5.12.2020

Yoga for Grounded Stability


Here's some of my favorite grounding yoga asanas... on the ground!


Legs up the Wall

- feel supported
- relax
- legs straight up, feet flexed or relaxed
- legs extended wide to the side, to open hips
- feet together, for wall- Butterfly: open hips
- surrender spine to the Earth
- arms to the sides, on belly, or overhead
- close eyes. Find ease.


Standing Forward Fold

- inhaling, lengthen your spine to actively draw yourself deeper into the stretch
- exhaling, release efforting, and welcome what arises: organic movement, a deepening
- feet together, or hip width distance apart
- release head, neck, and spine
- knees slightly bent, or bending and straightening one at a time
- hands to elbow creases (rag doll), shins, or under feet
- cascade forward, shifting weight between all edges of feet
- close eyes. Welcome.


Seated Forward Fold

- inhaling, lengthen forward
- exhaling, cascade down
- closing eyes, observe your inner landscape, and each full gift of breath and body
- feet flexed or pointed
- arms reaching forward, placed onto ground, or anywhere on legs, perhaps using a strap around the feet
- long spine, deep breath, surrender


Mountain

- root down through under the feet to the belly of the Earth
- root up through the crown of the head to the umbilicus of the Sky
- feel your humanity lengthening yet stable, holding yet free, sacred and special yet tiny and insignificant, suspended and supported, supporting and integral, between (and part of) Earth and Sky
- solid as a Mountain

- feet together or hip- width distance apart
- hands at heart center, or to the sides, palms facing forward
- eyes closed, or gently open, expansive panoramic vision
- rooted yet relaxed


Child’s Pose

- arms forward, or folded by your sides
- knees together, or apart
- surrender everything to the Earth
- inhaling, thank you
- exhaling, release


Tree

- one leg the trunk, the other leg the branch
- root your supporting foot down through three points of contact: heel, ball of pinky toe and big toe
- hips and shoulders square
- aligned integrity: root up, relax elsewhere: relax toes, face, breath, mind
- root down, to rise up
- center


Warrior 2

- directed energy, rooted, centered
- intentional breath, aligned actions, powerful
- front foot points forward, back foot parallels back of mat
- heel to heel, or heel to arch feet alignment
- stack front knee over ankle
- arms parallel Earth, shoulders externally rotating, palms down
- eyes gaze powerfully over front fingertips