I’m here again, late in the day, but from a very different perspective. What I need is to come to ground for a moment. There are no conversations that need to be stopped, per se. There is plenty of ambient chatter that just needs to be turned down, and a heart that needs to be tuned in. Please indulge me for a moment to lean in to this space of sharing to settle myself a bit.

Winding down. It always requires me to sit down, close my mouth and open my eyes. Then after taking stock of the moment the eyelids give way and I can turn inward. Accompanying deep breaths aid in that process as I settle in more deeply. I can catch a breath and move to my hands. A light or tight squeeze is usually a good barometer of how far I need to go to settle. Either I need to pump them vigorously, or gently, but when I am quieting down I can tell by the tension in my palms. The fingertips of my four finders are pressed softly against the pads of my hand near my wrist and my thumbs lay along each index finger connected by tip to second knuckle.

Then is it just small modulations. I am exploring the edges of firm and loose. I am noticing the space inside of my palm. I pay attention to what that space feels like, the temperature and quality. As I flex and release a myriad of tiny adjustments within my closed hands, it gives my mind a break from the other things demanding attention. I signal myself to allow some more good breaths and quiet my eyes.

Now I am settled enough to explore how I am feeling. I can explore the feelings beneath the reactions throughout the day. I can trace feelings to thoughts through my body. Through the micro pulsations in my hands I can react as I go back over my day. A tense moment can show up, and if I am settled I can trace it. Was I angry? That doesn’t feel right. Was I afraid? The fingers dig into palms and the temperature rises and the air leaves the space in my hands. Ok back it off a bit. Feel into that afraid. And slowly I can build some memory of that feeling.

What I am working on is to develop this as a practice. Over time, with practice, I can use this to gauge my own temperature. Although I’m not sure how great I am at it, again a practice. By building a relationship between emotional states and physical shapes I am able to position myself literally in moments of profound emotion. I am able to recognize feelings building before they overwhelm, and I can savor emotional moments by letting their shapes stay in my body longer.

It all starts by coming to ground, taking a moment, and building from there.

What are the ways that you settle in to grounded moments? How do you connect to feelings rising from within? How to you practice kindness to yourself in the face of hard feelings? How do you savor the sweet ones?