I recently indulged in on of my great loves, live theatre, by seeing a fabulous performance of The Tempest at the PA Shakespeare Festival. Like all timeless Shakespearean stories, emotions run high with characters captivated by betrayal, revenge, guilt, love, deceit, trickery, promise, and forgiveness.
While my or your daily life may not be quite so dramatic as those shipwrecked on a desert island, we all deal with circumstances that can push us off center. Everyday, we navigate storms that throw us off course, we cope with consequences of other's peoples karma, and we strive to understand of the significance of our own actions and the choices we make. Through it all, we seek peace of mind and tools to help us find firm ground from where we can regroup. Finding a place to "hold-steady" is equally important, and sometimes more appropriate and beneficial, then that drive to keep moving forward.
Consistent yoga pracitce offers such an anchor to keep us safely grounded within the stormy seas of humanity.
Physically, yoga literally helps us improve our balance on one foot or both - or even hands, heads, forearms, fingers, and toes!
Emotionally, it helps clear our heads and activates that proverbial reset button for our emotional state.
Spiritually, yoga can reveal an inner set of values and core beliefs. It can help us identify, define, and refine a moral compass from which we view ourselves and the world so that, even when stressed, we can confidently make choices that we believe in and that serve the greater good.
Life constantly pulls us away from our comfort zones and familiarity. Yoga steadies us again, helping us find our sea legs.
During this late summer season, where Earth element energies rule, incorporating grounding practices into our yoga routines will help us navigate the never-ending tempests of our lives. Because while life may not stand still, we can still be anchored.
For practice application, enjoy this yoga cheat sheet to balance the downdog days of summer. Learn to harness and embrace the seasonal benefits of Earth element energy on the yoga mat, off the mat, and all year long.
Yoga Cheat Sheet to Balance the Downdog Days of Summer
Earth's Energetic Qualities - for Yoga Practice, Teaching, and Lifestyle:
1. Stability: Like the unshakable mountains, Earth energy manifests as stability and steadiness in yoga practice.
Quiet your gaze to help calm the mind.
Embrace core strengthening posters, like boat pose, and spine strengthening poses like floor bow and cobra.
Cultivate a strong backbone in every sense of the phrase. No one wants to be spineless or crumble under pressure.
Cultivate not only a strong physical body with yoga, but a strong character.
2. Balance: Earth element encourages finding equilibrium in both body and mind so use this late summer season to activate balancing postures.
As the season of the large muscle groups, go more slowly through your balancing postures to build awareness and muscular endurance. The muscles are primed to respond at this time of year.
And remember, the mind needs to find balance just as much as the body does. Challenge yourself, but have fun.
Never force anything, instead, allow the posture space to reveal itself in its own time. Moving slowly encourages the discovery process.
3. Comfort: The nurturing nature of Earth energy offers the warm feelings of comfort and security.
Allow yourself to enjoy grounding poses like Child's Pose (Balasana) and Corpse Pose (Savasana) to experience deep relaxation and comfort.
Not every posture is about advancing in a practice or learning something new. Just being your self on the mat is enough.
Free yourself of expectations this season so that you enjoy and find comforted in your practice.
Release any desire for a particular outcome. Even if you are "working on" balancing postures, for example, do so without expectation of a result. Giving freely, without expection of results, thanks, and even acknowledgment, is a true gift. Give yourself this gift on the yoga mat.
Indulge in your practice without guilt, shame, or outcome. This doesn't mean be sloppy. You deserve your own full attention to the details of your practice. Go inward. Find focus. Love yourself deeply through asana, meditation, and any other wellness practices you enjoy.
4. Support: Just as the Earth supports all living beings, this energy reminds us of our interconnectedness to all beings. Sometimes we seek support, sometimes we provide it for others. Yoga practice reflects this.
Seek support from props during your practice, like blocks, straps, and bolsters, to find ease and support in challenging poses.
Ask your teachers for guidance.
And when final savasana comes around, allow the earth beneath you to provide support. Allow time to rest, relax and restore before jumping off the mat into the rest of your day.
A daily dose of self-nurturing through yoga refills your cup to provide support for others in your life. A yoga teacher I had early on reminded me in every class: "Be selfish with your practice so that you can be selfless in the rest of your life."
5. Consistency: Earth element embodies dependability and reliability.
Dedicate yourself to a consistent yoga routine to anchor your daily life with a sense of continuity. Yoga is not one more thing to do in a busy schedule. A disciplined practice becomes support, not a demand, easing stress in other area of life.
6. The Ability to Apply Learned Knowledge: Earth element also manifests as an ability to integrate what we've learned on the mat into our daily lives.
Take the lessons from your practice into the world, fostering growth and transformation.
Lead by example.
Beware When Out of Balance:
1. Smothering: Excessive Earth energy can lead to either being or feeling overprotective or suffocated.
Practice heart-opening postures to cultivate openness and vulnerability. The Earth element embodies trust. Working through uncertainty on the mat help cultivate self-trust.
This is another reason to lean into balancing postures this season. Sometimes we smother our own growth on mat because we are fearful of falling out or of feeling uncomfortable. Learn to awaken and trust your instincts by moving deliberately through your practice.
2. Overindulgence: Another form of excessive Earth energy is overindulgence, particularly in relation to food choices and digestion, as the stomach and mouth are all ruled by the Earth element.
Practice moderation and self-discipline in your yoga and daily life. You can get too much of a good thing and you can overdo it on the mat.
3. Worry: Are you a "worrywart?" I am! I'm most comfortable on solid ground, with a plan, armed with knowledge! But life doesn't always cooperate with that. Worry stems from a lack of knowledge, or fear of the unknown, plus a lack of control, all manifestations of Earth element energies.
Cultivate trust to turn worry on its head. Self-nurture with time on the mat to cultivate stability and support in conjunction with learning to rest comfortably in the quiet unknown space of a posture or breath.
In Conclusion
While life's journey remains unpredictable, yoga's spiritual practice provides a steadfast grounding force. Embrace Earth element energy in your practice to find stability, balance, comfort, and support.
By integrating the lessons learned on the mat into your daily life, yoga becomes a reliable anchor, providing comfort, consistency, and a sense of security amidst the stormy seas of existence.
Thanks for reading and have a great week!
Namaste,
Lara
PS
Nothing brings balance like a yoga retreat! September retreats start just around the corner and we are planning now for 2024. Details to follow.
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