The anchor and the explorer

Iyengar would talk about every pose having two aspects, the anchor and the explorer. The anchor is the point of the body that is grounded and steady. Connected in some way to the earth to stabilize and serve as the foundation of the pose. The explorer is the part of the body that is reaching, yearning to stretch beyond the physical limits of the skin, seeking and curious, expressive and alive.

In mountain pose the feet are the anchor, the crown of the head the explorer. In bridge the shoulder and head ground down as the anchor and the hearth and hips reach up as the explorer. The anchor and explorer need each other. Such is the way it works in life. You need some foundations to stay steady and connected to the earth and your own voice. Yet too much anchoring gets boring and dull and you feel stuck. The explorer is where the excitement lies. The stretching, seeking and curiosity is thrilling. But too much exploration and excitement can wear you out.

So in yoga we explore the balance of anchor and explore. The same in life. Where are you out of balance? Too much exploring? Too much anchoring? Get curious this week and see if you can reestablish the right balance.