Rootedness

One of the more insightful features of hatha yoga and qigong/tai chi chuan are the postures that visualize the body’s identity with the earth. The corpse asana or posture of yoga is a supine resting posture during which one imagines one’s weight sinking into the ground. Similarly, the standing meditation of qigong visualizes the same rootedness into the soil. The image is not a morbid one. On the contrary, while the body “sinks” into relaxation the mind is lifted from the whir of events, feelings and mental chatter characterizing the energy points assailed throughout the day. It does not take a yogin or martial artist to appreciate these simple bodily postures and to utilize the sense of well-being that flows from them.