February 2020 Pose of the Month: Tadasana/Mountain Pose

Tadasana (tada = mountain; asana = pose);

Mountain Pose; also known as Samasthiti or Equal Standing pose

We stand together. Strong as mountains. Unwavering and calm in our own power.Blue Sky Yoga students from left to right: Heidi Tobe, Feleg Abraha, Cindy Campbell, Jim Etling, Nikki Dosanjh, and Blue Sky Yoga teacher Maury Browning

We stand together. Strong as mountains. Unwavering and calm in our own power.

Blue Sky Yoga students from left to right: Heidi Tobe, Feleg Abraha, Cindy Campbell, Jim Etling, Nikki Dosanjh, and Blue Sky Yoga teacher Maury Browning

Here at Blue Sky Yoga we celebrate Share the Love in February. And we’re extending that love by showcasing a pose for us all to get better acquainted with each month. And with this idea, we would love for you all to share your pose with us on our social pages: Facebook and Instagram. Let’s see how we all show up for ourselves. And see how we all use the practice and the postures and our breath to explore the various states of our being. And lastly, let us also see that while we all show up together in the same pose, we also all show up in a multitude of beautiful and powerful bodies which means each of these poses will be unique to all of us. 

And why not have our inaugural Pose of the Month begin with the foundational pose for all other standing poses. Many people who may see this pose will think this is a non pose, there’s nothing to it, but oh, what this passerby doesn’t know! Just like the mountain in which this pose is named for, