Breathing and grounding practices are simple, body-based ways to bring your attention back to the present moment. They offer gentle support for your nervous system, helping you feel more steady, connected, and safe.

Vector illustration of a circle of people with outstretched arms, symbolising connection, calm, and support through grounding and breathwork – used on breathing and grounding page for The Grove Psychology in Albury-Wodonga.

Breathing and Grounding Exercises

Grounding: A Way Back to the Present Moment

There’s no one right way to ground. Some people find calm through breath or visualisation; others prefer movement, touch, sound, or sensory tools. The key is finding what feels supportive for you—in your body, in your rhythm, and in the moments you need it most.

Mother and child practising a seated yoga pose together, symbolising mindfulness, connection, and nervous system regulation – featured on the breathing and grounding page at The Grove Psychology in Albury-Wodonga.

The more you practise, the more familiar these grounding strategies can become. Over time, it’s like creating well-trodden pathways—routes your body begins to recognise and trust. When things feel unsettled or out of rhythm, those pathways can help you find your way back to a steadier place.

Below you’ll find a collection of simple breathing and grounding exercises. You’re welcome to explore them at your own pace, and return to the ones that feel most helpful over time. Each one is designed to support regulation in a gentle, accessible way—whether you’re feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or simply needing a moment to pause.

Breathing Meditation

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Breath, Sound, Body – A Sensory Awareness Practice

The meditations included in this slideshow were originally developed by the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center.

Shared here with appreciation and acknowledgment

.© UCLA MARC – www.marc.ucla.edu

Four Elements: A Mindfulness Practice to Support Grounding

The Four Elements Resource from EMDR Academy Australia offers a simple, body-based approach to regulation using the four elements—earth, air, water, and fire. The page includes a short guided video along with a clear explanation of each step, making it easy to follow at your own pace.

Each element invites you to connect with the present moment through your senses:

– The steadiness of the ground beneath you
– The rhythm of your breath
– The moisture in your mouth
– The warmth or energy in your body

These gentle prompts can be especially supportive when you're feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or shut down. Whether used after a therapy session, during a stressful moment, or simply as part of your routine, this practice can help bring your system back into balance.

🖇️ Explore the resource – Four Simple Steps to Calm Your Mind and Body

A young person sitting quietly with headphones on, eyes lowered, and hands resting gently on their chest and belly. Practising grounding and mindfulness through breath and body awareness.

Calm Space: A Visualization to Gently Anchor You

The Calm Space (or Safe Place) visualization is a supportive tool often used in EMDR therapy to help regulate the nervous system. It involves gently imagining a place—real or imagined—where you feel safe, peaceful, or grounded. This might be a quiet forest, a warm beach, a cosy room, or somewhere entirely your own.

In EMDR, Calm Space is often introduced during the preparation phase, before processing begins. It can offer a sense of internal refuge—a place your system can return to if things start to feel too intense. With practice, many people find they can access this inner sense of safety more easily in daily life too.

You can try this practice any time—after a therapy session, before sleep, or whenever you need a moment of calm.

🖇️ Explore a Gentle Calm Space Visualization

Close-up of a woman with eyes closed and head gently tilted upward, appearing calm and centred — practising mindful breathing and grounding for emotional regulation.

The Container: A Visualization for Putting Things Down

Sometimes, after therapy or during stressful times, it can help to gently “put things away” for a little while—especially thoughts, memories, or feelings that feel too big to carry all at once. The Container visualisation is a simple guided practice often used in EMDR to help with this.

You’ll be invited to imagine a strong, secure container—something with a lid, a lock, or just a sense of safety. It might be a box, a chest, a vault, or even something creative like a magical suitcase or a shimmering jar. The idea is to place what feels too much into the container for now, knowing you can come back to it later when you’re more ready, more resourced, or with support.

This isn’t about pushing things away or pretending they don’t exist. It’s about giving yourself permission to rest—to take a breath between the hard moments.

🖇️ Explore the Container Visualisation – A Tool to Hold What Feels Too Much

Woman walking with a calm, peaceful expression, captured from head and shoulders — practising mindful walking and grounding through breath and movement.

Other Grounding Strategies

Not everyone finds structured breathing or guided audio helpful—and that’s okay. Grounding can take many forms, and often the most powerful strategies are the simplest. These are small, everyday ways to help bring your nervous system back into balance:

Take a slow sip of cold water
Hold a comforting or textured object in your hands
Press your feet firmly into the floor and notice the contact
Run your hands under warm or cool water
Lightly press your fingertips together or rub your palms
Use the 5-4-3-2-1 technique. Name 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste.
Carry a grounding item (e.g. a smooth stone or familiar scent)
Notice your breath as you walk or stretch gently

You don’t have to do all of these. Just one or two can be enough to help you come back to the moment.

Woman meditating at home with eyes closed, one hand on chest and one on belly, wearing headphones — practising grounding and deep breathing for calm and emotional regulation.

Other Practices You Might Explore

If you're looking to build a toolkit of practices, you might also find these approaches helpful:

Mindful walking – focusing on your steps, breath, or surroundings as you move
Body scan – slowly bringing awareness to different parts of your body
Gentle stretching or rocking – soothing, rhythmic movement can support regulation
Butterfly Hug – a self-soothing technique often used in EMDR to support grounding and emotional balance
Resource installation (in EMDR) – connecting with images or sensations of protection, nurture, or wisdom
Using music, scent, or temperature – sensory input can act as a powerful anchor