Grounding is not the antithesis of spiritual experiences; it is literally the root of it. Just as a plant must have deep roots in order to grow taller, your ability to root down into the ground will allow you to reach higher toward the upper body, establishing a firm foundation in the solidity of the earth begins the whole process of rising up the spine.

Svadhisthana, means one’s own place. You access your own place through inner sensation. Because it is internal, you cannot see it any more than you can see a thought; you can only feel it.

Mastery is the ability to transform intention into reality, live deliberately, and create your life on purpose, but even more importantly, mastery is fulfilling your intentions with ease. In the practice of yoga, mastery occurs when years of effort and discipline reach a point of ease.

Softening opens the gateway to the heart. That could mean softening your body or your breath, but it also points to softening your judgments or your stance toward another person or situation. Softening allows things to join, to match their edges with ours together. It invites openness, connection, and reception.

Listen. Can you hear it now? Can you sense the subtle pulsation of your heart, the rhythmic movement of your breath, the gentle murmur of your thoughts? Can you hear the chorus of life all around you in the sound of the wind, the laughter of children, the cascade of birdsong as it announces the sunrise?

As you not only open your eyes, but also your mind and heart from step 1 to 5, now the experience is more transcendent, taking you beyond this world and into an archetypal realm of deep wisdom and beauty. Color and form, insight and intuition spring into view as the inner eyes open wide, here you can sit still, and take it all in.