When the world around you feels uncertain, it’s the perfect time to shift your focus and create a sense of stability from the inside out. Steadiness is the quality of strength and grounded energy. Yoga Sutra 2.46 Sthira Sukham Asanam means the posture should be steady and comfortable. Working on developing this in your yoga practice will aid you in staying centered and rooted in the present moment.
By balancing the need for survival and security first, you can become your strongest most grounded self, regardless of external circumstances. The Muladhara or Root Chakra, located at the base of the spine, is the foundation for our physical and energetic bodies and is essential to our sense of stability. Muladhara is the base chakra and addressing it first creates the basis for emotional and physical health.
A quick way to fortify your foundation is by practicing standing asanas. With the earth beneath your feet, you activate the earth element of Muladhara, allowing you to embody strength and resolve. Start with Tadasana or Mountain Pose and press all four corners of your feet into the ground, stand tall, and savor the support beneath you. This posture is powerful in its simplicity and aids in a feeling of being centered.
Other standing poses to help you feel stable are Virabhadrasana or Warrior I and II and Trikonasana or Triangle Pose. Focus on the connection of your feet and legs with Mother Earth’s ever-present support beneath you. Move into Adho Mukha Svanasa or Downward Facing Dog, where both your feet and hands are connected with the earth. In all these poses, draw the navel into the spine slightly to activate your core, which aids in maintaining spinal health. Remind yourself the earth is always holding you, no matter what.
Seated postures and hip-opening poses also balance your root energy and create a sense of inner stability. When seated in Paschimottanasana or Seated Forward Fold, focus on the connection of your sitting bones to the earth beneath you. Eka Pada Rajakapotasana or Pigeon Pose is an intense hip opener which aids in releasing past trauma and stress which often manifests in this area of the body. By releasing old fears, you allow yourself to truly be in the present moment.
This week, we’ve got four excellent classes to help you embody strength and grounded energy. And when you’re feeling grounded, you provide that quiet support for those around you. Let’s do this together!
1. Keith Allen - Strong & Slow Yoga
2. Jackie Casal Mahrou - Sunrise Flow 3: Embody Strength
3. Angela Kukhahn - Quest for the Press 3
4. Desiree Rumbaugh - Strengthen, Protect & Heal Your Hips