Having an anchor provides the stability to explore and safely work on the physical and emotional tensions held in the body. Tension, trauma or a lack of presence in the physical body can be witnessed in the feet. Awareness is the first step to feeling light and bouncy again. If we drop the arches of the feet, we lose our centre of gravity and movements feel heavy and cumbersome.
This week in class we’ll be taking the burden of weight away from the feet and legs to bring the centre of gravity upwards to lighten the upper part of the body, to include the shoulders and the arms.
As you know, gravity is a force your body responds to constantly. Gravity is always working on your bones. But the load created by gravity differs depending on how the bones line up with the perpendicular force of gravity. Bones are shaped and strengthened when you use them, and engage with grounding forces. Your feet get stronger when you practice yoga barefoot. And your shoulders get tight when we allow the cranium and neck to drift forwards over the laptop.
When we’re a bit disengaged from the support of gravity, we might collapse into it, hunch and curl in. Rather than being a passive recipient of gravity, my suggestion is to consciously engage with it, return gravity to its natural role as a friendly force and one of a host of supporters in life.
Movements will feel more easeful when we accept support from gravity and stand strong with it, rather than collapsing from struggling against it. And rest will feel supremely satisfying when we sit or lay down and soften into the gravitational embrace.
See you in class 7.30-8.45 tonight @ Hove Methodist Church, or live via zoom. Click here for full details.