Today I’m going to share a wonderful guided grounding meditation session that will help you to feel more balanced and stable, as well as connected to the earth.
There are many types of grounding meditation, such as Zen Walking and Forest Bathing Meditation. But the script below is my favourite. Let’s take a look.
Let me show you how to get the most out of meditation.
Come meditate with me today!
Guided Grounding Meditation Script [15 Minutes]
1: Plant your feet on the ground and sit with good posture
The very term “Grounding” makes us think of connecting with the Earth beneath our feet. Indeed, this is important. Posture matters.
You want to sit with your feet shoulder-width apart and make sure you have good posture. If possible, sit outside on the grass with bare feet. This will create a sense of stability in both your body and mind, which is vital in grounding meditation sessions.
Studies from the University of California: Berkeley show that our body posture effects our state of mind [1].
Having good posture creates mental stability. And bare feet help too. Placing your bare feet on the ground allows your body to absorb the Earth surface’s negative electrical charge. And this can reduce free radicals. Plus, it helps regulate our autonomic nervous system and circadian rhythms, according to research. That’s why you might like to have bare feet while you follow this script.
2: Take 28 mindful breaths
To ground ourselves we first need to relax, and the best way to relax is with mindful breathing (Anapanasati).
Close your eyes and breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Focus your mind on the sensation of your breath moving between the space between your nose and mouth. Continue to focus on this spot for 27 breaths (one-quarter mala).
Meditating on your breath stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system to create feelings of calm and wellbeing, according to Georg Alpers [University of Mannheim, Germany] in an article for Scientific American. This is vital because we need the mind to calm and quieten if we are to feel grounded. So, take 28 mindful breaths.
3: Silence your thoughts by labelling them as you continue to breathe mindfully
One of the main reasons why it is hard to feel grounded is that our thoughts stop us from living in the moment. We need to become less reactive to our thoughts. We need to be able to focus even while there are thoughts floating around our heads.
One effective way to become less reactive to thoughts is simply to label them, as is done in Buddhist Vipassana meditation.
Observe your thoughts coming and going, and detach from them. Label your thoughts by simply saying to yourself, “This is just a thought.”
You might wonder why our guided grounding meditation script includes the labelling of thoughts and feelings.
Brain imaging studies by psychologists at UCLA (published in the journal Psychological Science) shows that labelling negative thoughts and feelings makes them less intense.
Matthew D. Lieberman [associate professor of psychology, UCLA] says that labelling thoughts reduces amygdala activity and increases activity in the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, which is a region of the brain that processes information and inhibits behaviour.
Therefore, by labelling thoughts and feelings we reduce their effect on us. And this helps us to stay grounded. This is also a method recommended in the Buddhist texts the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta and the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta by S. N. Goenka.
4: Focus on the sensation of your feet on the ground.
Our feet really are the keys to a successful grounding meditation session.
You want to meditate on the sensation of your feet resting on the floor or on grass. It should feel as though the ground is supporting your weight. Meditate on the connection between your feet and the ground for a minimum of five minutes.
5: Reach outwards with your mind and feel your connection to the world around you
A large part of feeling grounded is being connected to the real world around you (instead of being lost in thoughts and feelings). That’s why this part is all about connecting to the world.
You are currently focusing on your feet and feeling the connection between yourself and the Earth. From there, guide your mind outwards gradually. Observe the connection between yourself and your environment. Do this slowly so that you remain focused and so that you can continue to feel your connection to the Earth.
6: Stand and mindfully walk ten feet in one direction, turn and then walk back mindfully the other way
One of the absolute best grounding meditation techniques is Zen Walking (Kinhin).
Kinhin is an excellent way to slow your mind and to feel stable. What you want to do is very slowly walk ten feet in one direction, while gazing down with your eyes open. Each step should be done mindfully and with intent. Focus on the precise movement of your legs and feet as you walk. The slower you go, the more grounded you will feel.
Once you have walked ten feet one way, turn and repeat in the other direction.
When you do this, you should feel a powerful sense of mind-body connection. You should feel as though your mind is directly connected to your body, like you are 100% aware of your actions (as opposed to when you are lost in thoughts and working on auto-pilot).
Studies by Putai Jin published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research shows that mindful walking reduces cortisol in the blood, which in turn reduces stress, helping us to stay grounded.
Plus, research shows that “grounding” is real. Research from Nature’s Own Research Association in Dover suggests that grounding affects the living matrix, which is the central connector between living cells. Plus, it improves electroconductivity between cells. In turn, this helps boost the immune system.
7: Stand still and take ten mindful breaths
To finish, simply stand still and meditate on your breath for ten minutes.
If you have followed this script properly, you will feel stable, calm, and relaxed but focused. This is what we mean when we talk about grounding.
Final thoughts
Grounding meditation is essential today. We live in a world where there is so much mental noise that it is easy to lose yourself.
Many people live on auto-pilot much of their lives, or they live stuck in their thoughts. The primary benefit of grounding meditation is that it reconnects you to the present moment. It makes you feel calm and steady, yet also focused and alert.
A guided grounding meditation script helps you to centre your mind and to find balance, so you feel calm and steady. Indeed, this is one of the best meditation scripts.
When I teach grounding in my online meditation lessons I do it to help people stop the Monkey Mind, to help them feel mentally stable, and to provide earthing. If that sounds good to you, book an online meditation lesson with me today.
References:
1: How posture and gestures affect state of mind, University of California – Berkeley
Paul Harrison is a passionate meditation teacher who believes in genuine, authentic meditation. He has more than 15 years experience in meditation and mindfulness. He studied meditation in beautiful Oxford, UK, and Hamilton Ontario Canada, and earned his degree at Staffordshire University.
“My goal is to provide the most authentic meditation sessions so you can harness the power of your own mind for personal transformation” – Paul Harrison