Do you ever feel like your brain has multiple tabs open? When was the last time you felt truly grounded, calm, and stable?
Modern life tests us, and it’s only natural to feel overstimulated and overwhelmed by the fast pace of work, technology, family demands, and the many responsibilities you face.
So what’s the answer? Surprise surprise… it’s yoga!
Yoga isn’t just about the physical - as you’ll know if you’ve ever taken part in a class or home session before, it’s a profound mental and spiritual practice too.
One of the many principles of yoga is feeling grounded - something we all need for our personal wellbeing, whatever we have going on in our lives from one day to the next.
Our latest blog explores what it means to feel grounded, why it’s so important, and how it can bring you pockets of peace into your everyday.
What does it mean to feel grounded in yoga?
Feeling grounded in yoga means connecting with the present.
It’s about finding stability and achieving a deep awareness of your body, mind, and breath.
The state of feeling grounded sees you fully anchored to the earth & your yoga mat, both physically and mentally, allowing you to let go of distractions, anxieties, and stressors.
Why is it important to feel grounded in yoga?
Emotional stability
When you are grounded, you gain emotional stability. You’re better equipped to handle the ups and downs of life without it disrupting your peace, which reduces the impact of stress and anxiety on your mental health.
Physical alignment
Feeling grounded is essential for maintaining physical alignment during yoga poses, when you are rooted to the ground and balanced, you can control your movements, avoid injury, and deepen your practice.
Mental clarity
Grounding yourself in your yoga practice is the perfect way to declutter a busy brain, it allows you to zone in on the quiet for a few much-needed moments instead of those racing thoughts competing for your energy.
And this doesn’t just last for the duration of your class - it has a knock-on effect on your life off the mat, helping you focus more easily, concentrate for longer, feel mentally clearer and less overwhelmed.
Enhanced self-awareness
Being grounded connects you to yourself, you are more able to tune into how your body feels, what emotions you’re experiencing, and which thoughts you are having and why.
As a result, you become more self-aware and more in control of your mind and body, helping you reach a level of self-acceptance and experience more inner peace.
Improved breath control
As we ground ourselves in yoga, we practise mindful breathing techniques to calm our minds and stabilise our bodies.
Dropping your focus into your breath is a key part of your yoga practice and improved breath control has a wonderful impact on your overall wellbeing.
After all, better breath control isn’t just beneficial during yoga - it also helps to lower stress levels off the mat when life isn't so calm & you feel like your in a whirlwind of chaos.
What are the benefits of feeling grounded in yoga?
Grounding yourself during your yoga practice has so many wider benefits for your general wellness.
It reduces stress
Grounding techniques can help lower your cortisol levels, which helps to reduce stress and improve relaxation - who doesn’t need more of that?
It improves your posture & balance
When grounding through the feet correctly it helps to find better postural alignment,
which in turn will reduce back pain, limit headaches, boost your energy levels, and improve your digestion & circulation.
When you hold your body in better alignment by stacking your joints through grounding down into your feet you'll discover you can hold balancing asanas for longer and therefore reduce the risk of falling and hurting yourself off the matt too!
It deepens your spiritual practice
For many yogis, rooting yourself to the ground opens up a deeper spiritual connection with your root chakra. This chakra is your first chakra, resembling the importance of feeling grounded & at home wherever you are. It can make you feel more connected to the earth and able to experience a heightened sense of purpose and meaning by connecting to your body, your home & feeling safe.
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How to ground yourself in yoga
So, how do you go about grounding yourself in your yoga practice?
Follow these simple steps:
Start with your feet - stand tall and distribute your weight evenly. If it helps, you can try imagining roots extending from your feet into the earth, anchoring you to the ground. One root under the base of the big toe, little toe & centre of the heel, drawing up through the arch of your foot whilst rooting down & rebounding away from the floor.
Pay close attention to your breath - inhale deeply through your nose, filling your physical body from your feel to your skull and exhale slowly through your nose sending the breath backdown into the ground. Let your breath be your guide, grounding you in the present moment. For now, nothing else matters.
Picture yourself as a tree firmly rooted in the ground - visualise stability and strength flowing through you.
Use props - yoga blocks/bricks or a wall can provide physical support, helping you maintain balance and alignment in grounding poses & help bring the ground to you with the use of blocks, feeling safer & more stable.
Incorporate mindful meditation to become more aware of your body and breath, increasing your feeling of being grounded physically and emotionally.
During savasana bring awareness to where your body meets the ground & the specific meeting points, imagine you are held safe & secure in the arms of a mother or loved one.
Perfect your grounding postures in person at your Ribble Valley yoga studio
Feeling grounded in yoga is not just a physical state; it's a mental and spiritual one as well.
It's about finding your centre, embracing the present, and giving yourself a moment of much-needed self-care.
If you’d love to explore the experience of grounding yourself through yoga at a local class, visit our beautiful and welcoming Clitheroe yoga studio, Vanessa Flow.
Start with a 21-Day Intro Pass to explore the many different classes on offer - there’s really something for everyone!
Not sure where to start?
Contact us on 07519677644 or contact@vanessaflowyoga.co.uk for advice and encouragement to start your yoga journey with confidence.