Sensing Our Groundedness Workbook

A review by Nayana of Lasell Jaretzki Bartlett’s book, the second in the series Cultivating Connections: Experiential Exercises for Home and Horse Barn

Sensing Our Groundedness Workbook
by Lasell Jaretzki Bartlett MSW (aka Kavita)
Available as Kindle and paperback from the author’s website lasellbartlett.com and Amazon*

Lasell has done it again! Her latest workbook is another gem. A collection of simple exercises for individuals, pairs, or groups that will bring you into your body and fully present on this Planet Earth. It’s all about being grounded.

This is Lasell’s second workbook in the series Cultivating Connections: Experiential Exercises for Home and Horse Barn. She has a way of presenting the information in the workbooks that is easy to follow and makes you feel safe. Feeling safe is important in order to connect fully with the body, because in the body you find emotions and sensations that might not always feel comfortable to you. Lasell gives you guidance on what to do when this happens in a way that is grounded and loving. Her decades of holding space for other people as they connect with themselves shines through.

The workbook is well organised, taking you through the basics of body awareness, how the nervous system functions, how to notice sensations in the body, and importantly, how to feel comfortable with them. After the basics are covered, we move onto the Individual exercises, each one explained, practiced and then reviewed by you as you respond to some questions. The blank page below the questions is an invitation to explore the experience more deeply through writing it down. The format is the same for the pairs and group exercises.

Working with another person/people gives an opportunity to heighten your body awareness as emotions and sensations arise when in the company of another that might challenge your groundedness. Awareness of how it feels to be ungrounded is an important part of recognising when we are grounded, because it’s not a static thing; it’s natural that sometimes we are more grounded than others. Moving between the two states teaches us how to return to grounded more easily. And grounded is where we can relax. Also it can be profound when you speak your sensations out loud and are heard. All the exercises can be done as part of a group, of course.

All in all, this is a great reference resource for anyone working with people as individuals or in groups. I know I’m going to steal some of the exercises when I’m doing my horse workshops, a big part of which is helping people be grounded and present in the moment. But you could also use it as a private resource, to help you re-ground after life has knocked you off balance. Or do a daily exercise to keep your connection strong. Or grab a friend and do some of the pairs exercises together.

Self-transformation starts here, in the body. This book will help you really feel what that means.