Grounding Practice | January 2023

A Mental Health Check-in with Sam McGee 

January's Grounded Practice is a guided exercise called "The Relaxing Place" some people may have heard of or done similar ones called "The safe place." The Relaxing Place adapts the therapy model called DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy). This practice can be helpful to use our senses to ground ourselves or be present in the here and now in a way that helps our bodies feel safe. For many people, slowing down and attuning inward to our body's experience and emotions can be overwhelming. The Relaxing Place can be one tool to help in that process, so we can be more fully aware of what is showing up without dismissing our real emotions and often distressing experiences and be able to re-write (transform) any previous patterns we have had that no longer serve us. May this connect with you in a way that moves you towards more liberation. 

Grounding Practice | December

Grounding Practice | Tools to Help Us Explore Mental Health

A Mental Health Check-in led by Dr. Samantha McGee

Every month as part of our commitment to wholeness and healing in our community, we will explore a new grounded practice. These practices becomes tools that we can reach for and practice with in order to move towards health in all facets of our lives.

1. Take a moment to consider your attachment styles? List some words that might describe your relationship with self, God, and others (ex. trusting, feeling attuned to, feeling afraid they would leave, feeling controlled, emotionally disconnected?) We will talk more about these when we meet, but just notice any patterns for now.

2. What does safety and attunement feel like to you, to feel uniquely known and seen and have repair? Do you have a strong inner compassionate/caring voice you can hear?

3. Do you have trouble setting limits/boundaries with yourself, time, and people around you? Where do you notice it in your body when unable or able to set a boundary? OR you can look at mindfulness practice. Do you have difficulty cultivating mindfulness practice? Where do you feel the most and least mindful in your life?

Grounding Practice | October/November

Attunement to our bodies with increased compassion

A Mental Health Check-in with Sam McGee 

Each of us carries stories of our lived experiences in our bodies. Our bodies are constantly communicating something with us, even if we feel disconnected. Attuning to our bodies can give us a whole new understanding of how we have and are moving through the world. 

Many of us learn to “white knuckle,” which entails ignoring what our bodies are saying to survive and feeling like we “have to” do that thing even when we are overwhelmed. Forcing ourselves to engage when our bodies and spirits don’t feel safe usually results in staying stuck or further pain and trauma. 

Consider this: Your human body is “Very good” because it is included when the creator of the universe called each new thing “Good” and then “very good” when it was finished.

The embodied exercises are an opportunity to begin engaging with your story and align with the creator and their goodness.  

Questions: 

1. Where do you see you might be white knuckling/avoiding or minimizing things in your life right now? How do you know? How might it be showing up in your body?

2. Can you begin to get a sense of what has kept you from engaging with your story until now?

3. What is one step you can take to begin to embrace your story?

Concepts and questions from books “The Try Softer Guided Journey” by Aundi Kolber and “You are enough” by Jonathan Puddle.