Focus on your eight points – Always have firm contact to earth with at least 8 points. Be rooted.

One of the first lessons we teach beginners is to focus on their ‘eight points’. By eight points we mean the eight points of the foot that firmly sit on the ground. Five toes, the balls of your foot, the side of your foot and your heel.

Focusing on your eight points makes you grounded and rooted to the floor. Being mindful about feeling all eight points also prevents you from raising your toes, tilting your foot or lifting your heel when you push forward.

Many times we are connected to earth through 16 points and we’re firmly rooted. Some positions only give us 14 points or 9 (you know which ones I’m talking about). As we transition, we temporarily only have eight points. However, it’s never less than eight.

All movement is rooted in your feet, then legs, hip and then the upper body. Losing touch and stability in your eight points compromises the strength and stability of your entire movement.

Children are perfect with this. As we get older, our mind gets more anxious and we start stiffening all sorts of muscles, leading to raised shoulders, aching lower backs and, yes, curling up toes, tilting feet and lifting heels. Rediscover your inner child and remain firmly connected to earth.