Do you know what it really means to “ground down” or feel grounded?
This month, to celebrate Earth Month, we’ve been celebrating the environmental project, Danyadara, set up by Vidya Heisel, to reverse desertification in Southern Spain, one of the biggest challenges to the future of the world as one-third of the earth’s landmass is in danger of desertification.
It’s been wonderful celebrating an individual who is ‘being the change’ in the words of Ghandi. Which is why 5% of our revenue this month is being donated to the project (I do hope it’s a good month for MFML!)
In yoga class, we often hear the teachers saying ‘Ground Down’ or ‘Get Grounded’. And to those new to yoga, or old hands, it can seem like a strange instruction.
This week, at the end of Earth Month, I’m thinking of the importance of Getting Grounded, and ‘Grounding Down to Rise Up’. To me, getting grounded is the ability to be centred in the middle of challenging times. It’s the ability to find your ‘home’ within yourself, even when external circumstances are maddening. It’s being able to have a clear, steady head and heart when you’re a whirling mess of thoughts and emotion. Which is the reason why it’s essential.
And in our Asana practice it’s essential to ground down and feel the earth in our hands or feet, in order to feel length in our spine – whether we’re in tadasana, downward dog or handstand or anything in between. As one teacher wisely pointed out, every pose is tadasana, and we all know how important it is to feel the weight in our feet so our spine can lengthen and top of the head can rise.
So is the yogi way, our Asana practice connects to our yoga practice off the mat, which is all about staying centred, earthed, when all the rest of the world seems to be going mad.
With love
Kat and team MFML
xxx
Living Like A Yogi
For more thoughts on Staying Grounded and Living Like A Yogi, catch up with Kat and Vidya’s chat on living like a yogi which first went out on Facebook Live!
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