Grounding

My two-week search for a new place to live (Part One) in the Pacific Northwest came to an end yesterday. At my parent's house, in time to beat the worst of the holiday travel rush. Being on the road did a lot to underscore how I am starting to feel the need to be settled somewhere and have a steady routine. As a recap, Chris and I have been on the road, more or less, since the end of May (with a month and half long break to house-sit for the folks). I know grass is always greener in this kind of situation: when I have a steady job, I can feel the need to hit the road, but cannot. Now that the road is mine to hit, so to speak, a 9-5 sounds kind of nice.

It felt like a good yoga practice to give myself a feeling of being grounded, even though I do not have a home base. Working with stillness and grounding, my head feels like it is in a better place. Home will come when the time is right.

Grounding

Begin your practice with a brief meditation. Imagine roots extending from the end of your spine into the floor behind you. As you inhale, grow your spine like a plant towards the sun. Imagine the heat of the sun crowning your head, running like hot water down your back. As you exhale, imagine the sun as nourishment, extending your roots deeper into the earth. Inhale towards the sun, exhale to root deeper.

1. Sukhasana  (Easy Pose)
2. Gentle neck rolls
3. Walk one arm out along your side, roll neck to opposite direction for neck stretch
4. Repeat other side
5. Cat/cow spine in seated
6. Table
7. Extend opposite arm and leg to balance. Repeat other side.
8. Vyaghrasana (Tiger Pose)
9. Exhale "Ha!" to extend leg back
10. Repeat 10-12x
11. Repeat steps 8-10 other side
12. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose)
13. Hold for 5 long breaths, bending and straightening legs, warming up
14. Plank Pose
15. Begin Kapalabhati (Skull Shining Breath) in Plank
16. Chaturanga Dandasana (Four-limbed Staff Pose)
17. Rest on stomach, return to normal breath
18. Push back up to Plank
19. Adho Mukha Svanasana
20. Uttanasana (Forward Fold Pose)
21. Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
22. Sun Breaths (see Sun Breaths post for how to do this pranayama) in Tadasana
23. Utthita Vaya Muktyasana (Standing Wind Relieving Pose)
24. Tadasana
25. Repeat 23 and 24 other side
26. Vrksasana (Tree Pose)
27. Patanvrksasana (Toppling Tree Pose) note: never knew the Sanskrit for this one? Me neither. Check out the Dharma Mittra resource to see a picture.
    
28. Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana (Standing Splits)
29. Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I)
30. Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II)
31. Trikonasana (Triangle Pose)
32. Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose)
33. Trikonasana
34. Utthita Tadasana (Five Pointed Star)
35. Tadasana
36. Repeat steps 26-35 on other side
37. Sukha Matsyendrasana (Easy Twist). Repeat other side
38. Tarasana (Seated Star Pose)
39. Matsyasana (Fish Pose)
40. Savasana