Carry Your Strengths, Create Inner Steadiness
I carry a grounding stone with me almost everywhere I go, tucked away safely in my bag for when I want to hold it in my hand. My stone is small, square, and a soft translucent green color. Depending on how the light hits it, the green of the stone can be bright or dark.
I hold the stone when I need to ground, center, or feel rooted during overwhelming or difficult moments. Sometimes I just enjoy rolling it in my hand, meditating on an awareness of and connection to my sense of touch.
How the stone came to me is a neat story. Last year I had the privilege of participating in a group of exceptional women. Each of us were on a personal journey of self-recovery and self-discovery. When a member graduated from the group, she chose a special stone to take with her as a reminder of her experience.
On my last day with the group, I chose the green stone. As the ritual has it, the stone was passed from woman to woman and each one placed a "gift" in the stone, a virtue or quality that she wished for me to possess. My grounding stone holds the gifts of courage, peace, confidence, positivity, flexibility, love, joy, and passion.
Simply by holding my small stone, I can call on these virtues to assist me. I can also place an intention in my stone and carry it with me when overwhelming moments make it difficult to hold a positive thought in my mind. I can put any word, dream, or expression in my grounding stone. My grounding stone is a tangible reminder of my innate goodness and strengths.
Holding this little green stone has become a simple and practical self-care ritual, a way for me to stay in the moment, to remain rooted and steady amid the whirlwind of daily life, and to keep from escaping thoughts, feelings, or discomfort.
It holds me steady as I hold it.
I encourage you to go to a local crafts store and pick out a stone that you can use to ground and center. Carry it with you in a bag or pocket. Hold your stone to create inner steadiness and physical grounding. Hold it on long car drives, during challenging conversations, after a hard or emotional moment, or when it feels as if the your world has been rocked.
Place your intentions in the stone, fill it with the virtues and qualities that you desire and admire.
This is truly practical self-care, and it only requires your open hand and a small stone. Give it a try, and leave a note in the comments below about how you use a grounding stone in your life.