A Guided Meditation to Feel More Grounded

In my quest to find more ways to feel grounded, today it is all about finding your foundation and using it as an anchor to present moment awareness.

What does grounded mean to you?

In my mind, being “grounded” means you are fully present to your experience of the moment, present in your body.  When you are grounded, you feel calm, clear-headed, confident, balanced, flexible and resilient, you are open and available for happiness to enter.  When you are grounded, you can act skilfully from a steady place in any situation. You may also have a sense of connection to the earth and to others around you.  Being grounded is the foundation to your health and well-being.

By their very nature, yoga and meditation deeply grounding practices…if you practice mindfully.  And so they are both wonderful ways to cultivate your sense of feeling grounded, steady, resilient. And the more you practice, the more grounded you will be.

Here are two ways to connect with your foundation and to use it to cultivate feeling more steady, solid, strong and resilient…in other words more grounded.

1. A guided meditation to connect with your foundation. 

Today I’d like to offer you an idea and a guided meditation. It’s about focusing on the foundation of your meditation posture, which is all the parts of your body that are in contact with the floor, the cushion or the chair. Much like you may focus on your breath as an anchor for our practice (such as a breath awareness meditation), the foundation of your posture can also be an anchor for any meditation. Let's give it a try... I invite you to find a comfortable seated position, either on your meditation cushions or on an upright chair with your feet solidly planted on the floor (use a cushion or a yoga block to raise your feet if they don’t quite reach the floor). And then settle in for this gentle 9 minute guided meditation to connect with your foundation.  Simply click on the link below.

2. Get grounded with yoga. Start with a solid foundation. 

Be mindful of your foundation each time you practice yoga. In every yoga pose, as in meditation, your foundation is made up of all the parts of your body that are in contact with the mat. For example:

• In standing poses such Mountain Pose, Triangle Pose and the Warrior poses, your foundation is made up of your two feet. 
  
• In a pose like Downward Facing Dog, your foundation is your two feet and your two hands. 
• In any seated pose, your foundation is all parts of your legs, buttocks and hips sitting on the mat, in whatever shape they create. 
  

Envision your foundation rooted solidly to the mat and the Earth. Begin by experimenting with pressing evenly into the floor with all parts of your foundation. Strengthen your legs and/or arms, cultivate solidity and stability. And from there move into the pose with strength and confidence, feeling steady and solid on your foundation. Stay present through each pose. If your mind wanders use your awareness of your foundation as your anchor to come back to the present moment of your practice.

REMEMBER that there is an abundance of resources for your yoga and meditation practiceon the HUM website.  Try the HOME PRACTICE page HERE.  And you can explore the HUMLIFE BLOG which offers you ideas and inspiration in over 150 articles I've written over the past 5 years.

GET THE RIGHT YOGA MAT 
If you’re slipping and sliding on your yoga mat, it’s pretty hard to stay grounded. Choose the Original ECOYOGA MAT as the perfect earth-conscious foundation for your yoga practice.  Its unparalleled no-slip grip will allow your soul to soar while your body stays solidly grounded.  It’s made from a unique fusion of sustainably grown, 100% natural rubber and jute and NO added chemicals (yay!).  So it’s bio-degradable, recyclable, compostable…and even machine washable!
Mindfully made in the UK, HUM is the SOUL supplier of the ECOYOGA MAT in the Canada and the USA.

FIND YOUR ECOYOGA MAT HERE