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Permission to Pause

Gentle Nature-Based Grounding Cards

At its core, grounding refers to creating a stable, balanced connection between yourself (or something else) and a reliable foundation.
  • It can mean literally connecting to the earth.
  • It can mean psychologically connecting to the present moment and reality.
  • It can mean electrically creating a safe path to discharge energy.
All of these share a metaphorical similarity: stability, safety, and balance.
The word grounding comes from the concept of the ground being the ultimate reference point or base:
  • In physics and electricity, the earth (ground) acts as a zero-voltage reference.
  • In psychology, “grounding” implies returning to the solid ground of the present moment.
  • In everyday speech, we say someone is “well-grounded” if they are stable, practical, and balanced.
So, the term naturally evolved as a metaphor for coming back to a safe, stable baseline.
You don’t need a long meditation or perfect conditions to feel GROUNDED.
It can be as simple and doable as noticing one color, feeling the sensation of your feet on the floor, or taking one intentional breath.
With my love of nature, and my experience with using the natural world to soothe and to heal myself, I have created this series of digital and printable cards I call Permission to PAUSE.
FBs1c1root
FBS1c2breeze
FBs1c3stillness
FBs1c8nest
FBs1c16path
FBs2c22bramble
FBs1c17seed
FBs2c1ember
FBs2c9driftwood
FBs2c8sparrow
FBs2c15mist
FBs2c18starlight
FBs2c19pebble
FBs2c10petal
FBs1c20nightsound
When life feels overwhelming, your mind races, or emotions feel too big, the first step is simply to PAUSE. 
Next, use any tool you have available – including your own memory of what works for YOU – to bring yourself back to a grounded state of CALM. 
We all should know by now, just how HEALTHY this is – not just for our mind but also for our heart and our nervous system!
So many of us never learn HOW to PAUSE.
We’re told to keep going. Be strong. Push through. Don’t fall apart.
But the nervous system can’t heal on demand. It needs space. It needs softness. It needs moments that don’t demand anything back.
Sometimes we just need someone – or something – to say: You can stop for a minute. You are safe enough to rest.
These cards are that gentle reminder. A pocket-sized way to slow the noise and return to CALM.
Each double-sided Permission to Pause card offers:
  • a peaceful image from nature
  • a soothing affirmation
  • a small, grounding action you can take right now
  • and – if you feel like it – a gentle question for reflection
 
You can use just one piece, or none at all. You can hold the card, read the words, and let your body decide what’s next. There is no right way.
 
These aren’t another should or a self-improvement project. They’re not performance tools.
 
They’re simply invitations.  To PAUSE. To reconnect.  To remind yourself of the stable forces that surround you, that are waiting for you here – in the present moment.

Get a PRINTABLE set as a downloadable PDF:

MORE card sets on the DAILIES page!

Set 1: ROOT to ACORN
  1. ROOT
  2. BREEZE
  3. STILLNESS
  4. MOSS
  5. STONE
  6. SUNLIGHT
  7. SHADOW
  8. NEST
  9. STREAM
  10. FOG
  11. FIRE
  12. HUMUS
  13. SKY
  14. BIRDSONG
  15. RAIN
  16. PATH
  17. SEED
  18. SHELL
  19. CLOUD
  20. NIGHTSOUND
  21. FIELD
  22. MUD
  23. LICHEN
  24. ACORN
Set 2: EMBER to SILT
  1. EMBER
  2. THICKET
  3. HOLLOW
  4. DUSK
  5. CAVE
  6. WILDERNESS
  7. DEW
  8. SPARROW
  9. DRIFTWOOD
  10. PETAL
  11. FERN
  12. POND
  13. BARK
  14. FROST
  15. MIST
  16. CANYON
  17. NUT
  18. STARLIGHT
  19. PEBBLE
  20. TIDE
  21. SAP
  22. BRAMBLE
  23. SPROUT
  24. SILT
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