Being Anchored: What it Means to Be Anchored
Have you ever... seen a soap bubble?
Going away with the wind...
Floating always higher and depleting all hopes of catching it.
And even if you would, it would burst as you touch it.
Now let me ask you... Have you ever been a soap bubble?
My guess is that we may all relate to feeling like a soap bubble at some point...
In many cases, either after a physical trauma or psychological shock (some of the most common causes of psychological shock could be: humiliation, abandonment, rejection, injustice, and betrayal), acute self-protection makes us disconnect in some way from our best path within the laws of nature, eluding reality and pain to fly off as a soap bubble, in a world of our own.
On a minor lever, just getting caught up in life's worries, lacking sleep, being hypersensitive and catching every wave (I often compare hypersensitives to a surfer who would be trying every little wave, instead of waiting for the good one that will carry him far, steadily and beautifully), or a big allergy crisis. Many circumstances can make you fly off and away if your foundations are unsure.
And there begins the vicious circle of dis-ease and disease.
Once you loose your rooting, where were you heading?
What is right? And what is compensation? Where does reliable intuition come from?
Most of the time, we don't even realize what event disconnected us, and we hardly notice it until long after, debriefing when in trouble, or until somebody tells us to calm down and anchor down (when it happens).
One sure thing is that when your life is not going smoothly, it's fair to assume that you are NOT "anchored".
Nothing to take personally or judge, as it has been a necessary coping mechanism at some point - but definitely an opportunity for growth.
An anchor is the exact opposite of the soap bubble; holding strong through even the worst of storms, and whatever else challenges it.
It's a much deeper and stronger word (and picture) than the term "grounding" we use often in yoga. It's much more than being stable in a pose.
It means being stable through life, which is what gets people interested in yoga in the first place.
Don't get me wrong, there can be beautiful things about being a soap bubble. You can shine a whole lot and have a beautiful life! It's true that, most people who live in the public eye are not anchored, which actually serves them by making them more visible as all their energy is gathered in their top body.
However, this also makes it more difficult to serve a higher purpose in the world, let alone your higher self and overall health.
On the other hand, it is also possible to take care of the world, or to be passionate about nature (or be a super-skilled yogi) without being anchored. Many people intuitively feel the need to reach out to nature and definitely feel the headset and safety it gives them, but haven't yet learned how to be consciously connected and carry that well-being and "part of a whole" feeling through the rest of the day/week/life.
As a matter of fact, some people tend to be rather anchored by nature, and others are rather not anchored. For those who have never experienced and/or acknowledge both, it is very difficult to imagine the world otherwise. But nothing is definitive.
On average 75% of the general population isn't anchored.
And amonst yogi? Much less, thanks to yoga obviously! But yoga is one part of a much bigger picture.
Let's tackle together the remaining 20-25% of unanchored people here... in the following article!
Author: Dr. Caroline Durieu
