G.R.A.C.E. Part 1. - Grounding

I have posted about George Leonard's G.R.A.C.E. technique before but I have been exploring this technique and other relaxation and meditation techniques and wanted to share the way I practice each piece.

G - Ground - what is it be grounded? Being grounded means being level in body and in head, and if your body is in a state your mind will follow. Take off your shoes and follow these steps (These work even better if you record yourself speaking them slowly and play them back while you follow the steps or just have someone read them to you):

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, bend your knees slightly (never locked) and breathe evenly, with each breath feel your body sink a little deeper into the ground.

With your first breath feel your feet pushing into the ground and feel the ground pushing back into your feet. Concentrate on what the ground feels like, your feet warming the ground and the ground warming your feet.

With each breath imagine energy coming up into your body. Curl your toes up and find a balance using the body of your foot without your toes, then bring your toes down and feel your whole foot hug the ground. Now focus on pushing your weight into your feet with your ankles. With your next breath push down from the knees, then tuck in your pelvis and tighten your core, use your core to push your lower body into the ground. Bend your knees to deepen your stance, use your core to pull your shoulders down your back and relax your kneck. Imagine that there is a string attached to the top of your head holding up your head and kneck and let your shoulders hang, relaxed.

Imagine your feet and legs extending down deep into the earth, knees neither bent nor locked, connecting with the universe and sigh a breath of release as you let go of all stress and anxiety firmly rooted into the ground.

G.R.A.C.E

I promised I would post about this so here I go. GRACE is a centering method produced by George Leonard, author of the book Mastery.

Here are the steps:

1. GROUND. Imagine your feet and legs extending down deep into the earth, knees neither bent nor locked, connecting with the universe.
   
   
2. RELAX. Breathe deeply and release the tension from every muscle: feel a warming sensation throughout your entire body.
   
   
3. AWARE. Be keenly aware of your surroundings; tune in to sounds, smells and sensations.
   
   
4. CENTER. Place your fingertips about an inch below your navel. Focus your attention and breath on this point to reach a state of calmness.
   
   
5. ENERGIZE. Hold your arms out in front of you and imagine that high-voltage energy is shooting out from your fingertips. Then relax, arms by your sides.
   

This method is a great way to attain some focus and prepare yourself for a more mindful state. I find that when I practice this the world becomes much more vibrant and alive, I find a smile appearing out of nowhere on my face and I think people reacting to me in a much more positive way.