YOGA + MOVEMENT
MANIFEST MOUNTAIN ENERGY Tadasana for Balance in Trying Times BY MICHELLE SKALLY DOILNEY (SHE/HER)
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n difficult times and in our daily lives, we sometimes feel as if we’re bending into breaking, losing sight of the vast views of ourselves, our “nows,” and our futures. In quiet and chaos, we must find our center to balance the world within us and around us. Reduce stress and anxiety by taking on not just the physical, but also the emotional and mental characteristics of mountains: stamina, inspiration, and conquering challenges. Mountains symbolize overcoming obstacles. We overcome them through gathering ourselves together, self and community, and accepting what is, instead of what we want or what we avoid. As in raw mountain beauty, remember and manifest the unique raw beauty we all carry in our bodies and energy. In hatha yoga, we use our bodies, not as exercise machines, but as tools to tune our body health and our emotional and mental health. Tadasana (“tada” = mountain; “asana” = posture) pose grounds us while bringing our energy from below to above, and above below. Like mountains, each body is unique with the common characteristics of awe-inspiring beauty and strength, no matter what surroundings. Mountains and bodies both have grounding energy and rising energy. In hatha yoga, the
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body’s ability or stance has less effect than the deeper benefits of a posture. Tadasana can be adapted for any age, body, or mind condition. Body posture helps align the head, neck, and trunk gently over our legs and feet with soft effort.
“Mountains symbolize overcoming obstacles. We overcome them through gathering ourselves together, self and community, and accepting what is, instead of what we want or what we avoid.”
This can be done standing, sitting, or lying down. Breath connects our body to our awareness, and deep, slow, abdominal breathing brings us to balance. Visualizing oneself as a mountain, and then in a
community of mountains, brings us home on all levels. Tadasana is often referred to as the first or main posture of hatha yoga for good reason. The balance it brings moves us on to other postures and to life situations more steadily. Tadasana can be done anywhere, anytime. Begin practicing at home, with a mirror if possible. Love your reflection and learn from it as you settle into the posture. Learn any posture from both seeing and adjusting yourself visually, as well as using your awareness to feel your posture. Take the tadasana stance in the grocery line, as you get in or out of a car, first thing in the morning or last thing before bed. Hold the posture for at least 10 seconds and up to 45-60 seconds to fully feel the effects. Pay attention to your body and adjust yourself with ease and honor. Mountains are solid, yet their landscapes are ever-changing. They absorb and adjust to their surroundings, even during landslides, earthquakes, and lava released from below. Bighorn sheep and snow leopards seek shelter on ledges and cliffs. Aspen trees grow tall and root together beneath the earth. Bluebirds and golden eagles soar and perch. Water collects, purifies through rock, and flows to us as drinking water or water for our fields.
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