Rooted in the Present: Ancient Wisdom and Modern Grounding Techniques
By Mae — Herbalist. Healer. Your grandmother's remedies, backed by a nurse's knowledge. ·
Finding Your Foundation
It’s July in Portland, and the heat is finally beginning to settle into the soil. My garden is currently a riot of color—the calendula is vibrant, and the lemon balm is practically begging to be harvested. When the world feels like it’s spinning a little too fast, I often find myself here, hands deep in the earth, feeling the temperature change as I dig down past the surface.
In my 25 years at OHSU, I learned that when a patient is spiraling—whether from physical trauma or the sheer overwhelm of a hospital environment—the first thing we must do is stabilize them. We ground them. In the nursing world, that meant monitoring vitals and clear, steady communication. In my herbal practice, it means returning to the Qi—the life force that centers us. Grounding isn't just a buzzword for a yoga class; it’s a physiological and energetic necessity for survival.
The Physiology of Being "Unmoored"
When we are stressed, our nervous system enters a state of sympathetic dominance—that classic "fight or flight" response. Your heart rate climbs, your breathing becomes shallow and thoracic, and your mind begins to fracture. My parents, who grew up in the rural Guangdong province, didn’t have a name for "anxiety" in the way we use it now. They called it having "scattered spirit."
From a Western nursing perspective, we call this a cortisol spike. From a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) lens, we are talking about a deficiency in Kidney Yin or an excess of Liver Fire rising. Both viewpoints are right. When you feel disconnected from your body, you are essentially losing your tether to the present moment.
Actionable Grounding: The 5-4-3-2-1 Sensory Reset
One of the most effective tools I use—and one I taught to many of my nursing colleagues during double shifts—is a sensory grounding exercise. It forces the brain to shift from the ruminating prefrontal cortex back into the sensory input of the environment.
Find a quiet chair. Sit with your feet flat on the floor, ideally touching the ground if you can.
1. Acknowledge 5 things you see: Notice the dust motes dancing in the light, or the texture of the wood grain on your table. 2. Acknowledge 4 things you can touch: Feel the fabric of your trousers, the cool surface of a stone, the weight of your own hands. 3. Acknowledge 3 things you hear: Listen for the distant hum of traffic or the rhythm of your own breath. 4. Acknowledge 2 things you can smell: If you have an herbal ally nearby, like a dried sprig of lavender or a piece of ginger, use it. 5. Acknowledge 1 thing you can taste: A sip of water or a bit of peppermint tea.
The Herbal Ally: Warming the Center
I often suggest that my clients brew a tea that brings the energy down from the head. In the summer, I lean toward cooling herbs, but grounding is an act of warming and settling.
If you’re feeling untethered, try a tea of Dried Jujube (Hong Zao) and a small slice of Ginger. Jujube is a wonderful tonic for the Spleen and Heart in TCM, helping to nourish the blood and calm the spirit. It’s a gentle, earthy flavor that acts like a warm blanket for your nervous system. I recommend sipping this slowly, focusing entirely on the warmth moving from the mug through your hands and into your chest.
Tai Chi and the "Rooting" Practice
Every morning at 6:00 AM, I step onto my back porch for twenty minutes of Tai Chi. The foundational movement, Wuji, is the ultimate grounding practice. You stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, imagining roots growing from the soles of your feet deep into the dark, cool earth.
You don’t need to know the entire form to benefit from this. Just stand. Send your weight downward. As you inhale, imagine drawing cool, stable energy up from the earth. As you exhale, let your shoulders drop and release the "spent" energy out through your feet. It sounds simple because it is. We overcomplicate wellness in this country, but the body knows how to heal itself if we just give it a quiet place to land.
A Final Note on Returning Home
Grounding isn't a one-time fix; it’s a practice of returning, over and over again, to the home that is your body. Whether you’re standing in your kitchen in Portland or navigating a high-stress afternoon in a city halfway across the world, know that you have the tools to pull yourself back to center.
How do you find your footing when the world feels loud? I’d love to hear what brings you back to yourself. Drop a comment below—let's chat about what's rooting you this July.