Class Theme- Week 2 October 2015- Autumn Winds, Stand Your Ground

I was watching Leslie’s Kaminoff’s video clip on building your asana from the ground up http://yogaanatomy.net/bos/. 

He reminds us (with some humour thrown in) of the grounding energy of gravity, and the need to have stable foundations to build up from, or gravity will pull them back down.  (Think leaning tower of Pisa).

Our bodies are a microcosm of these same forces, and the vayus, vital airs or energies within us and around us, also have a role to play in keeping us grounded- physically but also mentally and emotionally.  We can harness Apana vayu’s downward energy to stay grounded, especially when there are active rising energies trying to uproot us.  Autumn winds can leave us feeling scattered and unsettled, so digging our roots deeper can help pull us back to our centre.

But each of us will find our equilibrium in a different place so it makes sense our foundations of support will also be different.  Whilst we can approach the stance of an asana similarly, you then need to find your own ground, play with what feels most stable and not get distracted by what is happening higher up in the asana- that can come later, be patient!

So have a clear vision of the edifice you are creating with your asana to determine the foundation you will need to support it and then start building from the ground up.  As your asana rises up, renew the strength in your ground.  Keep these forces in balance and you may be amazed by how far you can go.