P2070– Prepare: Grounding + Breath
I welcome a love of the future
that is bigger than my fear.
Body Practice Guide
Grounding + Breath
Connect to the present moment through your felt sense of ground and awareness of breath. Feel the support the Earth offers you.
A lovely way to begin any other bodywork practice.
Considerations
Please read the practice instructions beforehand and feel free to adapt in any way that you need. Here are a few other things to consider and keep in heart for this practice:
What does "ground" or feeling "grounded" mean to you? Where do you feel grounded in your body? How do you know when you aren't grounded —where do you feel that in your body?
Do you want to work with your breath today? If not, simply stay with the sensation of ground.
It is always helpful to have an anchor during bodywork —something to shift your attention to if you lose connection or if you need to move your attention away from your bodily sensations for any reason. Try choosing something that uses another sense like an object to look at or paying attention to the sounds around you.
You can work sitting, standing, or explore your sense of ground while walking if that is accessible to you.
You can do this practice alone or with others.
Practice Instructions
Sit (or stand) and face forward. Choose your anchor for today's practice. Take note of what's going on for you including how you feel physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Breathe gently through your nose throughout this entire practice.
Begin to notice your sense of ground:
You can do this by feeling sensation in your feet or whatever area of your body that is touching the ground, the support of the chair if you're seated
Your eyes can be open or shut. If open, you can orient by looking around and then find a place to rest your gaze. If shut, you can always open your eyes whenever you need to.
Settle into this sensation of ground, your own weight and anything you feel or notice about the earth beneath you.
Stay here as long as you like.
When you feel ready, connect this sense of ground with the movement of your breath:
You can place your hands on your torso, one on your heart and one on your belly —try switching which hand is on top to see what feels best. You can also notice the movement of your breath without touching your torso if that feels better today.
Notice where you feel the movement of your breath, what it feels like to be breathing right now. Remember to breathe gently through your nose.
Once your attention is with your breath, notice if you can connect with your sense of ground while still feeling your breathing or gently shift your attention back and forth between ground and breath.
Maybe notice your body settling more into the ground with each exhale
Stay here as long as you like.
When you feel complete, release your hands if they were on your torso, gently open your eyes if they were closed. Face forward again and notice how you feel now.
Remember to thank yourself.
Megan & Monèt share a brief version of this practice.
Feel free to stay in your practice for as long as you like.
Practice Support
If you have questions or need addition guidance while working with this practice please feel free to connect with Megan.
You can email or message me on IG