We must begin from the ground up.

When adjusting in our asana practice (physical yoga postures) we start at the bottom.

How is our connection to the Earth? Are our feet in the proper position? Are we sending energy down toward the ground and drawing it back up?

If the foundation is weak or off balance, the entire posture will be weak or off balance.

An unsteady connection to the Earth puts us at risk for dis-ease at best and injury at worst. So we begin from the beginning. We work from the ground up.

It is like this in all areas of our practice. We must begin at the beginning.

If we really want to achieve Yoga we must practice 24 hours a day 7 days a week. 

For a long time I thought that I was firmly rooted in my practice.

I meditated daily, read the ancient texts, read modern translations, spent time with my teachers, completed numerous certifications and many many workshops.

I studied myself through the lens of Chakras, Buddhist psychology, the Koshas, the Doshas, and various psychological personal development models.

I consulted Eastern medicine practitioners, Western therapists, healers, angel cards, energy workers, any one who I felt could help me in my journey.

All of it helped. All of it was enlightening, educational, inspiring and helpful. All of it hugely impacted who I am today and how I see the world.

Yet so many things remained the same.

Money was still a struggle. Paying bills and checking my bank account balance made my heart race and my palms sweat.

Clutter seemed to materialize in my house and my car in extreme amounts and would feel so overwhelming that I couldn’t do anything except try to ignore it as the stress caused by it all burrowed into my muscles and mind.

My fridge contained half empty take out containers from Whole Foods instead of ingredients to make my own meals.

Basically, the basics were totally out of wack.

I was building a beautiful life and understanding of myself, but I could never truly start living in it because the foundation was so neglected. 

The solution is in taking action from the ground up.

Paying attention to my finances, learning to cook, getting help with cleaning and organizing so that I can cut through the overwhelm and make it a practice rather than a chore.

It is a continual practice every day. 

Sometimes I feel steady in it, sometimes not. But again I return, every day.

Sthira Sukham Asanam ~ Our connection to the Earth must be steady and joyful. 

Steady and Joyful. Joy is in the steadiness. Steadiness is in the joy.

They go together.

Some of us are geared toward taking care of the basics first.

That is wonderful, but can also be a place to get stuck.

Sometimes, we have to take a leap of faith and know that we may never be 100% ready to have kids, launch the website, bid on the house, or host the dinner party.

We must know and trust that all will happen in Divine time and that it may never look like our version of the “right time.” So we take action anyway, with faith.

Others of us are more of the “reach for the moon and at least we will fall among the stars” types.

We take big leaps of faith and hope that the net will appear or wings will grow.

Often we end up getting so close to flying only to crash and burn. We could benefit from making sure the basics are covered more surely before we make big moves. In the long run it will save us time and energy.

I am clearly more the second type and knowing that is half the battle.

Now, when I realize that I am ignoring my finances or that my counters are covered with mail and random things that really don’t take that long to clean up – yet I am letting the chore of doing so feel like a massive ordeal – that it is time for me to get grounded and work on the basics.

Not by chanting root chakra meditations or doing a yin practices, but by sitting myself down and doing the work of working on my bills, filling out paperwork that is due, cleaning the house, putting the laundry away, and cooking a meal for my family.

Sometimes only one of those things happens. Sometimes more.

Then I can do grounding meditations and practices to drive the point home.

Where do you fall in this regard? Are you a lay a solid foundation person or do gravitate toward building castles in the clouds?

How do you reign yourself in without beating yourself up about your nature?

Send me and email and let me know or give a shout out via Facebook or Instagram.