GROUNDING Exercise for Anxiety and Stress Relief - Somatic Therapy

Grounding is one of the most powerful ways to calm the nervous system and feel safe in your body. In this short grounding exercise, I’ll guide you through a gentle somatic therapy practice to release tension, reduce anxiety, and find a stable sense of yourself. 

This isn’t about doing things perfectly or following strict instructions. Sometimes being told what to do with your body can feel overwhelming. So this grounding practice is invitational, gentle, and paced to help you feel supported. 

In this episode, you’ll explore: 

• How a grounding practice supports anxiety relief and stress relief
• A simple breath and sound technique (“fff” breath and sigh of relief)
• Letting go of stress and feeling the weight of your body when it relaxes
• Carrying a grounded, safe feeling into your day or evening

Watch the video version of this practice here: https://youtu.be/fpL8emK81MA?si=oQg9uAU_hogUscTw

Subscribe to my channel to be notified when it’s published. https://www.youtube.com/@shelleytreachertherapy

 
This episode is part of my Somatic Therapy series. You can also explore more resources on my website: https://www.bristolcounselling.co.uk/

If you found this practice helpful, please follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with someone who might benefit.


Listen to this next:
🎧 Reset your Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) - a simple way to support calm, digestion, and recovery. https://www.bristolcounselling.co.uk/reset-your-autonomic-nervous-system/

Transcript

Grounding Practice: A Somatic Exercise to Calm the Nervous System

This episode is about grounding. One of the simplest and powerful ways to calm the nervous system, to regulate stress and anxiety, and to feel safe in your body.  Welcome to the Stress and Anxiety Recovery podcast. I'm Shelly Treacher, and in today's brief somatic practice, I'll guide you in connecting with gravity, releasing tension, and finding a stable sense of yourself.

This is also part of my Somatic Mastery series, which I've been mentioning for a few weeks now, where we delve deeper into how the nervous system's safety and self-regulation support recovery.  If you would prefer to watch the video version, you can find this on my YouTube channel with Shelly Treacher, or on my website.

Why Grounding Matters

Let's just take a moment to get settled together.  This isn't about doing anything perfectly or following the script in exactly the right way. Sometimes being told what to do with your body can be triggering and be difficult for you, make it harder. So give yourself permission to just explore whatever feels right for you and possible at your own pace.

Grounding is about feeling the weight of your body, resting on the ground, feeling your experience of gravity. It quite literally helps you to know where you stand and to feel more connected to yourself and what you need.  Often we are lost in our thoughts and feel restless and disconnected. Grounding helps bring our attention or focus back into our bellies, our legs, our feet, which makes us feel safer.

Roots Example

Think about a tree. If its roots are really shallow, the slightest storm can knock it over. But if the roots go really deep, the tree can bend and sway and still remain standing. Grounding is like this, making your own roots deeper.

Guided Practice

If you're willing, let's start the exercise. You can do this one standing or sitting, but for the first time, I'd recommend lying down in a very comfortable position.

If you are standing, don't keep your knees locked, keep them loose, and then if you're willing, close your eyes knowing that of course, you can open them at any time.

As you get settled, let me say this, when your nervous system needs support, there are a couple of pathways that you can take.

You can offer it a simple exercise, something that may shift your state, or you can become aware of deeper patterns underneath and meet the tensions or defenses with empathy. This practice is an invitation to do either or both.

Notice the weight of your body through your feet. Take a deep breath in and let it out slowly. Follow your breath slowly down from your head, down to your chest, to your belly, your legs, and your feet. Just notice what you can. Even the smallest shift counts. Now let's add a sound. When you breathe out, make a soft sound with the air coming out through your teeth. Notice what changes, even if it feels tiny, even the tiniest shift counts.

Let's do this together for a few times.

Breathe in. And ffffff.

Again, breathe in .... fffff.

One more time.....fffffff.

Notice how each out breath brings a tiny little release. And if it doesn't, that's also fine.

And now when you're ready, allow one or two breaths to fall out of you like a sigh of relief.

Without trying too hard, just letting go.

Release & Scan

Now, take a moment to check your body for any tight spots.

If you find any. See if you can let them soften a little, and it's okay if they don't. Just noticing is good enough. And if your body has released, notice how your body feels heavier with the weight of your body sinking into the ground. Let the ground come up and hold you.

Allow yourself to rest into and enjoy this feeling.

Closing Practice

As you breathe, see if you can feel a grounded place in your lower abdomen, supported by your legs and your feet or the chair.

This feeling helps you to relax and feel safe to know where you stand.

Take one last breath and let it out slowly. And when you're ready, see if you can carry this sense of groundedness with you as you open your eyes and come back into the room and then see if you can carry this feeling with you into the rest of your day or evening.

Reflection

Thank you for joining me for this practice. If it supported you, please share it with someone who might benefit.

You can also subscribe to the podcast for more somatic practices and therapeutic reflections.

If you’d like to go further, the full Somatic Therapy series is available on YouTube, and more resources are on my website. You’ll find the links in the show notes.

If you’d like another short practice, you might enjoy my previous episode on what Somatic therapy is.

I’m Shelley Treacher, and this is the Stress and Anxiety Podcast.

Until next time, take care, and may you feel grounded as you move through your day.