Madison Tang

The5-4-3-2-1SensoryGrounding TechniqueAdaptedfortheTransAPI Community by Madison Tang

Use the Five Senses to Ground Yourself in the Present Moment within (Queer, Anti-Colonial) Time & Space

5.SEE:Acknowledge & honor five colors that you can see around you. Acknowledge that all of these hues are part of a spectrum of light. Consider that you are part of this same spectrum of light, sprung forth from energy with the simple goal of Being. Honor how each color holds its own self under and within the light, and how it refracts and glimmers and blends and expands; remember that you can do this, too.

4. TOUCH: Acknowledge & honor four surfaces that you can touch around you. Examples: Touch the fabric of your favorite item of clothing and honor the threads or fibers that bind it together. Hold your own hand. Caress your own cheek. Bend down and touch the earth, including any plants on it, with your full palm. Touch the bark of the nearest tree. Touch your forehead to the nearest wall. Touch the chair you are sitting on. Touch an object or being of meaning to you. This is your ecosystem; you are a part of it. You can have a loving attachment to land, plants, animals, objects, surfaces, matter—because you exist in relation to this ecosystem, including in relation to yourself.

3. HEAR: Acknowledge & honor songs you can hear around you. Focus on separating the ambient sounds of your environment until you can hear the songs of things like: echoes of voices, leaves crinkling in unison with wind, insects chirping, water dripping, flags rippling, machines near and far humming, human footsteps nearby or above you, your own clothing rustling with slight movement. Then, hum one long, sustained note to yourself, and honor your own voice. Take breaks/breaths if needed, then continue to hum until you have heard your voice in your body and your mind.

2. SMELL: Acknowledge & honor two things around you that you can smell: one that reminds you of the sacred power of your transness and one that allows you to breathe in with it the warmth and strength of your ancestors. Focus on the sources of the scents. Examples: natural body odors, fragrances, textiles and furniture, foods and drinks, skincare products, oils, incense, sustainable and ethical smoke cleanses of aromatic plants

1.TASTE:Acknowledge & honor one thing around you that you can taste. Take a moment to hold gratitude for the food, its components, its creation, and the soil and sunlight and human touch that nurtured the food from its original form to its form on your tongue. After you cherish its taste, prepare the same bite of food for a loved one and witness how the food, delivered by your hand, nourishes them.