Root Chakra Vinyasa Flow For Grounding

Join Ali for a fun vinyasa flow focusing on balancing the root chakra to feel more connected, grounded and secure. We will start with a short root chakra awareness meditation followed by a gentle yoga flow to shift stuck energy around. Some experience with vinyasa flow is helpful because there are no visual cues but this practice is intended for all levels. Listen to your body and modify poses when needed.

Transcript

Hey there!

Welcome to the first session of my chakra flow series.

Today we're focusing on the root chakra and this will be an all levels flow.

You don't need any props,

So go ahead and find a comfortable seat and we'll get started.

So when we think about the root chakra,

Often this is related to our adrenals and that fight-or-flight emotion that comes up when we are stressed.

So this chakra has a lot to do with safety,

Security,

And grounding.

If you are finding yourself feeling stuck in fear or scarcity,

It's a great idea to pay attention to this chakra and focus on it to shift some energy around and clear it and rebalance it.

So in those moments where you feel like you might be holding yourself back due to fear or not feeling good enough,

This will be a great practice to come to.

But really overall we'll be focusing on the lower body,

The hips,

The legs,

So it's great for anyone who wants to flow and shift some energy around in that area.

As we land in a comfortable seat,

Just let your hands rest wherever it's comfortable in your lap.

Allow your shoulders to drop down,

Lengthen your spine,

Little draw down through your chin,

Soften your face,

Your brow,

Your cheekbones,

Your jaw.

Either close your eyes or look down and just start to connect to the moment.

Feel your breath.

Maybe you already connect to wanting to shift some energy around related to your root chakra.

Let's start to just bring some attention to that space,

So the kind of the groin,

The hip area.

Maybe physically there's some tension there,

Some tightness,

Or emotionally if you are feeling some fear,

Feeling unsettled,

Unsafe.

Just observe if that's showing up for you today.

And we'll move through this short practice with the intention of shifting that around and finding some balance,

Some security,

And some grounding.

Let's take a deep breath in,

Exhale,

Let it go.

Settle here for a moment longer,

Gentle breath.

And we'll come through to a hands and knees position.

Then spread your fingers wide.

We'll start just with a little movement to awaken the spine.

Drop your belly down,

Lift your chest up,

Take an inhale.

As you exhale,

Round your spine,

Press into your palms.

One more of those.

Inhale,

Find length,

Tip your tailbone up,

Look up.

Exhale,

Round your spine,

Press your upper shoulders back.

Come back to a neutral spine,

Curl your toes under,

Take an inhale,

And then as you exhale,

Press it back to a downward dog.

Hips are high,

Pedal out your heels,

Feel whatever shows up for you today in the legs,

Maybe some tightness,

Maybe some tension.

Bend one knee,

Bend the other,

Start to shift and create space there.

On your inhale,

Let's ripple it forward to a high plank,

Top of a push-up,

Pause here.

As you exhale,

Press your hands down and apart,

Really firm up your belly.

Take another breath in,

Slide your heart forward,

Bring your knees to the mat slowly with control.

Exhale,

Lower all the way to your belly.

Cobra pose on your inhale,

Little lift through the chest.

Press back to a wide knee,

Child's pose.

As you exhale,

Hips to heels,

Knees wide.

Land here and ground as you allow your forehead to rock side to side.

Rise back up to hands and knees as you breathe in,

Cow pose,

Drop the belly,

Lift the heart.

As you exhale,

Curl your toes,

Downward facing dog.

Lift your heels,

Bend your knees,

Step each foot to the top of the mat,

Halfway lift,

Inhale,

Lengthen your spine,

Palms to shins.

Exhale,

Let it go and fold belly to thighs.

Press through your feet,

Let's rise up,

Stand up,

Reach up,

Inhale.

Hands meet at your heart as you exhale.

Take a full breath in,

Big breath out.

Inhale,

Sweep your arms up high.

Exhale,

Slow dive forward.

Inhale,

Halfway lift,

Palms to shins.

Exhale,

Plant your hands,

Step back to high plank and pause.

Feel the fire through the belly,

Strong through the core.

Inhale,

Knees down,

One more modified.

Exhale,

Lower all the way.

Cobra pose,

Inhale through the knees to downward dog.

As you exhale,

Land here,

Pressing through your heels,

Big breath in,

Even bigger breath out.

Feet together,

Lift your heels,

Bend your knees,

Step or a little hop top of your mat,

Halfway lift,

Inhale,

Fold,

Exhale.

Root to rise,

Inhale,

Arms lift.

Hands meet your heart,

Exhale.

One more of those,

Let's keep it warming up.

Inhale,

Reach up,

Exhale,

Fold.

Inhale,

Halfway lift.

Exhale,

Hands down,

Step to plank and lower through your knees or chaturanga,

Halfway down.

Cobra or upward facing dog for up dog,

Hips and thighs lift.

Downward facing dog,

Hips up and back.

Feet together,

Heels rise,

Knees bend,

Step or float to the top.

