the movement
honor ancestors, serve descendants, nourish all
Image: Rooting and rising in Vrikshasana, Tree Pose
Mother earth: she’s got your back!
Earth Mamas
My mom has lived in Hong Kong for over 50 years. When she was a young adult, she loved being a camp counselor teaching girls to swim in the lakes and hike in the woods of New Jersey. Luckily for me, she chose to make a home in Hong Kong and raise a family living in an apartment. For all those decades of balancing family and work my mom has had a steady and strong potted plant practice. When I was little, I would giggle listening to her talk to and sometimes sing to the plants. Once a week she’d gather all the pots up into the bathtub and use the handheld shower to “let them all get a good soak.” It was like a potted plant party and each one was handled with her love. Little did I know my mom was keeping her connection to the earth while living in a high rise. That connection is medicine.
Root to rise
Earth plays a role in movement medicine. In yoga we teach asana (physical practice) using the idea of root and rise. In applied functional science we understand human movement in the context of gravity and ground reaction force. They are the same thing. In the above image I’m rooting into my standing foot in vrikshasana (tree pose). I am able to rise up and reach out in all directions because of the rooting action. In the below image we see the bottom of a squat when I’m dropping into gravity and then the lift up with the ground reaction force. Both the maintained yoga posture and the movement into and out of a squat rely on a relationship with earth.
Mother earth nourishes us.
Earth is pivotal for food medicine. In my 400 level classes for Yoga Therapy, I’ve been digging deep into non-communicable diseases (commonly known as lifestyle diseases), examples include diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, low back pain, obesity, dementia, depression, and anxiety. Both modern medicine and ancient healing practices are clear that what we consume directly affects our physical health and whole wellbeing. Yoga and Ayurveda (the sister science of yoga and one of the oldest medicinal systems) specifically encourage a sattvic lifestyle that includes consuming foods that promote balance and harmony. What are sattvic foods? Fresh, whole, and easy to digest food like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes- yum! Where do all these sattvic foods come from? Yup, you got it, our earth!
Image: take rest, mother earth has your back.
Earth Element.
Earth is integral to psychological balance. The elements of nature (earth, water, fire, air, ether) are foundational to Ayurveda and Yoga. In Ayurveda the earth element correlates with our innate sense of survival and stability. Years of yoga practice and more recently my grad school professors have taught me that when feelings of fear and insecurity arise, connecting to earth is the best medicine. For example, when I’m rattled by life changes or challenges, I know to forge a connection with earth through my feet or hands. That could be as simple as walking barefoot in grass, dirt, or sand. It could be using the “root and rise” principle in a yoga asana. It could even be resting on the ground receiving the healing effect of the earth element. As we settle into earth element we plug into a calm, grounding, steady frequency. We can rest and recharge to face whatever comes next. If I happen to be outside, I may even benefit from the damp, woody, mineral scent of soil. What a balm for heart and mind!
Thank you, mama!
In some cultures, the month of May includes a day that celebrates mothers. If celebrating Mother’s Day resonates with you, I invite you to join me and plant any part of your body into this sweet earth, perhaps you might lovingly handle a potted plant, breathe deeply, and thank our shared mama earth for always having our back.
May 2025
Image: Action of a squat and jump in context of gravity and ground reaction force.