The Grounding Chair (A guided relaxation exercise for relieving stress)

The Grounding Chair

Feeling stressed? Try this guided relaxation exercise for a simple way to unwind and detach from your burdens:

Sit down in a comfortable chair in a quiet place with few distractions. Place both feet onto the ground, and place your arms comfortably on the armrests, or to your side. Close your eyes and take three deep breaths: inhale deeply for three counts, and then exhale deeply through your mouth. Repeat three times.

As you exhale your final breath, feel your body sink more deeply into your chair. Feel your back against the fabric of the chair. Push deeply back into the seat, feeling the pressure against your upper back, the middle of your back, and your lower back. Try to feel as the muscles of your back press into the chair. Relax your back completely. 

Now feel your arms by your side. If you have arm-rests, feel the texture of the fabric on your arms and fingertips. Tense each arm from the top of the shoulder, all the way down to your fingertips. Tense the entire arm and hand, and then let it relax. Let the arm feel heavy, as if they are weighted.

Now focus on your seat. Feel heavy as your bottom sinks into the seat cushion. Push down slightly against the seat cushion, tensing your seat as you do this. Tense and release a few times. Now feel your weight sink deeply into the seat, as if you are sinking into the fabric.

Now take the focus down to your feet which are planted squarely on the floor. Imagine that your feet have roots, which are shooting deep into the ground, keeping them firmly in place. Feel the heaviness in your legs, your feet, your toes. Try to picture the stress of the day releasing from your body, shooting through the roots of your feet, and down into the ground, away from you.

Take one final breath (in for 3, hold for 3, out for 3) as you allow yourself to sink into the chair, the ground, the earth. Imagine that the stress and negative feelings from the day have drained from your body, into the earth, and you are ready to begin anew.

Use this exercise anytime that you need a refresher, or to reset your energy for the day.