Taking the Ground for Granted

One of the best instructions I got as a dancer was to always be aware of the ground and to always use that connection with the ground when doing movements. Think about the push through the full foot on leaps, the roll through the toes on the landing, the feel of the hard floor under your heel when doing demi plies, and the pressure under the ball of your foot when doing multiple turns.

I think that is a cue not given much thought to outside a dance studio. After all, the ground should just be there and we take for granted that gravity is going to hold us there. I was never told to be cognizant of the ground as a judo player, capoerista, or weightlifter. However, I find myself meditating on it anyway, and it definitely has a place in planting myself for a strong lift (or leveraging myself during judo ground work).

I think it's worth the effort for everyone to meditate on their connection to the ground and how they interact with it as they move through space. How does it feel under your heel as you press into it during a deadlift? How does your foot interact with the ground when you walk, jog, sprint, or jump?

And to get a little noodle-y on you, sometimes spending a few hours meditating on such things that we take for granted can give your experiences with it a richer meaning.