What does it mean to root down?
‘Root down to rise up’ is a commonly used phrase in yoga. You might hear this expression in class but not understand what it means or how to apply it throughout your practice. That is until you experience how the physical practice impacts you on and off of the mat.
In this blog post, we’ll go over the difference between feeling grounded and ungrounded. In addition, I offer a handful of questions to ask yourself regularly. And I’ll give you a few yoga poses to explore. Let’s dive in.
Overview
Feeling connected to the ground is essential to feeling safe and secure in your body. To use a rock-climbing expression, when you have ‘good feet,’ you feel stable, your fear subsides, and you’re better able to move confidently up the wall. Same, same in yoga, and in life.
Understanding how you create a strong foundation for yourself on the mat will help you move more courageously off the mat. Because when you feel secure in yourself, you’re better able to engage with the world in a way that supports your authentic self. Energetically speaking, when we feel safe, we’re better able to manifest our greatest desires. When we’re feeling anxious or restless, we’re unable to focus, we lack discipline, we feel unsettled or swirly. This is when we need to establish sure footing again.
Oftentimes you’ll hear me or another yoga teacher invite you to feel for the floor or ground beneath. What we’re asking you to do is to tune into the subtle sensations of the body and reconnect with the ground. Another way we encourage you to ground down is by standing on your feet or weighing down your pelvis with either our body weight, an extra blanket, or a sandbag. Ultimately, we’re bringing attention to your foundation with the hope you’ll feel more at ease in your mind, body, and heart.
Grounded versus Ungrounded
What does it mean to feel grounded?
When we feel steady, our mind is clear, we’re better able to focus, we feel safe in our surroundings (e.g., shelter or home), we feel connected to our body, and we feel secure in our attachments (e.g., family, tribe, self, friends). Feeling this way is a basic need for everyone — think of the basic essentials: food, shelter, clothing, and community.
What does it mean to feel ungrounded?
When we feel unsteady, we feel insecure, swirly, and unsettled in the mind, in the body, and in our environment. We might feel out of control of our internal and external landscapes. We might experience food insecurity, maybe our financial income is inconsistent or nonexistent, or we lack safe shelter. We’re restless, stressed, or anxious. And until our basic needs are met, we’ll continue to feel ungrounded in one or more areas of our life.
For most of us, we’re fortunate to have our basic needs met. However, we can still feel off-kilter at times. Thanks to yoga, we’re able to realign our system to feel safe and secure again. This is why it’s important to recognize: 1) when you feel unsteady, and 2) know how to address the situation or feeling. Doing so will allow you to move more confidently out in the world. Because when you feel courageous and steady in yourself, you’re able to manifest your greatest desires.
It’s important to check in with yourself regularly.
Here are some questions to ask yourself:
How am I feeling right now?
Why am I feeling [insert adjective]?
Where does the feeling originate from?
What’s driving my need(s) for [insert what you’re doing as a result]?
What pattern, behavior, or thought do I need to change?
And by when will I make this change?
By bringing awareness to how you’re feeling, you’re better able to take proactive healthy measures for alleviating those feelings, thoughts, or behaviors.
Using yoga to reground yourself is easy to do at home.
Here are six poses that help you feel steady:
wide leg forward fold pose or prasarita padottanasana
pigeon pose or eka pada rajakapotasana
corpse pose or savasana
Feel free to explore these postures during your next home practice. Choose one to be in for 3-5 breaths. Notice if anything shifts for you energetically or mentally. Give another pose a try for another 3-5 breaths.
It’s possible doing one pose might be enough to create the change you’re seeking. It’s also possible that a handful of them are necessary for you to feel calmer throughout the mind and body. You could also explore different poses besides what I’ve listed above. For example, maybe chair (utkatasana in Sanskrit) does it for you. Either way, give yourself permission to be curious and see what works for you today.
Here’s the most important thing to remember:
When we ‘root down’ or feel secure in all areas of our life, we’re able to ‘rise up’ or manifest our greatest desires with more ease.
All good things!