When did “Being Present” become “Feeling Grounded”?
As I was working on my easy grounding techniques post, I woke up in the middle of the night with a thought: feeling grounded is the same as being present. Away from subconscious reactions. Away from fight or flight. Simply being present in this precious moment.
Is it just me or is “being present” something we don’t say or hear often anymore? Is “feeling grounded” the new term? Do people of today have an aversion to “being present”?
Feeling grounded is more tangible. It’s easy to visualize yourself standing and breathing in sunlight and sending energetic roots down into the earth, like a beautiful tree.
Being present is a little more abstract. And maybe in moments of distress and reaction, the present moment is exactly where we don’t want to be.
When I take a break to go on a walk and reset, I do a grounding technique. I breathe in golden sunlight, send it down through my body through my feet, and into the earth. I then breathe the energy of the earth up through my feet, up through my body, and out the top of my head. I repeat this flowing cycle until I feel … present.
As we ground ourselves, as we breathe in and reconnect our energetic body with our physical body and surroundings, we are actually bringing ourselves to be fully alive, connected to, and present in this moment. And this present moment is the most important to care for. This present moment writes our history, and sets the stage for our future.
So as it is said the “present” is a “gift. Indeed! Whether you call it grounding or being present, this moment is where life happens. So breathe it in … breathe it out. Being fully alive and centered in this moment is the most beautiful, wonderous and amazing gift.
If this journal entry resonated with you or you’re curious about incredibly simple ways to incorporate nervous system regulation into your daily life, I’ve created a free guide called From Triggered to Tranquil. It offers a gentle, step-by-step process to help you come back to center when emotions feel overwhelming. It only takes moments, and you can do it anytime, anywhere, without anyone even knowing. It’s there if you need it.
