Grounding And Faith

The survival wiring in the nervous system does not automatically switch off in a place of safety. Life experiences can heighten protective responses, making the system constantly scan for danger even though there is none, blur the lines between past and present, making triggers feel like they are happening right now, and hijack rational thinking. 

Grounding is often suggested as a practice to bring the person back to the here and now and reduce emotional overwhelm. Exercises like placing one's feet on the floor, deep breathing, holding oneself, and noticing the environment are easily accessible for one to work with.

Having practised grounding for some time on my own and facilitated by someone else, I found the efficacy to be a hit or miss. As I reflected, I realised that grounding often rests on self-reliance as it depends on my own capacity to receive and integrate safety, and when that capacity is limited, even the presence of another person can only do so much.

I am aware of how much I need a presence greater than my own to meet the deeper needs of my mind, body, and heart, and am keenly interested to integrate my faith. Grounding in the traditional sense does not have this integration present since it misses out to invite God into the process.

At times when I am emotional, I find myself questioning if God can bring me to safety since He seemed to do nothing when I desperately needed and/or cried out for Him to save. However, knowing God enough through His word and other past experiences leads me to trust that He is trustworthy in spite of my emotional questioning. This leads me to ask Him to ground me by holding me in His presence. As many times as needed, my body is being brought into the knowing of the truth of who God is, and ultimately able to trust God as a safe Person.

I find my concept of grounding to shift. Instead of producing grounding within myself, it comes from the steady presence of God. Instead of grounding being internal, it becomes relational. Instead of grounding being self-reliant, it becomes God-reliant.

This shift would not be complete without anchoring on scripture. Reflecting on Romans 12:1-2, I have heard the emphasis of being transformed in the renewing of my mind many times. Yet, this process is not complete without first dedicating the whole self, which is my body, mind and actions, as a living sacrifice to God in worship.

In application, what this means for me is, I am not required to bring myself to a place of safety through grounding in the traditional sense before presenting my whole self and allowing God to transform my mind. But, while I still have my protective mechanisms activated in my brain that come from survival patterns, I will present this broken self fully to the Lord in worship. His presence meet my whole being and gently reorders me to experience safety in the here and now. He will bring back rational thinking and transform me in the renewing of my mind so that I can see Him rightly and conform to His good will.

I conclude with this, that if God is truly safe, grounding with Him can actually be the pathway through which the nervous system learns that He is safe, rather than avoiding Him until safety is achieved elsewhere. While a regulated human can support the process, coming to God without the pressure to feel safe allows one to be present with the Lord. It is His presence that creates the conditions for grounding, and safety becomes a natural outcome. The secure base is not ultimately the person but God, and capacity grows through relational surrender.