A Grounding Meditation for Decision Making

Nicole Fillion-Robin

LAc, MAcOM, Dipl. OM

 Somehow the grass and native species are still growing after the freeze. Spring is a natural time of change, seeds sprouting with the promise of longer days. It’s a perfect time to focus on your liver and gallbladder meridians which play such important roles in physical and mental health.

The liver is in charge of blood flow, hormones, tendons. It does A LOT and can get grumpy. When out of balance people tend towards resentment, anger.

The gallbladder meridian is in charge of giving you the courage to make big decisions. When out of balance, you might feel stuck or undecided. If you've felt especially stuck in big decisions these days, read on for a quick meditation that can help you get back in touch with your "gut reaction!"

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Our bodies have inner-wisdom if we’re still and gentle enough to listen. There is a reason we call it a “gut reaction.” Bodies are so smart! Try leaning into feeling, sensing, being (and out of that analytical brain). Don’t feel like you have to change your breath your posture or anything when you’re thinking about a decision in a meditative manner. Nothing to change, just get curious about how your body reacts when you think about one outcome or the other. Does that decision feel expansive or limiting? Does that decision bring you towards or away from your Ideal Life?

If you’ve experienced violence or trauma, it’s often difficult to be present in your body. The first step I recommend to folks is to notice the borders of where your body starts in the space around you. This can be a really good grounding technique.

Close your eyes if that feels good, and notice the space around you. If you prefer to keep them open choose a spot on the ground to focus on. Take a 15-60 seconds for each of these “space awareness checks:”

Space in front.

Space behind you.

Space to your left.

Space to your right.

Noticing space might feel like an awareness of where you end and the coolness of the air around you starts. You might notice sounds floating towards you. You might notice a change in temperature for the air you breathe in and the air you breathe out. If you’re breathing through your nose you might notice those cute little nose hairs filtering air for you.

Put aside the stress to have a flat belly and give yourself a Buddha belly. Feel your lungs expand up into your shoulders and belly. You might even expand laterally into your rib cage. Feel your spine get taller with each exhale and your ribs expand with the inhale.

Do this as long as you want.

I enjoy body scans like this because 1) it’s a safe way to becoming aware of where your body starts/ends and eventually how it feels and 2) because you are literally taking up more space with your lungs, growing upwards, downwards and laterally. Allowing yourself to take up more space.

Once you start to explore where your body starts/ends you’ll be able to notice smaller changes when you ask yourself “does this decision feel good/expansive/exciting?”
You are so smart, your body is too and I’m lucky to know you. And, don’t forget that you know best. Trust that gut!