Domo learns a yoga secret

TadasanaThere is one yoga posture - or asana – that contains all of the principles that you need, to practice all of the asanas of yoga.  If you understand and apply them in this posture, the rest of the yoga asanas will seem much easier to practice.  Of course some require a certain amount of strength and flexibility, and this is really easy to attain!  You just need to practice every day.  Yes I see you smile in agreement with me; it’s that easy, right?

The pose?  Tadasana, which is Sanskrit for Mountain Pose.  It's the standing asana that you often practice at the beginning of class.  Oh, you thought you were supposed to just stand there?  Well, it depends on whether you are a beginner or not.  In the beginning, standing on the mat is an accomplishment.  Then, over time, you’ll start to look at how you are standing. 

Why is how we stand so important?

If we stand correctly, we open the energy pathways of our body, and reap the same benefits as we would from any yoga pose.  When the asana is this simple, we have a better chance to become aware of how we hold our body, and correct its alignment.  Breathing, combined with aligning our posture correctly, enhances the energy that we generate within our body.  It can also be called prana or qi energy.  Prana heals our body, and maintains its healthful vitality.

When you improve your alignment in a simple asana like Tadasana, you can start to look for the same principles of alignment in more complex asanas.  And from there goes your yoga practice.

Now is time to introduce you to a very good friend of mine, Domo, who is a model beginner yoga student.  Contrary to internet rumours, Domo is a familiar face in the country towns of my nation, though he prefers the company of his friends in our surrounding fields.  You may have seen historical footage that captured his great battle with the Sith; but in my country, we all treat him as just another, um, fuzzy thing with a big heart.

Recently Domo has taken up the practice of yoga, and has offered to show us his Tadasana. He wants to learn how to practice it better.

Lets get started

1. First look at how Domo stands in Tadasana.  His feet are parallel, and his arms are by his side.  Great.  However we can see a few blind spots that he might not be aware of.  
2. Notice how he holds a little bit of tension in his face.  When he becomes more aware of it, he will feel more sensitive to his body.
3. He seems to lack awareness of his arms.  There is not too much energy flowing through there.
4. But, he is standing up straight and he’s concentrating, which is great.

 Stand Correctly in Tadasana

Feet:  Place your big toes together, separate the heals a little.  Your second toe wants to point straight ahead.  Lift your toes and spread them wide.  Place them down again with no tension or weight upon them.

Feet in TadasanaImagine your feet (minus the toes) as rectangles.  Push all four corners of each rectangle downward into the earth.  This will naturally lift the arch and inner thigh muscles.

Legs: lift the knee caps to tighten the thighs; that’s all for now.  This is not an Iyangar class.

Spine:  Tuck your tailbone gently underneath your body.  Straighten the spine upwards and try to lift crown of the head towards the ceiling. 

Shoulders and arms:  Drop your shoulders downward and try to take the shoulder blades wider, away from each other. Extend your arms downward; reach your fingertips towards the ground. 

Head:  Tuck your chin in, so that it moves backward towards the throat.  Relax the face. 

Chest:  Lift the chest plate towards the ceiling.

Solar Plexus: That’s the stomach area.  Draw it in towards the spine.

As you breathe, feel your breath expand the front, sides and back of your torso.  Fantastic.

 Think of each asana in terms of Axis’

The key to practicing a yoga pose successfully is to apply all of the axis’ all of the time.

 Remember this summary

Feet square and push them down into the ground.

Fingertips extending away from your shoulders.

Spine straight.  Lift the head to the ceiling, and tailbone under.

In yoga, what is often behind us is forgotten, and this includes beathing into the back parts of our torso.  Some say that the back parts of our body represent our unconscious mind.  The front, the conscious mind.  Oooh.  Domo says that's deep.

Domo is happy.  He will take these simple guidelines to his next practice.  Relax that face Domo, and extend those arms. 

I love that, um, fuzzy thing!

* Thank you www.joyfulyogawithtara.blogspot.com for the Tadasana picture.

Comments

[snaily]

Aha! I must admit - I thought that Tadasana was the 'calm before the storm' when I had the chance to rest for a moment before all of the effort came! Just by following your advice, I realised how unhealthy and unaware my stance is - not just in Tadasana - but every day. Shoulders slumped, toes scrunched, lungs squashed. Just by following your advice - and it's sad how simple it is - I remembered how my spine and arms and legs should feel - grounded, clear yet relaxed. In one explained moment - I can now begin yoga aligned and ready.

Thank you Presidentess!

[Yoga Leaks]

Fantastic Snailysan. May the force be with you xx