Four Yoga Poses to Keep you Grounded During Retrograde

Brace yourself, Mercury Retrograde is in full force this July as it entered Leo on the 7th and is sticking around till the 31st. Growing pains are real my friends but fear not, Retrograde is really a time that shows us it is more important to go inward than outward. So to keep you calm, steady, cool, and sane we've come up with 4 grounding poses. that will allow you to become the vessel of expressive beauty you truly are!

Tadasana aka Mountain Pose

Standing up tall with a long spine close your eyes, relax all the muscles in your face and feel the bottoms of your feet root into the earth. Shoulders are down and away from the ears, try and stand a little bit taller, keep breathing, feel the earth's energy surge through you as you stand strong and tall.

Too Challenging? Try holding for just a few breaths at a time.

Want more challenge? This is where you can start to really fine tune all the little muscles in the body. Are your knees rigid? Soften. Where is the weight in your feet? Evenly distribute them. Where is the minds focus? Bring it to the breath, so much so that you become one with your breath.

Vrksasana aka Tree Pose

Starting from Tadasana shift your weight into one foot and raise your opposite knee in toward you. Grab your foot and place it against the inner thigh on the standing leg. Now bring your palms together in front of your heart and breathe. Feel all the muscles in the ankle working as your standing foot grounds into the earth and works to balance.

Too challenging? Bring your foot to your inner calf or inner ankle. You may also stand near a wall and use one hand to support you.

Want more challenge? Try closing your eyes!

Vatayanasana aka Horse Pose

Stand with the legs wide slightly turn out the toes. Bend your knees and sit low in your pose. The knees have a tendency to go inward so think about pulling them out toward your pinkie toes. Now bring your palms in front of your heart, close the eyes, and deepen the breath.

Too challenging? As you inhale straighten the legs and as you exhale bend the knees. Moving through the pose dynamically can put less tension on the muscles.

Want more challenge? See how long you can hold the pose for while still keeping a calm, steady, breath. You can also add to the challenge by lifting your heels off the ground and balancing on the balls of your feet.

Paschimottanasana- Seated Forward Fold

Sitting up tall with your legs stretched long, feet slightly flexed, inhale, raise your arms long, exhale reach forward as you fold forward. Start to relax into the forward fold a little more each time you exhale. Think about hinging at the hips and keeping your spine long.

Too challenging? For those with tight hamstrings try putting a slight bend in the knees

Want more challenge? Keep extending your spine long and reach for your toes or the bottoms of your feet.