"If the roots are not deep, the tree will not be able to withstand the weather." This quote from Yogi Bhajan explains very well the concept of grounding in yoga. The fact of connect with the earth It gives us the necessary stability to build yoga postures from firmness and thus be able to maintain them over time with ease, enjoying them fully.
What does the concept of rooting mean?
To ground is to balance your body in relation to the gravity of the Earth, it is to create a firm and secure base to build a posture. Note that in each posture, whatever it may be, there is an area of your body that will touch the ground; that is the root of the posture, where the weight of your body will be supported and where you must maintain that balance with the force of gravity. This rooting is nothing more than an awareness. The feeling - when in a standing posture - how the feet are in contact with the ground; how you distribute all the weight of your body well on your soles in order to create a strong and stable posture. When you have a stable and strong base, on top of it, you can create "any" posture without fear of falling.
Benefits of your Yoga practice on your feet (or Why do we practice without socks?)
There are a lot of people who don't want to take off their socks for practice. But the benefits of practicing barefoot are many. Foot contact with the ground is very important and very good for our body, among others: - It stimulates blood circulation. - Strengthens ankle, knee and hip joints. - It is very good for back problems. - Relaxes the nervous system. - By being more aware of the action of distributing your weight on the soles of your feet, you will improve your posture and your body in general. What may relieve you of some discomfort you had in your knees or back.
Practical exercises to feel a good rooting
Rooting is very important when creating asanas. It is the strength, momentum and stability necessary to maintain ourselves physically, energetically and mentally. YogaYe offers you a sequence that you can try at home.
MEDITATION: land here and now Visualization : take root from the sit bones
WARM UP of each joint starting with a foot massage
GREETINGS TO THE SUN
STANDING POSTURES
Parivritta Utkatasana I) Utthita Trikonasana
Reversed Trikonasana Utthita Parvakonasana II) Goddess: on the toes and twisting Prasarita Padottanasana III) Malasana Vrikshasana (The Tree)
SEATED POSTURES
-Ardha Matsyendrasana
- Janusirsasana
INVESTMENTS
-Setu Bandha Sarvangasana- halasana
- Sailing and Halasana again
Savasana
final meditation: observe how the breath, body and mind are. As always, the essential thing, what we are really talking about, is our personal rootedness, our stability in life, firm and secure, as well as flexible. That is what it is about, taking yoga out of the framework of a class to take it into daily life, to apply it on a daily basis. The alignment of the posture, the rooting, is a metaphor of your life, of you before the universe. Namaste!


