Articles by Caroline Klug
Articles by Caroline Klug

A Grounding Exercise for Anywhere, October 2020
To be grounded is to be stable – physically, mentally, and/or emotionally. In yoga classes, we may be reminded to “ground into the four corners of your feet” for a strong, stable Tadasana, Vrksasana, or other standing pose. Likewise, we might hear “ground into your sit bones” for an upright posture that creates optimal alignment and allows each breath to be easy, natural, and full. As we begin our practice or close it in Savasana, we might be encouraged to follow our breath to bring us into the present moment and allow the mind to rest.
In this time of great instability on so many fronts, when we may be facing constantly changing physical, mental, and emotional challenges and frequent feelings of overwhelm, we can turn to our yoga practice to ground – to bring us into our bodies and the present moment, to quiet our minds, and to still the stormy sea of emotions. Whether we have and hour and a half or 5 minutes, whether we are participating in a class or sitting in our living room, we know how to become more grounded, so that we can meet each day and each new challenge with greater clarity and skill. Namaste.
• Sit tall in a chair with your feet flat on the floor and you palms on your thighs.
• Close your eyes or soften your gaze. • Feel the soles of your feet grounding you to the earth…and feel the earth supporting your feet.
• Feel your sit bones heavy on your chair…and the chair supporting your sit bones.
• Feel your hands connecting with your thighs…and your thighs supporting your hands.
• On each of your next few inhalations, allow your spine to lengthen, adding lightness to balance the grounding.
• Follow your breath – observing the inhale, the exhale, and the spaces in between – for five full, easy breaths, bringing you fully into the present moment.