Compassionate Integrity Training CIT-Faciltator-Guide-2.1-Final | Page 55

C OMPASSIONATE I NTEGRITY T RAINING
A S ECULAR E THICS A PPROACH TO C ULTIVATING P ERSONAL , S OCIAL AND E NVIRONMENTAL F LOURISHING
G ROUNDING *
Goal: To demonstrate that noticing sensations in the body and identifying them as pleasant, unpleasant or
neutral (tracking) is a skill that can be cultivated, and to demonstrate the effects of attending to the contact
of one’s body with an object (grounding).
Materials: None
Time: 3 to 5 minutes
Instructions:
1.
Say to the group, “I invite you to bring your attention to a part of your body that is in contact with
something in a way that makes it feel supported. It could be the chair, the floor, another object, or
another part of your body. Feel free to shift position, stand, lean against a wall, move around, or lie
down. Move around until you find a position that makes you feel better or more supported. Notice
how some positions might feel better for you than others.”
2.
After giving them a few minutes to move around, say, “As you do this, bring your attention to the
sensations in your body. Is there a place in your body that feels supported or grounded? If so, rest
your attention with those pleasant or neutral sensations.”
3.
After a few minutes, ask, “Would someone like to volunteer to share what they are feeling right
now?”
4.
Some people feel uncomfortable shifting or moving around when most people are still. To foster a
sense of safety within the room, try to move around the room as you ground yourself as an example
of what they can do.
5. After everyone has had a chance to move around and experience the sensations of grounding, say,
“We naturally do things to ground ourselves all of the time. What’s important here is that we track
our sensations as well. This enhances our experience of grounding and its calming effect on our
nervous system. It also builds more body awareness. This is a skill that you can practice wherever
you are at any time of the day.”
C ENTER FOR C OMPASSION , I NTEGRITY AND S ECULAR E THICS | L IFE U NIVERSITY | M ARIETTA , G EORGIA
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