{"id":583,"date":"2015-01-30T12:02:56","date_gmt":"2015-01-30T20:02:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/yogaphysics.com\/?p=583"},"modified":"2018-09-17T09:43:23","modified_gmt":"2018-09-17T16:43:23","slug":"alignment-cue-root-rise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yogaphysics.com\/yp\/2015\/01\/alignment-cue-root-rise\/","title":{"rendered":"Alignment Cue: “Root to Rise”"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Alexandria Crow explains why a pose\u2019s foundation is so key and what your teacher wants you to do with this key alignment cue.<\/div>\n
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My father is a builder so I have grown up learning about how things are constructed. I remember a pool he built hanging over the edge of a cliff on a mountain in Arizona. It was absolutely gorgeous. But a builder doesn\u2019t always get to control every piece of a project, and almost immediately upon completion, problems under the surface began. The foundation and grading, which had been handled by another company, weren\u2019t strong enough or properly done. The pool, suspended in mid-air, began to ever so slowly slide downhill. And unless something was done, it had the potential to pull the rest of the house with it. Eventually the pool was fixed by going back and correcting its foundation. What on earth does that have to do with yoga?<\/p>\n

The Importance of the Foundation in Yoga Poses<\/h2>\n

In\u00a0yoga asana\u00a0we often talk about what touches the ground as the \u201cfoundation of the pose.\u201d Like with the pool, how that foundation is positioned and the effort that goes into solidifying it are key to building a wise, stable, and lasting structure on top.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take the simplest example:\u00a0Tadasana (Mountain Pose). While Tadasana may appear to an onlooker like nothing more than standing, the difference between the two is similar to the difference between the first and second pools.<\/p>\n

\"Alexandria<\/figure>\n

How to \u201cRoot to Rise\u201d In a Pose<\/h2>\n

The instruction \u201croot to rise\u201d is a pretty common one in yoga classrooms. And this instruction\u2019s intent is fundamental in building solid poses from the ground up, but I don\u2019t think students always grasp the meaning.<\/p>\n

To root to rise, you must first lay a well-intentioned foundation for your asana. That means paying careful attention to precisely how you plant your feet, hands, forearms\u2014whatever is touching the ground. That is the seed of your pose. How you place those body parts directly affects your pose\u2019s ability to grow.<\/p>\n

Once your foundation is planted, tend to it. Imagine growing roots from the soles of your feet or the palms of your hands. Pressing down into the foundation not only roots it in place but also activates the muscles above it. Muscle activation that starts at the base can travel up through each joint, providing the structural integrity to grow tall, grounded, stable, and wise.<\/p>\n

Build\u00a0Mountain Pose\u00a0from the Ground\u00a0Up<\/h2>\n

So back to Tadasana, first bring your feet into a neutral position together or hip-width apart, aligning your heel behind your second or third toe. Spread your toes wide, balance your weight evenly across your feet, and press down through them strongly. Pay attention and you\u2019ll feel your lower leg muscles working\u2026..<\/p>\n

To keep reading visit YogaJournal.com<\/a><\/p>\n

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