Rooting resources & tools to move with attention & intention
My relationship with movement and physical activity wasn’t always very grounded, especially during the 8+ years I was tossing extra wood into an already fiery fire pit by bouncing around the NYC subway lines and Brooklyn bike lanes like a hot potato.
Between teaching and taking classes, studying, organizing and leading workshops and events, and a enjoying the buzz of a big-city social life, I didn’t often feel as rooted as I may have appeared while teaching yoga. Thankfully, teaching itself grounded me (still does!) even amid my pinball-machine tendencies.
(I did have an absolutely epic NYC friend group that felt like a very sturdy anchor—a story for another time, and another form of deeply nourishing roots.)
Even though I was meditating and practicing yoga, the nonstop energy of the city, my teaching schedule, and my entrepreneurial drive kept me feeling flighty. I was all about vinyasa flow classes—which are wonderful for many reasons—but I was ignoring physical signals that hinted at a need for more steadiness, like trouble sleeping, brain fog, hormonal and digestive imbalances, and general anxiety.
I could have opted for more restorative yoga—even just simple strength training or mindful walks—instead of cramming in as much vinyasa as possible (though dance was and will always be emotionally grounding for me). I could have focused on moving slower and more intentionally instead of always running a little bit behind and confusing constant business for productivity. Among other things…
So it’s not only how we live our day-to-day lives, but also the types of movement we choose that can either add to or subtract from our sense of feeling rooted. This is super personal and shifts depending on a variety of ever-changing factors like age, physical and mental health, location, injuries, even time of day and time of year.
And when our external world feels at all chaotic—whether its something within our personal lives, communities, or disturbing news headlines—it’s essential that the movement practices help us ground rather than uproot our bodies and minds.
Similarly, movement and physical activity can open our bodies, hearts (cheesy but true!), and headspace. But if we swing too far towards that delicious feeling of space, fluidity, mobility, and flexibility, we lose our sense of grounding and balance.
The same goes for movement that takes us upside down—it can actually offer a playful and grounding perspective shift, so long as we know how to feel rooted both on our head/hands and on our feet.
Restorative practices and mindful movement like yin yoga, Tai Chi, gentle swimming, and breathwork are an incredible—and arguably necessary—compliment to other physical activities and an overstimulated world. They nourish both body and mind, free and settle emotions, and literally anchor us to our breath.
I wrote a series on movement a few months ago based on my experience and studies, exploring how and why movement supports and grounds us on so many levels:
Compassionate & personalized approaches to movement practices
Movement for individual & collective wellbeing
Movement & Stillness to Check In vs Out
What we learn in a movement practice translates to real life
You can also always sprinkle some movement into your travels—before, during, and/or after. When there’s a will, there’s a way, and you’ll feel so much better for it because, guess what—it’ll ground you:
Nourishing Micro-Habits for Trips & Travels
A travel guide for mind-body wellbeing
Lastly, movement is a means of moving stagnant energy. It keeps things flowing physically, mentally, and emotionally so that our roots don’t weight us down, but rather free us. Chew on how that concept might apply to you…
When you move your body, you move energy. Exercise is about circulating the light inside you, preventing stagnation, keeping yourself as a river rather than a swamp.
–David Ghiyam
Grounding yoga classes
Alongside the resources above, enjoy two curated yoga and functional movement sessions to help you feel steady and connected to your physical roots: Yoga for Neck Pain (32 minutes), plus Yoga for Jet Lag (58 minutes)—both of which are especially apropos for holiday travels and EOY energy.
These practices are in support of groundedness (is this a word??), restoration, and resilience—qualities the world could probably use a bit more of right now.
Yoga for Jet Lag for subscribers on Substack
References
Some senior yoga teachers I’ve studied with, admire, and continue to learn from:
- Anya Porter
- Carrie Owerko
- Colleen Saidman Yee & Rodney Yee
- Genny Kapuler
- Nikki Costello
- Schuyler Grant
Yoga accessories and learning tools—with an emphasis on eco-friendliness:
- Amazon yoga and meditation books and products (I receive a small commission)
- Manduka EU yoga accessories—code SASHAMANDUKA = 15% off
- PACT organic cotton yoga/everyday apparel—code SASHAPACT15 = 15% 0ff
- Ripple organic cotton yoga collection—code YsSashaN = 12% off
- Shopmy shelves—from wellness products and clothing to home and travel
To wrap it up
Mindful movement roots us in our body, mind, and the present moment. Without that sense of embodied awareness, we risk moving from one thing to the next without much attention or intention—which can sometimes make life feel like a relentless hamster wheel (‘tis not!).
Work with me 1:1 for holistic lifestyle coaching or personalized yoga to cultivate physical, mental, and emotional roots that feel both attainable (accessibility!) and sustainable (longevity!).
Which movement practices feel grounding and rooting for your body and mind?
Take good care,
S
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