The first day I was able to successfully get myself to the ground after my hysterectomy was so amazing to me, I cried.
Most of us get to know our bodies from the sense of the ground when we learn to crawl and walk. Many of us have forgotten what it was like as an infant to lay on the ground, be and breath and what the journey was like when we explored movement. As we bobbed and weaved about, the Earth’s definition showed us and told us where we were. Fast forward to ourselves today, in a culture consumed with striving forward and conquering the space around us, we tend to be unaware of the Earth’s sensation under of our feet.
As we bound and stride about as adults, many of us fail to recognize the sacredness that is the Earth, a recognition that was inherent within all of us. The modern day human has created so many structures that separate us from the feeling of the earth we forget we share molecules with the Earth, that we are made to breathe with the Earth.
Years ago, as I was just scratching the surface of learning about Eastern Medicine, I read about an Ayurvedic practice that recommended people go outside, at least once a day, and stand on grass with bare feet. It suggested “Let your feet sink in, curl your toes and palpate the soles of your feet upon the turf.” I was perplexed, “What? Why?” It was hard to believe this was a recommended health practice! It seemed so silly, because it was so…simple. It’s the simplicity that now makes sense; many people are disconnected from the practice of rooting.
Rooting can be defined as a “condition of being settled and of belonging; to become firmly established or settled; a primary source; an origin.” Some people call this conscious practice Earthing: grounding your energy. In the hustle and bustle of every day, it is important for us to ground our awareness. I now value the practice of rooting invaluable and essential for my vitality.
My dog Oreo models rooting beautifully. She loves to lay in dirt and turn her black coat to brown. That’s right, just dirt. There could be green grass all around her and she’ll opt for the barren land and lay there for hours. I believe she knows she’s absorbing ions and healing minerals from the ground. She radiates joy every time with an enormous smile. She then comes in the house and shakes herself off, dusting dirt into the rug or couch, but I know she’s happy.
I believe our sense of contact to the floor is one of the elements that makes the practice of yoga so healing. The body movements originate on the ground to prepare practitioners for seated meditation, and eventually, laying down for the final resting pose: Corpse Pose (Savasana). A yoga practice can take you through various stages of physical awareness: standing, sitting and laying down. When we lay down, we are back to where we began. Those ancient Yogis were on to something. Even if a practitioner needs to hold their practice on a chair, they can still benefit from experiencing their connection to the ground.
The intention of the final resting pose (Corpse Pose) is to release awareness of our physical body and journey inward. Continually practicing cultivating our inner-awareness can prepare us for our final phase of life: death. Just like the name of the pose suggests, the body lays still, at ease, with the breath so soft that to an observer it can appear as though the yogi is asleep or even dead-like. As I yoga teacher, I have had the privilege of observing many practitioners move into that internal sacred space and see a sense of peace sweep across their faces. We all have the ability to “go there”.
The firm floor beneath one’s body can cultivate a sense of equilibrium energetically and emotionally because it calms the nervous system. As one lays on the ground, the body naturally absorbs the Earth’s ions and the innate awareness of our form on the ground can help us feel more connected in the present. This sense of calm presence can be healing, especially when someone is processing exhaustion, grief or even trauma.
While some people consider it a sign of weakness to come to the ground, kneel or lay down, I believe it is indicative of one’s courage; it takes a brave heart to surrender. When we give ourself the space to let go, is when we create the capacity to cultivate compassion. Without compassion, individuals cannot continue to go on as they are. Compassion, self love, can renew, recalibrate and rejuvenate us. The act of letting go enables our energy to flow freely and our mind to unwind.
I invite you to return to your roots and lay it all down.
Thank you for reading this! One of my specialties and passions is providing Adaptive Yoga; a personalized practice, cultivated from the heart, to meet you where you are. Please contact me directly with any questions you may have about beginning an Adaptive Yoga practice.