Grounded for *Life*

Description

Grounding is an essential part of calm, centered living. It involves bringing your attention back to your body, and being present in the moment.

Created by Bonnie Landau Weed, The Grounded for *Life* deck has 52 grounding exercises that can easily be done at home, at the office or outside. This deck is the size of a regular deck of cards so it can go in your purse or pocket and be used anywhere. Whenever you feel ungrounded choose a card and bring peace to yourself by grounding your body in the here and now.

Each card contains special instructions for children so you can use the exercises to work with them on learning how to ground.

What is Grounding?

What does it mean to be ungrounded?
You are a physical person living in a physical world, yet you have the ability to “travel” away from your body in the form of thoughts or daydreams. When you are engaged in an activity such as watching TV, your attention is not focused on your body, but instead on the information you are watching. Same can be true if you are in a mall shopping for gifts, instead of focusing on walking you are thinking about what stores you want to go to and what you want to buy.

Being ungrounded means being out of touch with your physical self and unaware of what is going on in your physical surroundings. Being ungrounded is sort of like being in a daydream.

Why should I do grounding exercises?
Grounding helps anchor you in your physical self. It helps you pay closer attention to what is going on in your world. More importantly, it brings your attention back to your body so you can respond to its needs by actually being in touch with the signals it sends you. Grounding daily helps to keep you present with yourself.

What are the symptoms of being ungrounded?
People have various reactions to being ungrounded, but the most common symptoms include:

• Clumsiness
• Anxiety
• Unaware of physical needs
• Hyperactivity
• Daydreaming
• Insomnia
• Confusion

How often should I do grounding exercises?
Grounding exercises should be done at least once per day. Twice a day is better if you do it in the morning and just before bed. There are many exercises in the deck that can be done no matter where you are. You should choose one or two of those exercises to do in any situation where you feel you need extra grounding (such as a stressful business meeting).

Will grounding effect my spiritual connection?
Grounding will have a positive effect on your spiritual connection. Being in an ungrounded state creates an unconscious anxiety in the body. This unconscious anxiety can act like static electricity, interfering with the ability to calm and focus and connect spiritually. Grounding assists in the development and expansion of your spiritual practices. If you meditate, you will find daily grounding will make mediation easier and deeper.