Grounding Techniques & Safe Place Meditation
Petals Counsellor, Anna Berkley, shares 8 gentle grounding techniques you can take anywhere over the holiday period.
“Grounding” is often used as a therapeutic term, and implies connecting with our body, our breath, the ground and the present moment.
Grounding can support us to manage overwhelming emotions, anchoring us and bringing a feeling of safety to hold our feelings.
I also see grounding a little bit like accessing the nurturing part of us that can soothe and comfort the part of us feeling vulnerable and afraid, bringing an experience of wholeness to help process what we are experiencing.
Grounding techniques can be helpful in our everyday life when we are well, to connect with ourselves and function with greater awareness and authenticity. Grounding can also aid in recovery from a traumatic event such as bereavement, as we navigate our way onwards with our grief.
These simple grounding techniques may come in useful if you find yourself feeling overwhelmed or lost in your emotions when navigating Christmas and all of the excitement, and stress, that this time of year can bring.
Lengthening the outbreath
Lengthening the outbreath (e.g. breathing in to a count of 4 and out for 6) stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, triggering our body to calm down, slowing down our heart rate.
We always have the tool of our breathing – even one conscious deep breath and slow outbreath can help us relax.
Coming to the senses
Noticing what we can see, hear, smell, taste and touch right now in the room we are in helps us connect with the present moment.
Fear, anxiety and trauma are based in the past or the future: coming back to the present moment mindfully can reassure us we are safe in the moment and help us calm.
Physically feeling your feet on the ground
Imagining roots into the Earth from our feet, either seated and/or combined with meditation, or walking with awareness of feeling our heels on the ground, can be calming.
Relaxing the body
Exercise is a way to focus the mind and relax the body. Activities like yoga, tai chi and chi kung – with their holistic mind-body-spirit approaches – can be incredibly grounding.
Repeating affirmations
Developing self-compassion is the bedrock of resilience. Often we are hard on ourselves.
Finding an affirmation – a strength we can own about ourself – “I am loving” or “I am ok” or “I am good enough” – can help to repair our self-esteem.
Finding a transition object
An object that inspires a quality of strength or courage – for example a small   pebble that fits in the palm of the hand and could be carried in a pocket – can be a physical reminder of our strength.
Meditating
There are many examples of meditation. When we visualise things, our brain  responds in the same way as if they are really happening, so visualising  something relaxing can have this effect.
A personal favourite is the safe space meditation – you can listen to this here.
Placing a hand on your chest
Simply bring one hand (or both) to the centre of the chest and sense the movement of the breathing with the hand/s and the chest, being aware of the presence of the hand.
This can be very soothing as the hands can represent the nurturing part of us and the chest may represent the vulnerable part, so this exercise can be self-soothing.
