A few weeks ago, I posted about the opening of the lower body and the emotional reservoir that it can be. Today, however, we focus on the strength and stability of the very same region, which also happens to be the foundation of our physical and energetic bodies.

As if referring to yoga, Henry David Thoreau has been quoted as saying, “If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.” And so it is in practice.

In yoga, just as in life, the integral structure of anything physical is built upon its foundation. And when the foundation is strong, it keeps us grounded by providing stability and support and allowing for balance. It is only when we are rooted in a strong internal and external foundation that we are able to ebb, flow, and move with strength and grace, for when we root deeply and surrender, trusting that the earth will support us, we are able to rise and expand upward.

In yoga, we call this “sthira sukham asanam.”