Preview build: flagged items ⚑ are waiting on founder approval. Set them in content/config.json.

Rooted Reclaimers is the starting point for The Founded Project Explore the ecosystem
Rooted Reclaimers

The method

The Four Pillars

Breathe, Movement, Nutrition, and Connection are the four areas of daily life that every Rooted Reclaimers program works with. Each pillar below has a short practice to try, a way to make it easier, and a clear signal to stop.

Pillar one

Breathe

Breath is one of the few body processes you can notice and gently adjust in the moment. This pillar teaches you to notice how you're breathing, then use a few simple patterns when stress rises, when energy drops, or during transitions in your day.

The goal is to give you choices: you learn a few options and decide which ones fit you.

Where it shows up: Starter Ground Day 2 · Rooted Reset Days 4 to 7 · Reclaim the Body Week 2

Free PDF: Breathe Basics

About 1 minuteSitting or standing

A longer out-breath

  1. Sit or stand however is comfortable. Let your eyes rest on one spot, or close them.
  2. Breathe in through your nose for about four counts.
  3. Breathe out slowly for about six counts, as if you were fogging a window.
  4. Repeat five or six times. Then breathe normally and notice your shoulders and jaw.

Make it easier

Skip the counting. Let each out-breath be a little longer than the breath in.

Stop and switch if

You feel dizzy, lightheaded, or more uneasy. Breathe normally and try the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding practice instead.

Pillar two

Movement

Long-term stress often shows up as tight muscles and guarding, and your muscles can stay ready to react long after a problem has passed. This pillar teaches low-pressure ways to move when you're tired, in pain, or short on space. Every movement has a seated option.

Later programs include Golden 8 (Ba Duan Jin), a sequence of eight slow Qigong movements that we teach in standing and seated versions.

Where it shows up: Starter Ground Day 3 · Rooted Reset Weeks 1 to 3 · Reclaim the Body Week 3

Free PDF: Movement Basics

About 90 secondsSeated works well

Shoulders, jaw, and hands

  1. As you breathe in, lift your shoulders toward your ears.
  2. As you breathe out, let them drop. Repeat three times.
  3. Let your jaw loosen so your back teeth are apart. Rest your tongue.
  4. Open and close your hands slowly five times, then shake them out.

Make it easier

Use a smaller movement, do one step only, or picture the movement without doing it.

Stop and switch if

Anything causes pain. Movement in this pillar should feel manageable from start to finish. If you have an injury or a condition that affects movement, check with your clinician about what's right for you.

Pillar three

Nutrition

When life is stressful, meals get skipped, water gets forgotten, and energy swings. This pillar focuses on realistic nourishment: food, water, and rest choices that support steadier energy and that fit your budget, culture, and kitchen.

We treat every food as neutral, and we leave diet prescriptions to your clinician.

Where it shows up: Starter Ground Day 4 · Rooted Reset Days 15 to 21 · Reclaim the Body Week 4

Free PDF: Nutrition Basics

About 2 minutesAnywhere

One steady choice

  1. Drink a glass of water slowly enough to notice its temperature.
  2. Ask yourself when you last ate. If it's been a while, plan something simple to eat soon.
  3. Pick one easy food you could keep nearby for low-energy days, such as nuts, crackers, fruit, or yogurt.
  4. Write it down, or add it to your Ground Plan.

Make it easier

Do step one only. That counts as today's practice.

Check with your clinician if

You live with diabetes, an eating disorder, food allergies, kidney disease, or another condition where food and fluids need medical guidance. Their advice comes first.

Pillar four

Connection

If you've been the strong one for a long time, you probably give a lot of support and get very little back. This pillar helps you build honest relationships, boundaries, and belonging in amounts that feel safe, and that includes practicing a clear "no" as much as reaching out.

You can belong here without sharing your history, and listening quietly counts as taking part.

Where it shows up: Starter Ground Day 5 · Rooted Reset Weeks 2 to 4 · Reclaim the Body Week 5

Free PDF: Connection Basics

About 2 minutesAnywhere

One small contact

  1. Think of one person you feel even a little safe with.
  2. Choose the smallest contact that fits today: a text, a voice note, a wave, or simply thinking of them.
  3. If you reach out, keep it short. "Thinking of you" is enough.
  4. Notice how you feel afterward, without judging the feeling.

Make it easier

Connection can start with a pet, a place, a song, a faith community, or a group you feel part of.

Take care if

Contact with a particular person feels unsafe. You don't owe any person access to you. Choose a different person, or a place or activity instead.

Free downloads

Four Pillar Basics guides

Each guide is a short, printable introduction to one pillar, with a few practices you can start today, and takes about fifteen minutes to read.

Rooted Reset includes the complete Breathe, Movement, Nutrition, and Connection books.

Putting it together

Practice all four in one gentle week.

Starter Ground covers one pillar a day, and on the last day you write your first Ground Plan. It's free, and Day 1 is open now.

Open Starter Ground See My Ground Plan