Blog Post Title Two
There's a moment in every transition where you feel like you're losing your footing.
Everything is changing. Your energy is fading. Your focus is slipping. The daily demands that used to feel manageable now feel impossibly heavy.
In those moments, your instinct might be to push harder to work more, do more, be more.
I know because that was my instinct too.
But here's what I learned through my own journey of constant transition: the most powerful thing you can do when everything feels too heavy isn't to push through. It's to pause and ground.
What Grounding Actually Means
Let's start by clearing up a common misconception: grounding isn't about elaborate rituals or hour-long meditation practices.
It's much simpler and more accessible than that.
Grounding is the practice of reconnecting to the present moment, to your body, and to the earth beneath you. It's about creating stability within yourself when everything around you feels uncertain.
Think of it this way: When a storm hits, trees don't survive by being rigid. They survive by having deep roots that anchor them while their branches bend and sway.
Your grounding practice is those roots.
It's what allows you to move through transition without being uprooted by it. It's what helps you bend without breaking.
Why Grounding Matters During Transition
When you're going through major life changes, whether that's navigating loss, career shifts, relationship transitions, or the challenges of midlife, your nervous system often stays in a state of high alert.
Your body doesn't distinguish between physical danger and emotional uncertainty. It just knows: something feels unsafe.
This constant activation is exhausting. It's why you might feel:
Tired even after sleeping
Unable to focus or make clear decisions
Reactive and easily overwhelmed
Disconnected from your own needs and wisdom
Grounding practices directly address this. They signal to your nervous system: "You're safe. You can rest. You don't have to be on high alert anymore."
And when your nervous system calms, everything else becomes easier:
You make clearer decisions
You respond thoughtfully instead of reacting impulsively
You access your inner wisdom more readily
You remember your own strength
My Journey With Grounding
I discovered the power of grounding during one of my hardest transitions.
When I moved to the United States, I left behind my career, my culture, everything familiar. Then came motherhood, beautiful and disorienting. Later, I navigated my husband's illness and loss.
Through every phase, I felt untethered. Like I was floating through my life instead of living it.
Yoga was the first practice that helped me feel grounded again. Not because of the physical poses, but because of something deeper: the practice of coming back to my breath, feeling my feet on the ground, inhabiting my body fully instead of living in my anxious thoughts.
From yoga, I moved naturally into mindfulness practices. I learned to create small moments of grounding throughout my day:
Three conscious breaths before a difficult conversation
Feeling my feet on the floor while waiting in line
Placing my hand on my heart when anxiety rose
These weren't dramatic interventions. But they were profound in their impact.
They helped me stay connected to myself even when everything around me was changing.
The Science Behind Grounding
Research supports what practitioners have known for centuries: grounding practices have measurable effects on your nervous system.
When you engage in intentional grounding, whether through breath, movement, or mindful presence, you activate your parasympathetic nervous system. This is the part of your nervous system responsible for "rest and digest" rather than "fight or flight."
Studies show that grounding practices can:
Lower cortisol (stress hormone) levels
Reduce inflammation in the body
Improve sleep quality
Decrease anxiety and overwhelm
Increase feelings of safety and stability
You're not just "feeling" more grounded. Your body is actually shifting into a calmer, more regulated state.
A Simple Practice: The 3-Breath Reset
You don't need special equipment, a quiet room, or extra time in your day to practice grounding.
Here's a technique I use multiple times daily, and teach to every client I work with:
The 3-Breath Reset
Ground your awareness
Wherever you are, pause
Place your feet flat on the floor (or feel where your body makes contact with your chair)
Notice: I am here. Right now.
Breathe with intention
Inhale slowly through your nose for a count of 4
Feel your belly expand, your chest rise
Hold gently for a count of 4
Exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of 6
Release tension with the breath
Repeat with awareness
Complete this cycle three times
With each exhale, consciously release what you don't need to carry
With each inhale, invite in steadiness and calm
That's it. Less than two minutes. But those two minutes can shift your entire day.
When to Use This Practice
The beauty of the 3-Breath Reset is that you can use it anywhere, anytime:
Before a difficult conversation or meeting
When you feel overwhelm rising
After receiving challenging news
During moments of decision-making
Before responding to conflict
When you notice tension in your body
As a morning ritual before starting your day
As an evening practice before sleep
The more you use it, the more natural it becomes. Eventually, your body learns to self-regulate more easily.
Grounding as a Way of Life
Here's what I want you to understand: grounding isn't a one-time fix. It's a practice you return to again and again.
Some days, you'll feel deeply grounded. Other days, you'll feel scattered and disconnected. Both are normal. Both are part of being human.
The practice isn't about achieving a permanent state of groundedness. It's about knowing how to come back to yourself when you drift away.
It's about building a relationship with your own inner stability, so that no matter what changes around you, you have a place within yourself that remains steady.
Beyond the Breath
While breathwork is foundational, grounding can take many forms:
Through movement: Yoga, walking, gentle stretching, anything that helps you feel present in your body
Through nature: Placing your bare feet on the earth, sitting with your back against a tree, feeling the sun on your face
Through ritual: A morning cup of tea enjoyed slowly, lighting a candle, creating a small moment of intentionality
Through community: Connecting with others who are also practicing presence and self-awareness
The key is consistency, not perfection. Small, regular practices create more lasting change than occasional intensive ones.
What Becomes Possible
When you commit to a grounding practice, even just a few minutes each day, you begin to notice shifts:
You're less reactive and more responsive. You trust your own judgment more easily. You feel more capable of handling whatever comes. You remember that you've always had the strength to meet life's challenges.
You don't feel less challenged. You feel more equipped.
And that changes everything.
An Invitation
If you're reading this and thinking, "I need this, but I don't know where to start," I want you to know: you've already started.
Reading these words is a form of pausing. Considering what might be possible is a form of awakening. Making the choice to try something new is a form of grounding.
Start with one practice. The 3-Breath Reset. Try it once today. Tomorrow, try it again.
Notice what shifts. Notice what becomes possible when you give yourself permission to pause, to breathe, to ground.
You already have everything you need. This practice just helps you remember.
About the Author
Hanin Smahta is a certified yoga teacher and wellness coach who specializes in supporting women through life transitions. Through a combination of yoga, mindfulness, and coaching, she helps women reconnect to their inner strength and wisdom. Her approach emphasizes simple, accessible practices that fit into real life, because transformation doesn't require hours of free time. It requires presence.
Ready to Begin?