Halfway lift,

Inhale,

Exhale to fold.

Root down and rise up,

Reach up,

Inhale,

Hands meet your heart as you exhale.

Bring your hands to your hips,

Let's bend the right knee up and out to the side for tree pose,

Foot to your inner left leg,

Wherever it meets.

So the calf or the thigh,

Finding the grounding through your standing foot as you connect your hands together at your heart.

Steady your eyes straight ahead and feel the support of your bottom foot as you anchor your bottom big toe,

Pinky toe,

Sole of the foot right down into the earth.

Staying here or maybe you reach your arms out and up any amount.

Stay with your breath.

Hands back to your heart,

Draw the knee forward,

Release your foot down at the top of your mat.

Inhale,

Sweep your arms up.

Exhale,

Slow dive forward.

Halfway lift,

Inhale,

Plant your hands,

Step your left foot back as you exhale,

Drop the knee down.

Breath in to sweep your arms up high.

Stay here and feel the stretch through the belly and hip as you exhale.

Another breath in maybe draws your thumbs back and your eyes up.

As you exhale,

Plant your fingertips,

Straighten out your front leg,

Half Hanuman.

Hips can hover over your back knee.

Round your spine like you did in cat pose,

Nose toward your shin.

Keep your fingertips where they are,

Let's come back to your lunge.

Inhale,

Lift the chest,

Moving with your breath as you exhale,

Straighten the knee,

Round your spine.

Two more of those.

You can tuck the back toes if you want.

Inhale,

Lunge.

Exhale,

Straighten.

One more time,

Inhale,

Lunge.

Exhale,

Straighten,

Probably feeling something in the hips by now.

Come back to your lunge,

Plant your hands,

Step it straight back to your high plank.

Full breath in,

Flow it out either through the knees or chaturanga,

Exhale.

Cobra or upward facing dog,

Inhale.

Downward facing dog to land and ground as you breathe out.

Feet together,

Heels lift,

Knees bend,

Step or float to the top.

Halfway lift,

Inhale.

Fold,

Exhale.

For it to rise,

Inhale,

Sweep your arms up.

Exhale,

Hands connect at your heart.

Hands to hips,

Bend your left knee for tree pose,

Foot to the inner right leg,

Wherever it works for you today.

Find the grounding through the sole of your bottom foot,

Send your hands to your heart,

Steady your eyes.

Connect here with your breath as your roots,

The bottom foot anchored down into the earth and your breath supports you,

Keeping you safe and steady and in the moment.

Send your knee forward,

Release your foot down top of the mat,

Inhale,

Sweep your arms up.

Exhale,

Fold.

Halfway lift,

Inhale.

Exhale,

Plant your hands,

Tip your right foot back,

Drop your knee.

Arms rise high,

Breath in.

Stay here and soften,

Breath out.

Feel that deep stretch through the right psoas muscle,

The right hip,

The belly.

Breathe into that space.

Another breath in,

Maybe stretching up and back.

On your exhale,

Fingertips down,

Straighten your leg,

Round your spine to hold,

Exploring the openness through the front leg as your nose drops closer to your shin.

Move with your breath now,

Come back to your lunge,

Tend to your fingers,

Inhale,

Chest rises.

Exhale,

Straighten your leg,

Round your spine.

Two more with your breath,

Inhale,

Lunge.

Exhale,

Fold.

Last one,

Inhale,

Exhale.

Back to the lunge,

Plant your hands,

Step back,

High plank,

Full breath in,

Flow it out,

Exhale,

Bend your elbows.

Lift your heart,

Inhale,

Downward dog as you exhale,

Land for three breaths.

Feet together,

Heels rise,

Knees bend,

Step or float to the top.

Halfway lift,

Inhale,

Big fold as you exhale.

Let's keep the hips low,

Come into chair pose,

Sit low,

Reach your arms forward and up.

Really press into the soles of the feet,

Press your inner thighs toward one another as you shift your hips back,

Really strengthening the low body.

Now from here we're going to float the left foot off the mat,

Take a breath in,

Come into eagle pose on your breath out,

Wrap the left leg over,

Left arm under,

Try to straighten out your spine.

Shoulders back,

Stay low in your hips,

Feel your legs squeezing together,

Creating so much strength in the low body as you soften through the shoulders.

See if you can sit a little bit lower.

Slow and steady with the breath,

Let's unravel,

Reach up,

Lift your knee,

Inhale.

Warrior three as you exhale,

Kick back,

You could reach back.

I like to bring my hands to my heart here,

You could also reach forward,

Find what works for you.

And then look down to your mat,

Plant your hands,

Standing splits,

Kick your back heel back and up.

Maybe you crawl your hands in to your ankle or shin,

Play with the balance,

Trust your breath as you anchor your foot and kick for three,

Two,

One.

Release the left foot to meet the right passive fold,

Soften your knees,

Shake it out,

Loosen up the shoulders,

Neck and head.

