Getting Grounded: "Root to Rise" in a World of Change

Yesterday, I woke up at 6 a.m. to a snowstorm here in Denver, where we enjoyed 16 inches in the north metro area.  By noon the sun was out, and by 3:00 p.m. the streets were dry!  Our springtime in the Rockies is all about change, volatile change.

Come to think of it, I have been hearing about a lot of changes everywhere lately from daylight savings time to Healthcare Reform to budget cuts to a friend’s teenager who has transformed into a raging maniac overnight!   I find myself feeling unsettled, ungrounded, and even a tad irritable. 

Fortunately, I had a yoga class to teach and I was forced to come back to the practice that is so very grounding.  I find I am not the only one who is experiencing discomfort – and even overwhelm – from numerous changes in weather, society and personal life , and I remind my students (and myself) that in Anusara yoga, we say we have to root in order to rise.  We have to ground our fully engaged legs into the earth to be able to rise to freedom and reach for the sky with our strong arms. 

Stability always has to come before freedom.  I know I get my stability from focusing on my breath, moving my body, and calming my mind in my yoga practice.  What about you?  What really grounds you?  It can be a personal touchstone, inspirational reading, journaling, connecting with an important relationship, or a yoga practice. 

In these turbulent times, it’s good to remind ourselves how important it really is to feel grounded and what we can do to get there.  As we brace for yet another snowstorm here in Denver amid spring shoots and buds, I root down with my yoga practice, and my favorite book of inspirational poetry by Mary Oliver.