January 31, DA-AR was thrilled to host Selena Shelley and her workshop “When Sexual Trauma Survivors Give Birth- A (Virtual) Training for Doulas”. (selenashelley.com)

If you weren’t able to attend, the recording will be available in the member’s section on DA-AR’s Wild Apricot platform. 

The workshop was informative, but the subject matter is heavy. Shelley began and ended the workshop by encouraging attendees (and those of you who watch the recording) to take care of themselves. She noted that self care can take lots of forms- a walk in the sun, deep breathing, a special cup of tea, an afternoon binge watching your comfort TV show. These can all be forms of grounding. 

How do you find grounding when you’re providing doula support? 

We all have that moment during a client support experience. Maybe for you it’s when you’re walking out, tired and satisfied, but facing the drive home. Maybe it’s when your client is moving through their second hour of pushing. Maybe it comes as you’re dragging your mind and body out of your warm, cozy bed looking toward an unknown number of hours with a complicated client. For the postpartum doulas, perhaps your moment is during a late night or quiet, sleepy afternoon- when it’s just you with a napping parent and a snuggly newborn.

You’re tired. Numb. Discombobulated.  

These moments are perfect times for grounding. 

Grounding is a way of calming the mind, body, and spirit. Grounding techniques are incredibly helpful when experiencing anxiety, complex emotions, or a physically overwhelming event (like birth!). There are other ways to think of grounding- a nervous system reset, getting in touch with your inner self, living in the moment. The abstract concepts of grounding are fascinating and complex, but the actual practice of grounding can be quite simple. 

The physical aspects of grounding can look different for everyone, because our bodies and minds are unique. Having several grounding options can be helpful for keeping you in the present moment (a key skill for doulas!), and help you as you support your clients. The key question to ask is…

How do YOU jumpstart your energy, coming into your body and your mind fully? 

Here’s a few options, both physical and mental, for resetting and grounding.

Mentally, taking a moment to re-orient yourself in your space can be helpful. Look up. Look into the corners of the room. Take stock of what’s in the room, and of the other humans in the room.

If that doesn’t do the trick, move into a more deliberate collection of reality. One easy favorite is the Five Senses grounding. Use your senses to mentally move through your five senses to ground yourself in your space. What do you see? What do you hear? What can you feel, taste, and smell? 

A good practice, especially when you’re with a client, is box breathing. Deliberate breathing can help focus your mind and connect with your body; when you've got to be still, quiet or physically focused on your client’s needs.

Box breathing…

1-breathe in for 5 counts

2- hold for 5 counts

3- breathe out for 5 counts

4- hold for  5 counts

5- repeat

Moving on from the breath, physical grounding is just as important as mental grounding. Just a little bit of movement can quickly shift your energy and focus. 

Sometimes a quick upper body stretch is all you can get. Start by stretching your chin up to the sky. Using your fingers, rub the muscles of your upper chest, below the collar bone- the pectoralis major. If you can, lift your arms, letting your head and arms fall back, stretching the front of your body. As birth workers, we often end up hunched over, and we all know the deep soreness that comes from doing hours of hip squeezes.

If you’ve got time to step away for a moment (which you should do! Go pee! Eat something! Drink your water!), you can do a full-body grounding reset. Some toe-touching, torso twisting, and arm swinging can release tension. A downward facing dog can relieve the legs and lower back.

And, if you really want to get into your body… jump and dance! Stomp your feet, bounce on your toes, fling your arms up into the air! Not only will you get your blood flowing, a good body stretch, and some fresh energy, you’ll feel more connected to your body and the space around you.

For further reading…

https://www.verywellmind.com/5-4-3-2-1-grounding-technique-8639390

https://somaticyogausa.com/somatic-grounding-exercises-for-self-regulation/

https://www.traumatherapistinstitute.com/blog/Reconnect-with-Your-Body-Somatic-Exercises

https://www.yourtherapysource.com/blog1/2024/09/26/self-regulation-and-movement/

https://www.monakirstein.com/how-to-ground-yourself/