by Gabby Bernstein: When I energetically tune in to the world right now, it feels like a pressure cooker that just exploded…
We’ve been quarantined for months, and as restrictions lift we face a lot of uncertainty around whether it’s safe to leave our homes.
In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, we’re experiencing collective grief, outrage and sadness. Many people are awakening and learning. Many people are working hard for justice and equality. Many people are trying to figure out how they can best serve the world.
In order to truly show up for ourselves and for each other right now, we need to feel grounded. Think of a tree with roots going deep into the earth — when we feel grounded, we can grow and live from a place of stability. We can weather storms with more ease.
Keep reading for 7 spiritual and practical ways you can feel grounded!
7 Ways To Feel Grounded
1. Do a body scan
Throughout the day, consciously notice your body. Take 1 minute to scan your body and become aware of wherever you feel pain, tension, anxiety. Maybe your jaw is clenched, your chest is tight or you feel a little sick to your stomach.
Whatever it is, simply notice it and breathe into it. As you inhale, visualize sending breath into that space in your body. Exhale and let it pass. Just spend a few moments bringing breath to your body.
GUIDED BODY SCAN MEDITATION
You can also listen to my guided Body Scan Meditation. I created it for my Meditation Challenge, and I decided to make it available to everyone to help you to feel grounded right now.
2. Practice lovingkindness meditation
Another beautiful meditation to try is called lovingkindness, also known as metta meditation. It’s from the Buddhist tradition, and it’s very simple to learn and do.
For this practice, you cultivate feelings of love, joy and kindness, and then you energetically send those feelings to yourself and others. It helps you feel more connected to both friends and strangers.
Scientists have shown that practicing lovingkindness can:
- Increase positive emotions and decrease negative emotions
- Alleviate symptoms of anxiety
- Increase compassion and social connection
- Reduce self-criticism
Ground yourself in compassion with this beautiful practice. The instructions are below. Just read through them and get familiar with the structure; it’s a simple process that you can’t do wrong! Then sit or lie down comfortably, close your eyes, and practice lovingkindness.
HOW TO PRACTICE LOVINGKINDNESS MEDITATION
Sit comfortably in your meditation space.
Turn off all of your phone notifications, and gently close your eyes.
Make any necessary adjustments to your posture so you feel totally comfortable and relaxed.
You’ll begin your lovingkindness meditation by focusing on yourself. When you develop love, kindness, and compassion toward yourself, you cultivate more love for others.
Breathe in gently. Exhale gently. Then silently repeat each of the following intentions. It’s okay if you don’t get it word for word at first – with practice you’ll memorize the phrases. Your intention is what’s most important.
Silently repeat these phrases, directly lovingkindness toward yourself:
May I be filled with lovingkindness.
May I feel supported and safe.
May I have love and compassion toward myself.
May I live with ease.
Repeat these words of lovingkindness to yourself.
Next, bring to mind someone you love. Feel your appreciation for them, and then share this offering of lovingkindness to them. You will follow the same format:
May you be filled with lovingkindness.
May you feel supported and safe.
May you have love and compassion toward yourself.
May you live with ease.
Now think of someone who’s neutral to you, someone you see regularly but don’t have a close relationship with. It might be a coworker you don’t often interact with, a cashier at your local store or someone you follow on social media.
Bring this person into your mind and direct lovingkindness toward them. Follow the same format:
May you be filled with lovingkindness.
May you feel supported and safe.
May you have love and compassion toward yourself.
May you live with ease.
Now bring to mind someone you have a more difficult relationship with. Choose a person who doesn’t trigger you or bring too much negative emotion. Maybe it’s an acquaintance who made you feel uncomfortable or somebody who pushes your buttons.
Remember that, no matter how much this person has hurt you, they suffer too. Acknowledge their sadness, acknowledge their anxieties and their fears, and do your best to extend words of lovingkindness to this person:
May you be filled with lovingkindness.
May you feel supported and safe.
May you have love and compassion toward yourself.
May you live with ease.
Now, open up your awareness to all beings everywhere, including yourself. All humans and animals from all over the globe. Repeat silently:
May all beings be filled with lovingkindness.
May all beings feel supported and safe.
May all beings have love and compassion towards themselves.
May all beings live with ease.
Finally, bring the practice back to yourself. Silently, repeat each phrase:
May I be filled with lovingkindness.
May I feel supported and safe.
May I have love and compassion toward myself.
May I live with ease.
Afterward, relax in stillness and enjoy the energy of lovingkindness as it permeates your being. Feel the connection to all beings. Recognize the relief that comes with expressing lovingkindness.
Allow yourself to be still until you’re ready to open your eyes and come out of your meditation at your own pace.
3. Sit on the ground and drink tea
This is exactly what it sounds like. It’s something I really like to do when I want to feel rooted. I make myself a hot cup of tea and then I literally sit on the floor in my house (or on the ground outside) and slowly drink it.
Leave your phone behind to avoid scrolling. Just spend some time sitting still.
This simple activity always helps me feel calm, reminding me that I am supported at all times by the earth beneath me. It’s also a proactive way to get out of doing and into being.
4. Do something routine
One of my favorite ways to get out of the swirl in my head and feel grounded is to do some kind of very normal chore or activity.
In the midst of tumultuous times, it’s easy to feel unmoored. An everyday, productive activity can anchor you in the present.
Some ideas:
- Fold laundry
- Weed the garden
- Play with your kids
- Knit, sew, etc.
5. Set aside time to check the news and social media
I find it really helpful to set aside a few times a day where I check in on the news. Right now we’re bombarded with news and updates.
Given the seriousness of all that’s going on, it’s important to stay close to the media. But we have to make sure it’s not an additive pattern or disturbing our well-being.
(If staying connected to all of it throughout the day works for you, and you have your own system for managing it, then that’s fine! This is different for all of us.)
But if you feel overwhelmed by it all, here’s what I do: I schedule news and social media time into my day. During these times, I read the articles, watch the videos and check my feeds. And then I stop. I also make sure to stop at least one hour before I go to sleep.
If this idea appeals to you, then you can schedule 1 to 3 times per day devoted to news and social media. You can even set a timer if you want!
I also suggest doing something grounding afterward if you feel emotionally activated. Practice one of the techniques in this post, go for a walk, have a snack, or dance it out to a song that makes you feel good.
6. If you’re over-spiritualizing, take my mentor’s advice
Several years ago I remember going to Rha Goddess, who was my coach at the time (and is still my dear friend).
I wanted her advice. I was doing all the spiritual stuff. I was manifesting, I was meditating, I was praying.
“What do I do next?” I asked Rha.
I expected her to tell me the next spiritual thing to do.
Instead, she told me to go get ice cream.
Rha knew I needed to get grounded. I had all the tools, but what I needed in that moment wasn’t another breathing technique or meditation or affirmation. I needed to chill out with some ice cream!
This is truly some of the best advice I’ve ever gotten, and now I want to give it to you.
If you feel like you’re doing all the spiritual things and want to know what’s next, here’s what’s next:
Go eat some ice cream. And let me know how it goes. 🙂
7. Watch uplifting content to feel grounded in joy
There is joy to be found even in difficult times. You might just need to actively seek it out! Thankfully, this isn’t hard. Search comedy clips on YouTube. Watch inspiring talks. Press play on the videos of people coming together in expressions of peace and solidarity.
Here are some #DearGabby episodes to get you started. This is my new live IGTV show that I do every Wednesday at 12:30 ET. I can guarantee any of these will leave you feeling good!
