Asanas- The earth element

There are five elements in Ayurveda called the Panch Bhutas -Earth, fire, air, water, and space. Understanding each of these elements and the effect it has on healthcare helps us keep that balanced. Yoga can help connect with these elements and keep it balanced.

To start with the Earth element. The earth element is connected with the first chakra the Muladhara or root chakra. When the earth element is balanced we feel confident, strong and resilient. Any imbalance in the earth elements can cause anxiety, paranoia, mood swings . Especially in today’s busy and stressful life our thoughts run amok and make you feel ungovernable and chaotic. To get to a balanced state there are many yoga practices that help us connect to the earth. Like when we press our hands into the ground in downward dog or dig our heels and toes into the earth in mountain pose we are connecting to the earth element.

We can practice these asanas to increase our connection with the earth element by practicing grounding yoga poses. Here are six yoga poses  to help you find sense of stability and security into your practice

1. Mountain Pose (Tadasana) – Is the best asana to connect you with the earth and to your body breath and mind. It is also the foundation pose for all the standing poses. When practiced regularly it helps improve posture and stability, harmonizes the body and mind and expels dullness and depression.
2. Warrior 1 (Virbhadrasana 1) -It is awesome for teaching body awareness and increasing the body-mind connection. It is great for opening the heart and developing courage. This powerful asana can help you gain inner strength and courage.
3. Warrior 2 (Virbhadrasana 2)- This is a very strong pose while it works on the physical level the benefits could be translated to work on the mental level as well. It helps you find peace at the moment. This asana gives you courage not only to balance in the present moment but also the confidence to face your fears.
4. Tree pose (Vrikshasana) -This poses helps improve stability. This is the foundation pose for that teaches you how to root to the ground, improves your concentration and on the physical level strengthens your leg muscles. It also is known to enhance confidence and creates a more positive level of self-esteem.
5. Child Pose (Balasana)-It helps you release you any stress or tension and its a great way to feel connected and supported by the ground. It’s a comfortable pose to begin or end your yoga practice. This pose has an instant calming effect on the brain and helps you shut down on the mat when you want to and blocking all the thoughts swirling around in your head.
6. Corpse Pose (Shavasana)-In Savasana the sensory stimulation and the external distractions are minimized to help the body completely relaxed. With a grounded body the energy can be channeled inward and we can start to explore the body from inside. It restores and revitalizes the mind and body at the end of the practice.

Looking forward these yoga poses would benefit and ground you in your practices to find a quiet calm space within.

Love and Light, Shalini