April 17, 2023
Root to Rise
"Root to rise"
This is a common vernacular, cue, or theme in a yoga class. In a simple forwardfold, the instruction might be something like “root down into your feet and inhale rise up”... or in Warrior A, you may be reminded to “stay deep in your front thigh, press down into your back foot and extend your arms upward even higher”. See, there is a distinct connection and invitation to both "root" down and "rise" up. When our bodies are grounded and rooted there is a simultaneous uprising.
Historically, Vanda Scaravelli (1908-1999), a famous Italian yogini, would talk about the pelvis being the point at which we ground down and simultaneously rise up. She was known for saying “Yoga is an effortless dance with breath and gravity”… rooting and rising in its purest form!
In our daily lives, we see this "root and rise" notion in nature all the time... Like in the daffodils and in the flowering trees (to name a few of the obvious).
The winter has had us existing more in the underworld, underground, and waiting for the conditions to be perfect to unfold, reveal and unveil what’s been churning within. Now that spring is upon us, we take delight in unfurling and rising. It's a wonderful invitation to keep your feet planted and your roots firm but allow yourself to reach up and outward for new, more.
How might you root AND rise more on and off your mat?
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