*This is an auto-generated transcript*
[00:00:00] Hunter: You're listening to a Mindfulness for Kids episode of the Mindful Parenting Podcast. Today, we're talking about grounding through feeling our feet.
Welcome to the Mindful Parenting Podcast. Here, it's about becoming a less irritable, more joyful parent or kid. I'm your host, Hunter Clarke-Fields. I help smart Thoughtful parents stay calm so they can have strong connected relationships with their children. I'm the creator of the Mindful Parenting course and I'm the author of the best selling book Raising Good Humans and Now Raising Good Humans Every Day.
I'm joined by Dr. Christopher Willard, clinical psychologist, author, and dad. He's the author of 20 books including Alpha Breaths and Growing Up Mindful. Both of us have been practicing mindfulness for over 20 years and we are so excited to share the benefits. That's with you.
[00:00:55] Dr Chris Willard: Hi, Chris.
[00:00:56] Hunter: Nice to see you. Hey, Hunter.
[00:00:58] Dr Chris Willard: Nice to see you too. So, I hear a rumor that we
[00:01:02] Hunter: are going to be talking about our feet today. We
[00:01:05] Dr Chris Willard: are. I have this friend who says, you know, if anxiety is up in your head, what's the farthest away place from your head? It's your feet. And I always thought that was so helpful, like when we've got thoughts swirling around in our head.
Whether it's... nervous about going to that party or feeling anxious about talking to that teacher or just overwhelmed before we do something, we can just bring our attention down into our feet. And I find it very grounding, very settling for me when I also kind of want to stand my ground in a challenging conversation.
Um, Stand up for myself and, and encourage my, my own kids to do this as well and teach this a lot to clients, um, get, get nervous with public speaking or performing or just having to talk to somebody. So,
[00:01:48] Hunter: yeah, I love it. I'm excited to put my feet on the ground.
[00:01:51] Dr Chris Willard: Let's do it. All right. So that's where it starts.
We can, wherever you are, whether you're standing or sitting, let's get our feet onto the ground, two feet, about hips width apart, and you can then. Let your eyes close if that's comfortable for you, and then take a nice breath in,
and let it out.
Another breath in,
another breath out, and then the next breath, breathing in, and almost like it's a light just shining with awareness. You can also imagine this. Light shining all the way down to your feet, and just bring your awareness into your feet right now. And you might just notice, ask yourself a few questions. Are your feet dry?
Are they damp? Are your feet feeling warm? Aren't they feeling cool? Are your shoes or socks comfortable? Uncomfortable? Cozy or itchy? Tight or loose? Just noticing those sensations in your feet. And if it's hard to feel the sensations, You can just gently press your feet a little bit more into the ground, feeling the outline of your feet and your socks or your shoes that are just on the floor,
and aware that the floor is solidly connected to the building that you're in, and the building with its foundation in the earth.
Just aware that you are, in a sense, grounded in the earth, so you press your feet down and then just... Beginning to bring your awareness, your attention back up through your legs and body and maybe fluttering your eyes open if they were closed, breathing out as you look back out once more
and bringing your awareness back outward and what I notice is that I'm not in my mind anymore. Thank you. Yeah, I
[00:04:30] Hunter: feel my feet really grounded to the earth. Thank you, Chris. That was great.
[00:04:36] Dr Chris Willard: Thank you.
