FINDING YOUR FEET – DAY 6

When we make grounding a regular habit, it interrupts the turmoil in this moment. But over time it also shapes our brain function to be less hijacked by those unhelpful patterns in future. So there are short-term and long-term gains.

And there are other good reasons to make grounding a habit:

1. Fear spin-cycles in the body (and mind-storms) don’t just self-perpetuate. Regrettably, they proliferate, growing like bindweed through our whole mind-heart-body, and taking us down. Grounding says: “Enough, stop, halt!”

2. When grounded we can look outward and engage with what is good in life. There is so much to appreciate that we don’t (can’t) notice when focusing on danger (see the ‘Just do NOW’ 7-day mindfulness course). We literally can choose to have a lovely moment.

3. Fear makes us fight or flee: both can impact those close to us. Getting angry or going silent, avoidant or withdrawn means we lose the contact with those we could gain closeness, love, touch and connection from.

4. It’s not just about what we lose – it’s what our friends and family lose too. Don’t we all aspire to be someone who cares for others?

5. Ripples…. When grounded we are ‘responsive’. We can choose our next moment. And this is infectious. People around us start to feel the vibe of solid, stable and safe and ‘catch’ it – their reactivity starts to drop.

6. When practised regularly, being grounded lowers blood pressure, allows for more oxygen to circulate, and engages the ‘rest and repair’ function of the immune system.

7. Being grounded means making a clear choice about the next moment, we can use it to break unconscious habits such as over using screens, food, alcohol…

8. Creativity flows when we are grounded.

I have hundreds more tumbling out of my mind! But I hope this is enough to encourage you to return to Day 1 of this course, and to have a go.