For this practice, you may need pillows or a bolster, a chair, an eye pillow, or cushion. This practice will focus on staying close to the Earth, so whatever props you want to help you be comfortable as we stay low to the ground is perfect.
Thank you for allowing me to be your guide for this class today. We’ll start in a comfortable seated position. You may sit with the hips up on a block or cushion and the legs crossed. Or, find a shape that is comfortable for you in this moment. Feel the sit bones on the Earth. I want to say thank you for joining me today. I am excited to share this time together. Class today will focus on the first chakra, which is the Root or Muladhara chakra. This chakra’s color is red and is located at the base of the spine. I invite you to think of this center as your foundation. It can represent stability and safety. If you are inclined to light candles, use essential oils or burn incense during this practice, scents including sandalwood, cypress, or cedarwood are good choices for this chakra. The element associated with this chakra is Earth, so today we will focus on growing our roots down into the Earth for a grounding practice. I will offer an affirmation for this class and invite you to repeat it throughout the practice today. Our affirmation for today will be, “I am safe.” This is only one of many that can be useful, so if you want to use a different one for your own unique practice, please feel free.
While we are sitting, let’s start with a few breaths. Today’s practice will incorporate breathing while we complete our movements, or asanas, so that we can feel safe and grounded even while we move. So, close your eyes or find a comfortable spot to gaze with the eyes lowered. Inhale through the nose, envision the color red, and exhale either through the mouth or nose, whichever feels more comfortable and as you exhale, envision growing roots from the sit bones down through the ground to the center of the Earth’s red core. With each inhale, receive the bright red light from the Earth’s core that warms your body, and on the exhale, grow your roots from the sit bones down into the Earth. Send the roots down into the Earth feeling more supported and connected to the wisdom of the Earth with each exhale. While we are practicing this, I invite you to play with different patterns during the exhale and see what feels good in your body at this moment. As you exhale, you can exhale through the nose or the mouth and you can hum or sigh. Play with it and observe how you feel without judgement that you have to feel any certain way. Let it be whatever feels good for you today and know that all of it is okay. Let’s do one more round, inhale through the nose, exhale and send your roots deeper into the Earth. Gently open your eyes or look forward and let’s come onto our hands and knees or you may stay seated for this if you would rather explore how that might feel for you today. We’ll go through a few rounds of cat/cow really focusing on our breath and our movement in the pelvis. You are welcome to take a rolled blanket and place it under your knees for comfort if you decided to get onto your hands and knees. Inhale, look up and let the belly sag downward, arching the back down toward the floor if you are on your hands and knees or bring the belly forward, lifting the chest upward if your are sitting. Inhale throughout the movement, taking your time, coordinating the breath with the movement. Pause. Exhale, look down toward your belly button, lifting the belly, arching the back upward like a cat. If you are sitting, round the spine, feeling the sit bones tuck forward moving the weight of your body toward the tail bone. Coordinate your exhale with this and pause at the end of the exhale. Let’s repeat. Inhale, arch the back, look up, pull the chest forward. Pause. Exhale, round the back, bringing the gaze down and toward the belly. Pause. Inhale and come back to center. I invite you to drop the hips down into child’s pose toward the feet as low as is comfortable for your hips and knees. If you prefer, you can stay seated and reach the hands down toward the floor using a bolster between the chest and the knees for support if you need it or place blocks on the floor and rest the hands on the blocks for grounding support. Bring the knees out wide with the big toes touching and stretch or walk the hands out in front. Gaze toward the floor. Place a bolster or folded blanket horizontally between the hips and ankles if that would feel good to you or a bolster between the knees and vertically along the belly and chest to support your upper body. Breathe here for a few breaths at your own pace. Feel the support of the Earth. Allow your body to rest into this support. Notice if you are gripping or holding tightness in your body. If you notice this, spend some time supporting that area and breathing into that space. Allow the Earth to support you here and see if you can loosen the grip. Allow the Earth to support you, surrendering your hold or control. Allow yourself to rest in this moment and feeling of support. Breathe with ease and on your next inhale, push up onto your hands and knees, come to standing and slowly walk up to the top of your mat. Take your time, no hurry. Let’s meet at the top of our mats and stand or sit in mountain pose. Feet are hip’s width, hands by our sides with the palms turned outward. Find a spot out in front to focus your gaze, or drishti, or close your eyes if that’s comfortable for you. Feel the 4 corners of the feet on the ground. Practice shifting your weight from the front of the feet to the back all while keeping the 4 corners touching the ground. Keep the toes spread without gripping the toes. Shift side to side and find a comfortable center where your weight is evenly distributed. Feel the Earth support you here. Inhale, bring the red glow of the Earth’s core up through your feet and on the exhale, ground into the Earth. Grow your roots. Inhale, reach the arms up and gaze between your hands as you still notice the grounding of the feet into the Earth. Reach as much as is comfortable for you. Exhale, Bring the hands to heart center allowing your gaze to land at the tips of your third fingers. Inhale, ground into the Earth, hands come down to your side into mountain pose. Inhale red glow of the Earth, exhale, grow your roots deeper into the Earth. Inhale, arms reach, follow with your gaze, exhale, hands to heart center following with your gaze. One more round on your own, at your own pace. I invite you to meet me in a seated position taking your time. Let’s set up for savasana. You can lay on your back, using a bolster under the knees, a blanket to cover you, an eye pillow to help you rest your eyes. You can use a bolster to help you recline if laying flat is not what you need at this time. If you want stay sitting for savasana, that’s okay, too. Try to rest your back against the back of a chair with the feet firmly planted on the ground. We’re going to be here for a few minutes, so take this time to set up your support here. When you’re set up, relax into the Earth or the bolsters allowing your body to rest. Accept the support offered by the bolsters, blankets, the ground. Feel the weight of the back body resting on its support system. Breathe without forcing any particular rhythm. Allow the breath to happen naturally, in through the nose, out through the nose at its own pace. Notice if you feel any gripping or tightness in the front body keeping you from accepting the support offered at the back body and see if you can loosen that grip. Take some time exploring that own your own. At this time, I’d like to invite you to slowly start to move. Move the feet and wrists, slowly moving up to the knees and hips, rolling them or shaking them out. Come onto your right side, and lay here for as long as you need before pushing up to a seated position. I’d like to end today by thanking you for showing up and sharing this time with me. I’d like to offer a reminder to come back to the sense of grounding anytime you need throughout the day so that you can honor your body and its need for support, security, safety, and stability. My hope is to offer a way for you to come back to your roots, come back to the Root Chakra, whenever you need to feel a little more grounded. Thank you for joining me
* This was a practice I submitted as part of my 200-hour yoga teacher training and I am honored to share it with you. I’d love to know how this lands for you. If you like to journal after a practice, here are some prompts.
Where can I offer myself time to rest and feel supported?
How does it feel to be safe and supported in my body?
Where do I struggle with accepting support?
Take good care,
Sharon
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