Relaxing vs. Efforting: A Grounding Technique to Release Energy
Welcome to Part 4 of the Energy Reset series!
In this article, I want to dive into a common question when it comes to grounding: should you be putting in effort, or should you relax and release?
The answer isn’t one-size-fits-all. Sometimes you need to put in effort to move energy, and sometimes you simply need to relax and let the energy flow naturally. In this post, we’ll focus on the powerful practice of relaxing into the process and how this can create a deep release of tension and emotions.
The Power of Relaxing in Grounding
When you think of grounding, you might imagine it requires effort—a strong mental push to connect yourself to the earth and move unwanted energy out. While efforting has its place (we’ll cover that in the next post), sometimes the most effective way to ground is to relax and let go.
Relaxing into grounding means allowing yourself to be with the sensations in your body without forcing anything. It’s about paying attention, noticing what arises, and allowing the energy to release naturally.
How to Ground Through Relaxation
Let’s walk through the steps of relaxing into grounding:
- Find Your Center: Make sure you’re in a safe, comfortable space. You can do this practice standing, sitting, with your eyes open or closed. The key is bringing your awareness into your body.
- Bring Awareness to Your Breath: Take a deep breath in through your nose if possible. Notice how the air fills your lungs, expands your chest, and lifts your shoulders. As you exhale, feel your body relax—your shoulders drop, your belly contracts, and the air flows out.
- Notice What’s Happening in Your Body: Once you’re focused on your breath, start paying attention to the sensations in your body. Where are you feeling tension or tightness? It might be in your chest, shoulders, back, or belly. Simply notice what you notice. There’s no right or wrong here—whatever comes up is what’s most active in your energy at the moment.
- Stay with the Sensation: Instead of trying to move the sensation immediately, just be with it. Imagine you’re observing it from a distance, like watching a child who has fallen and scraped their knee. You don’t need to react or rush to fix it—just acknowledge it with compassion.
- Allow the Release: As you stay with the sensation for 60-90 seconds, you may start to notice it softening or moving. You might feel warmth, or experience a physical release like yawning, tearing, or even grumbling in your stomach. These are all signs that your body is letting go of the tension it’s been holding.
Why Relaxation Works
When we relax into grounding, we’re allowing the body to process stored emotions or energy without forcing it. Often, just being with the sensation is enough for it to begin releasing on its own.
If you give it time—just 60-90 seconds of awareness—you’ll notice that it starts to shift. The tension softens, and the energy naturally flows down into the earth. This is grounding at its most gentle and effective.
When to Use This Technique
This relaxation-focused technique is ideal for moments when you’re feeling overwhelmed but don’t want to dive deep into the emotions behind your sensations. It’s a way to release energy without getting caught up in the why or the how of what’s going on. You simply notice, breathe, and let the energy move on its own.
What If It Doesn’t Work?
Sometimes, the energy won’t move with relaxation alone. If you’ve focused on the sensation for 30, 60, or 90 seconds and it’s still there or growing stronger, then efforting may be needed, and I’ll cover that in the next post. The key to relaxation is staying in awareness and observing, not diving into the emotion.
If you feel like you’re getting pulled into the emotion, it’s time to stop focusing and start grounding more actively. That’s where efforting will come in—helping you push the energy through when it feels stuck.
Your Grounding Practice for Today
Today, I invite you to practice relaxing into your grounding. Take a few moments to bring awareness to your breath, notice what’s happening in your body, and stay with the sensations you find. Give yourself the gift of 30-90 seconds of just being with your body and its energy.
Remember, sometimes the energy will release on its own without needing any extra effort. The more you practice, the easier it will be to notice these subtle shifts and experience a deep sense of peace.
Next Steps: Efforting in Grounding
In the next post, I’ll explore what to do when relaxing isn’t enough and you need to put in some effort to move stuck energy. For now, enjoy today’s practice and let me know what comes up for you. Share your experiences or questions, and I’ll be here to help you along the way.
