Grounding as a Way Back - Not a Last Resort

Hi there,

Last week, I shared how walking helps me come back into my body — not as exercise, but as a return. A return to the rhythm of my breath, the softness of birdsong, the steadiness of my steps.

That practice reminded me that presence doesn’t always arrive in stillness. Sometimes, it’s movement — rhythmic, gentle, embodied — that calls us home.

But this week, I noticed something. Sometimes I don’t have time for a walk. I might only have two minutes between Zoom calls or find myself in the middle of a hard conversation, needing to ground — fast.

So this week, I’m choosing to approach grounding differently: not as a last resort, but as a rhythm. A ritual. A way to tend to myself throughout the day.

I’m asking a new question:
✨ “Which practice brings me back to this moment?”

Here’s what I’m trying:
✔ One grounding practice per day, with reflections on what helps.
✔ Post-it notes in key places — “Feel your feet” and “Hand to heart.”
✔ A gentle hourly alarm to pause, breathe, and check in.
✔ A worry stone on my desk and lavender oil at bedtime.
✔ At least one grounding walk this week — noticing what I see, hear, and smell.

This isn’t about optimizing. It’s about observing. Reconnecting. Building trust with my nervous system, one grounded moment at a time.

🧠 Why Grounding Matters

Grounding isn’t just a wellness buzzword. It’s a way to re-engage the thinking part of the brain — the prefrontal cortex — when stress has hijacked the nervous system.

Under stress, our brain shifts to survival mode (fight, flight, freeze, or fawn). Grounding interrupts that loop. By shifting attention to breath, senses, and surroundings, we send a powerful message: The danger has passed. I am here. I am safe enough.

That simple shift — from reactive to responsive — can change everything.

✨ A Few Practices to Try

🌱 Hands on Heart and Stomach – Place one hand on your heart, one on your belly. Breathe and feel your hands rise and fall. It’s my go-to anchor in moments of overwhelm.

🌱 Something Cold or Textured – Hold a cool stone, touch a countertop, or run your hands under cold water for 15 seconds. This sensory input helps bring you back.

🌱 Breath Awareness – Try Box Breathing (inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4) or simply sigh out audibly. Notice what shifts.

💭 Reflection Prompt
What would it look like to ground — not later, not after unraveling — but in real time?

💛 What I’m Loving This Week
• Sound: My cat purring on my lap — instant nervous system balm.
• Practice: Hand on chest, hand on belly, three deep breaths.
• Tool: Saje Essential Oils — a gift that still helps me return to my body.
• Song: “Holocene” by Bon Iver — tender, spacious, and grounding.

This week, I invite you to try one practice. Any one. And when you do, ask yourself:
🌿 What brings me back to this moment?

With care,
Lisa