| Pose of the Month: Mountain Pose - Tadasana |
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| Clara Simper | |||
| Monday, 12 June 2006 | |||
 So bring the hands together in the centre of the chest and let the thumbs very lightly touch the sternum bone. Let the hands actively press together; this will allow the chest to stretch open a little and tone the arms. Broaden through the shoulder blades; this will also open the chest, from the inside. Feel spaciousness in the armpits as the elbows come into alignment with the wrists. Moving back to Tadasana, an excellent way to check the hang of finding alignment, is to practice this pose at the wall. Stand with the heels, buttocks and shoulders against the wall. If the skull is balanced on top of the spine with the chin tucked slightly, your head should not touch the wall. Breathe in this position for a few breaths and capture the feeling of this alignment in the body so it can be replicated on the mat once there is no longer the wall as a frame of reference. Also observe whether both sides of the body touch the wall in the same way. Another interesting exercise is to stand in Tadasana on the mat with eyes closed. This is a wonderful way to explore balance. Slowly close the eyes and notice the constant movement in the body, as it sways in minute different directions over the feet, moment by moment searching for balance. Notice the sensations about the body: the pressure of the feet on the ground, any surrounding sounds, and the movement of the breath through the body. What we discover from this exercise is how standing tall as a mountain and balancing on our feet is a dynamic process requiring continuous adjustment in the moment. I think a profound lesson for our life. Standing is such a natural daily occurrence, but few of us have been taught to stand correctly; we can see this from observing the slanted ways the soles and heels of our shoes wear out. Undoubtedly practicing Tadasana improves posture and makes us more cognizant in our daily life of how we carry our body, particularly the spine. This may help prevent developing back pain later in life if we learn to integrate these teachings into our daily behaviour. Tadasana also strengthens the thighs, knees and ankles and tones the abdomen and buttocks. It can be helpful in combating flat feet and is an excellent starting point for improving balance. Learning to stand on our own two feet is one of the first landmarks in life that parents celebrate. Learning to stand on our own two feet as an adult can also be profound. Coming to our Mountain and finding stability when life is rocky or even just when we have an important conversation ahead of us can help us find equanimity and can cause an incredible centring effect on the mind and body. When the body is aligned in this way there is a unity and peace that pervades every cell of the body. This is Yoga. Namaste.
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