Yoga Can Help You Feel More Grounded This Fall
Do the ups and downs of life make you feel out of control at times? If you practice yoga regularly, you just may find that you feel more grounded and better able to handle challenges.
What Is Grounding?
Trees owe their strength to the roots that connect them to the earth. Without that support system, a light gust of wind or a gentle push will topple the tree. Just as roots provide stability for trees, grounding can help you withstand minor or major problems in your life.
When you're grounded, you're completely present in the moment and in control of your emotions. You're not focusing on the past or present but only the current moment in time. Grounding helps you shrug off problems and feel more confident and centered. You may find that you don't overreact to issues that really don't matter in the long run, like a flat tire on the way to work or a sarcastic remark made by a friend, when you're grounded.
How Yoga Helps You Feel More Grounded
Practicing yoga offers a simple way to ground yourself physically and emotionally. Yoga poses are accompanied by yogic breathing, which involves inhaling and exhaling deeply. Deep breathing calms your mind, relieves stress, and increases the flow of oxygen throughout your body.
Meditation, a key aspect of yoga, also helps you feel centered and balanced. Whether you repeat a mantra, picture a special place, or simply clear your mind, meditation makes it easier to stay in the movement. If you're plagued by worry or stress, or can't stop obsessing over an emotional situation, meditating reduces your stress and anxiety, which makes it easier to respond to situations without feeling out of control.
Practicing yoga also grounds you physically. When you practice poses, you'll focus on the way your body interacts with the earth or floor. During poses, you'll pay particular attention to the feeling of your toes against the mat or the way your hips react to the pull of the earth's gravity as you perform the steps of a pose.
You'll enjoy the support the earth provides and tap into the natural energy source that makes your movements easy and fluid. Yoga looks deceptively simple, but mastering poses takes a lot of hard work. As you perfect your movements, you'll burn off negative energy and begin to feel calmer and more clear-headed.
Yoga Poses That Enhance Grounding
Although every yoga pose can help facilitate grounding, poses that focus on your core and lower body offer more benefits than others. The Yoga Journal recommends trying these poses if you'd like to feel more grounded:
- Mountain pose
- Seated forward bend
- Reclining bound angle pose
- Bridge pose
- Easy pose with a twist
- Handstand with eagle legs
- Upward-facing dog
- Downward-facing dog
- Low lunge
- Revolved lunge pose
- Plank pose
- Low lunge with eagle arms
- Standing splits with eagle arms
- Four-limbed staff pose
If you're feeling a little stressed or overwhelmed this fall, why not add yoga classes to your schedule? Get in touch with us for information about class types and times.
Sources:
Yoga Journal: 16 Yoga Poses to Keep You Grounded and Present, 12/15/17
Psychology Today: Are You Grounded? Centered? Or Both?, 5/23/16