How To Get Grounded
October 5, 2020When the world rattles you, how do you find your center? This conversation explores the sensation of grounding — both in the external physical body and the internal felt sense. Susan encourages practicing grounding when the stakes are low, so it's available when you need it most.
Mindful vlogging offers a way to weave awareness into everyday moments, turning the camera into a mirror for presence. When we slow down enough to notice the breath, the texture of a morning meal, or the sway of a walk, the ordinary reveals itself as extraordinary. This kind of documenting is less about performance and more about inquiry, an invitation to ask what is actually happening beneath the surface of routine. Each recorded reflection becomes a small artifact of attention, a record of returning again and again to the felt sense of being alive.
Grounding is often described as a metaphor, but in embodied practice it is deeply physical. Sensation begins in the feet, in the weight of the body meeting the ground, in the gentle expansion of the ribs as breath moves through. When life feels uncertain, the invitation is to notice these simple anchors rather than reaching outward for reassurance. Practicing during calm moments, like while driving or waiting for coffee, builds a reservoir of stability that can be drawn upon when the stakes rise and emotions begin to pull.
Interoception names a quiet intelligence that many people overlook: the ability to sense what is unfolding inside the body. Heartbeat, temperature, muscle tension, and breath all carry information, waiting to be heard. Developing this internal awareness is like tuning an instrument, allowing subtler signals to become audible over time. With patient practice, the signals that once seemed confusing begin to organize into meaningful guidance, helping us respond to life with greater clarity and self-trust rather than reacting from old patterns.
A consistent mindfulness practice does not require long hours or special equipment, only a willingness to return. A few conscious breaths between activities, a moment of feeling the body before answering a question, a pause to notice what is happening rather than what should be happening. These small interruptions of automaticity create space, and in that space, choice becomes possible. Over time, the practice reshapes daily life from the inside, offering a steadier center from which to engage with the world.