times.
- Then while breathing naturally through the nose, check in with the physical senses one after another.
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- Feel the surfaces of the body in contact with the chair and ground.
- Notice any smells or lingering tastes.
- Hone the hearing in on the individual background noises.
