Grounding for Mindfulness
Technique (GfMT)

‘Sit with your back straight and your feet firmly on the ground. Uncross legs and arms. Palms of your hands should be relaxed and resting on your thighs. Head should be facing straight ahead. Imagine that you are a puppet and have a string through your spine, neck and head. Feel it gently pull up and relax without slouching. In your mind, focus on your face and gently smile. This will relax the muscles between your eyebrows. Now focus on your shoulders. Gently readjust them to the most comfortable position. Pull them slightly down if they are too close to your head. Take a deep breath through your nose all the way to your lower stomach. Bring your attention to your breath. Take three breaths now and follow them with your thoughts. Breath one, through your nose, deep, straight into your belly button, then gently breathe out through your nose. Breath two, again in through your nose, breathe deeply straight into your belly button, then gently breathe out through your nose. Breath three, gently in and out through your nose.
Now imagine you are in a deep forest. All around you there are tall trees. You are not wear- ing any shoes. Focus on the feel of the ground under your feet. Feel the damp leaves, cool earth, solid feeling of the ground underneath your feet. (pause 3 sec) Walk through the forest. Touch the trees as you walk. Smell the air full of greenery. As you walk to the very edge of the forest you find a log. Big sturdy log. Sit on it. (pause 3 sec) As you sitting on the log mentally send your focus to your feet. Feel the soft grass touching  the soles of your feet. Focus just between your big toe and the one next to it. Now imagine roots starting to grow into the ground. The roots are small and gentle to start with, then as they go into the ground they are becoming stronger and bigger. (pause 4 sec) Imagine the roots growing now on the surface of the ground. They are growing everywhere around your feet, surrounding you like a net. Focus on seeing this in your mind. (pause 3 sec) Imagine your roots growing even deeper into the Earth. See them passing through the dark Earth first. Grow them deeper down. Deeper. (pause 3 sec) Now, see your roots passing through the sandy part of the Earth. Grow them even deeper. (pause 3 sec) Now you are so deep you see the hearth of the planet. Imagine a huge iron ball right in the centre. Solid, metal ball. Wrap your roots around that. (pause 4 sec)At this moment you are just a dot on the surface of the planet. A very small dot firmly attached to the vast network of your strong roots, wrapped to the centre of the Earth. Hold this picture in your mind. (pause 6 sec) Focus on your “grounded” feet. Focus on the place where the soles of your feet are “growing your roots.” Stay with that feeling for a moment. Feel the calm.  (pause 4 sec)                      Gently, gently focus on your feet again. (pause 3 sec) Remember you are sitting on the log. In your mind stand up and walk back to the forest. Focus on your bare feet on the forest floor, feel the cool bed of leaves touching your toes and your heels. (pause 3 sec) Now slowly bring your awareness to this room. Feel your feet on the ground. Feel your roots deep in the ground. As you keep focus on your feet, bring your awareness to this room now fully. Become aware of the chair under your body. Listen for the sounds around you. (pause 3 sec) Bring your mind back to your feet. Where are they? Can you feel them? Gently wiggle your toes. Feel the full sensation of the floor beneath your feet. Slightly press them on the floor. (pause 3 sec) Wiggle your fingers and rub your palms. Move your shoulders. Take a deep breath. When you are ready slowly open your eyes, first looking down then up and up until you are looking straight ahead. Do this in your own time. When your eyes are open give yourself a good stretch if at all possible in silence to give others space to do the same in their own time.’