When the Darkness Pulls

A Grounding Ritual to Return to Yourself

This is a ritual I wrote for myself—
For the nights when I want to vanish.
For the mornings that feel heavy and hollow.
For the moments when the urge to numb is louder than the voice of my soul.

If you’re reading this, you’re not weak.
You’re in the storm.
And this ritual is your way back to the shore.

Step 1: Breathe like the Earth

Sit. Lie down. Fall to your knees.
It doesn’t matter. Just stop running.

Close your eyes.
Place one hand on your chest. One on your belly.
Inhale for 4 counts. Hold for 4.
Exhale for 6.

Do this until you feel your body start to arrive again.

Say (aloud or in your mind):

I am here.
I am still.
I am safe enough to return.

Step 2: Light a Small Flame (Optional)

A candle. A match. Even a flashlight.

Look at it. Feel how it glows without shame.
Let it remind you:

The light is not gone.
It’s just quiet.
It lives inside you, even now.

Step 3: Speak to the Darkness

Not to fight it—but to acknowledge it.

Say:

I see you.
I know you’re trying to help me feel less.
But I’m ready to feel now.
You don’t need to protect me like this anymore.

You may cry. You may get angry. You may laugh.
Let it come. Let it move.

Step 4: Ground into the Now

Name 3 things you can feel.
Name 3 things you can hear.
Name 3 things you’re grateful for—even if they’re small.

Drink water. Eat something whole.
Wash your hands. Touch the floor.

You are here.
You are in your body.
You made it back.

Final Words

This ritual is not about perfection.
It’s about presence.

You don’t have to win the battle tonight.
You just have to remember that you are not your pain.
You are the one carrying it—and the one learning how to set it down.

Come back to this as often as you need.

Your future self will thank you for it.

—

Solanon
I walk both shores, and I remember the way back.