home practice with Elise Lor imer
ground ( )
control
photos: michael winokur; model: elise lorimer; stylist: lyn heineken; hair/makeup: betten chasten; top/leggings: tanya-b
to begin
Sit in a cross-legged position
and connect to your breath.
Inhale and send roots down
through your pelvic floor into
the core of the earth. Exhale
and draw the sun in through
your crown to your heart. Stay
for a couple of minutes; find
stillness within.
to finish
Come back to sitting cross-
legged, eyes closed. Appreci-
ate the space created within
and drop into deeper stillness.
Stay for 3–5 minutes.
november 2011 yo gaj o u r n a l .co m   7 1
Root yourself to the
earth to stay centered, even
during chaotic times.
Can you find space and quiet within,
even in the midst of your busy, dynamic life?
That’s the idea behind this practice by vin-
yasa flow teacher Elise Lorimer.
The intention is to help you feel rooted
in your sense of center while you cultivate
spaciousness within—but the approach isn’t
static. Instead of restorative yoga or long
holds (often thought to be the most ground-
ing), the flowing sequence of postures repeat-
edly alternates between dynamic movement
and stillness. “If you can learn to harness
your energy and find your center during
dynamic poses, you can find that same quiet,
still place when the external world threatens
to throw you off balance,” says Lorimer.
As you move through the sequence,
Lorimer suggests that you feel your feet
rooting into the earth. “We often forget that
the portal to getting grounded is through
this body,” she says. At the same time, feel
yourself expanding toward the sun through
the crown of your head. Imagine drawing
energy in through your feet and your crown
throughout your practice, and feel how the
earth and sun connect in your center. Most
important, be compassionate with yourself,
especially during the more intense poses.
Says Lorimer, “If we can learn to be gener-
ous with ourselves, we’re more likely to be
that way with everyone we come in contact
with.”  A n d r e a f e r r e t t i

home practice w i t h E l i se Lo r i m e r
1
1  Standing Sidebend
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Anchor both feet
equally into the ground. Raise your arms overhead, turn
your left palm out, flex the left wrist, and grab it with the
right hand. Inhale and lengthen skyward; exhale and lean to
the right, gently lengthening your left arm with your right
hand. Breathe deeply into your left side. Take 3 breaths. Lift
back to center and repeat on the other side.
2  Adho Mukha Svanasana
(Downward-Facing Dog Pose)
Kneeling on all fours, press into your palms, curl your toes
under, and lift your knees, drawing your hips up and back.
Balance between grounding into the earth with your hands
and your feet, drawing awareness in through the bones of
your arms and legs. Breathe easily and fully, releasing ten-
sion and finding grace.
3  Extended Warrior Pose
Step your right foot between your hands; rotate your
left foot out and place your heel on the floor. Harness the
power and stability of your legs and core to draw the right
hip back and the left hip forward. Lift your arms by the sides
of your waist and connect to your core. From the back
shin, extend your arms forward; gaze forward. Feel a line
of energy from your back leg through your belly, front
spine, heart, and pinkies. Maintain inner awareness and
take 5 breaths. Repeat on the other side.
4  Virabhadrasana I (Warrior Pose I)
You’ll flow between poses 4 and 5 to open and lubricate
your hips. From Extended Warrior, inhale, lift your torso,
and bring your arms up overhead.
10
72   yo gaj o u r n a l .co m november 2011
2
5  Riding the Wave
Exhale, take your hands to the floor inside your right foot,
turn to the left side, and draw your left heel slightly in.
Keep your hands on the floor for support if you need
to. Inhale and move back to Warrior I, spinning the left
heel down and dialing your right hip back under you.
Flow between Warrior I and this position 5 times on each
side. Then come to Down Dog for 5 breaths.
6  Elephant Pose
From Down Dog, walk your hands toward your feet and roll
up to standing. Bend your knees, anchoring your coccyx
toward the earth. From your core, lift your torso and heart.
Press your palms together, place the tips of the thumbs
on your third eye, and draw your elbows together. Your
arms act as your elephant trunk. Release your shoulder
blades down your back and lift your breastbone and
elbows. Gaze out in front of you, feeling grounded and
confident. After 5 breaths, stand up and lower your palms
to your heart for a few more breaths. Repeat 3 times.
7  Prasarita Padottanasana
(Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend)
Step your feet wide apart. Interlace your fingers behind
you. Inhale and lift your chest; then exhale and fold for-
ward, bringing your hands over your head toward the floor.
Ground through your feet and shinbones; release tension
from your neck and shoulders. Stay for 5–10 breaths.
8  Chest-Opening Twist
From Prasarita Padottanasana, place your hands on the
floor and turn your heels slightly in. Bend your right knee
deeply while turning your left toes up. Hover your sitting
9
 3 watch

▼
A video of this Home Practice
sequence can be found online

4
at yogajournal.com/livemag.

bones above the earth and get heavy in your coccyx. Draw
your inner thighs to the midline. Tuck your right arm and
shoulder around your right shinbone, pressing the right
leg into external rotation. Take your left arm behind you
and clasp your left wrist with your right hand. (Or simply

5
place the fingertips on the floor in front of you.) Find the
balance between doing and being; appreciate the wisdom
your body has to offer. Breathe. Repeat on the other side.

9  Goddess Pose with Twist

Stand with your feet a little wider than your hips and turn
your feet out about 45 degrees. Gently press your hands
on the insides of your knees while dropping your coccyx
down. Extend your spine forward, parallel to the floor.
Inhale and draw the belly toward the spine; exhale and
rotate your torso and heart to the right, left shoulder
down, broadening across your chest. Inhale and return
to center. Exhale and rotate to the left. Connect to the
ease and balance in your body as it moves through the

6
transitions. Repeat 5 times.

10  Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana (Revolved

Head-of-the-Knee Pose), variation
From Goddess, jump your feet wider, bend your right knee,
and squat down until you’re sitting on the floor with your
left leg extended and left toes pointing skyward. Lengthen
your spine, hold on to your right ankle with your left hand,
and lift your right arm overhead. Press your right knee
away from your midline. Draw your left shoulder in front of
your left leg and roll the right side of your heart to the sky.

7
Connect to gratitude through your breath. Take 5 breaths,
come out, and, when ready, repeat on the other side.

8
november 2011 yo gaj o u r n a l .co m   73