Let's flow through,

Inhale,

Halfway lift,

Exhale,

Plant your hands,

Step back and lower down.

Inhale,

Cobra or up dog,

Exhale,

Downward dog to land.

Feet together,

Lift the heels,

Bend the knees,

Step or hop to the top,

Halfway lift,

Exhale to fold,

Right into chair,

Seat low,

Reach through the arms,

Be here in your chair,

Both feet planted.

Sometimes there's a tendency to rush through when we know where we're going,

So one step,

One breath at a time.

And now float your right foot up,

Wrap your leg over,

Wrap your right arm under,

Sit lower into your hips as you draw your left shoulder blades back.

Feel your limbs pressing together,

Legs where they connect,

Same with the arms.

Let your breath guide you as you open here through the body from that pressure.

Steady eyes,

Here we go,

Let's rise up,

Lift your knee up,

Reach your arms up.

Warrior three,

Kick back,

Reach back,

Forward or hands to heart.

Really use the center of the body to support you here as you kick,

Engage through the glutes,

Kick through your back heel,

Press your chest forward,

Look down to plant your hands standing,

Splits belly closer to your thigh,

Walk one or both hands closer in,

Get playful with it,

Keep breathing,

Kick back for three,

Two,

One,

Right foot meets the left,

Let it go,

Shake it out.

And stay here and let's bring the feet nice and wide,

We'll come into a low squat pose,

Try to keep your heels on the mat,

Bring your hands to your heart.

A really great way to open up through the hips and the front body and ground at the same time with your feet rooting down.

Couple of deep breaths.

Hands down to the mat,

Let's come back to a forward fold,

Walk your feet together and just bring your bum right down to your mat,

Boat pose,

Lift your shins up so they're parallel,

Hands can support the legs or reach forward.

Lots of lifting through your chest as you engage the core and root your hips,

Your seat down into your mat.

Keep holding here,

Breathe through it for five,

Four,

Three,

Two and one.

Let's slowly lower all the way down to your back,

Hug your knees in,

Take a little rock and roll side to side,

Left to right.

Maybe feeling a little bit of warmth,

I am feeling that here in Thailand,

It's a bit muggy today.

So with the body warm,

We'll start to slow it down just a bit,

Bring your feet down to your mat.

We'll come in to thread the needle across your right ankle over your left thigh,

Figure four also.

So many yoga poses have many names,

Part of the fun.

So you can stay here with your ankle over your thigh if that's enough,

Otherwise catch behind your left leg.

Deepening the stretch,

The sensation in your outer right hip.

So once again,

Focusing on the hip area.

Now the outside,

A little pressure where your ankle and your leg connect,

Press them toward one another as you flex through the right foot.

Release the grip,

Just bring your left foot back to the mat,

Bring your arms out wide.

Let's cross your right leg all the way over like we did in Eagle.

Shift your hips to the right,

Let your legs fall to the left.

Nice deep spinal twist.

Maybe bringing your left hand to your outer right knee,

The eyes can shift to the right.

And come back to center,

Hips in the middle other side.

Cross your ankle first over your thigh,

Left leg crosses.

Stay here for figure four or catch the back of your right leg.

Still heavy in the back of the shoulders and hips.

As you gently press your ankle and thigh together where they connect,

Cross your left knee,

Cross your right knee,

And come back to center.

And then come back to center.

Let it go and wrap your left leg all the way over your right,

Hips to your left for your twist,

The legs fall right.

Find what works for you,

Of course,

Modify however you need.

You can uncross the legs if it's too much.

You can also do a little bit of a stretch in the back of your left leg,

But you can also do a little bit of a stretch in the back of your left leg.

So you can do a little bit of a stretch in the back of your left leg,

Just settle in a few deep breaths.

Bring it back to center,

Hips to the middle.

Happy baby,

Reach through your legs,

Catch your outer feet,

Little rounding through the spine.

You can take a rock side to side.

Let it go.

As we center back into the middle of the body,

Stretch the hips once more.

We'll finish it off in shavasana.

Extend your legs out,

Arms by your sides.

Wrap your shoulder blades underneath you,

Feel the heaviness in your heels as you bring your hands to the front of your hips,

Bringing your attention there once more to that root chakra area.

And as you settle into stillness,

You allow your breath to start to slow and deepen naturally on its own.

Reconnecting to a sense of safety.

Security,

Grounding.

Maybe you even envision a color or a light,

Perhaps it's red,

Often associated with this chakra,

Filling up the hip area,

The groin area,

Clearing out all of the old limiting beliefs,

Fears,

Doubts.

Allowing a sense of lightness,

Safety,

Centeredness to fill back up.

So Stay here as long as it serves you.

If you'd like to finish off the practice where we started in a seat,

You can slowly take some little movements and stretches,

Whatever your body is calling for.

Roll through one side and make your way back up to a comfortable seat.

I want to thank you for having the courage to show up and find peace within.

Namaste.

Reviews

Flowed nicely 😊