I've gone over this exercise with many of you! It is a way to become and stay centered and present when emotional storms are raging all around us. These storms can be because other people are going through difficulty, such as a loved one being ill, or a friend sharing their trauma with us. However, often they occur because we, ourselves, are having a strong emotional reaction to something. Grounding into the present moment allows us the space and time to realize that we have agency or CHOICE about how we are going to react. These reactions can be by way of our voice, our behaviours, and our thoughts.
We do not need to stop the emotions from coming to us, but rather we can make space for them and stay centered and present in their midst. All of the emotions are a valued part of life - even grief, sorrow, jealousy, hatred, and rage. Every person has experienced them at one point or another and acknowledging these feelings in ourselves may allow us to relate to others with more understanding and kindness, to empathize more genuinely, and accept the difficult parts of our friends, our enemies, and ourselves. In fact, all of these feelings define being human.
So let's get started!
1) Sit up straight and press your feet into the floor. Imagine there are roots coming out of the bottom the bottoms of your feet.
2) Take a few deep, slow breaths. You might try exhaling for a bit longer than you inhale for.
3) Notice 5 things that you see (name them either out loud or silently)
4) Notice 5 things you feel (again name them like the coolness of the floor, my necklace, my shirt against my skin, ect.)
5) Notice 5 things you hear
6) Notice that you are in control over your movements. Shake your head a little bit. Raise and relax your shoulders. You are in charge of what you say, what you do, and even what you think.
These steps are outlined in this video!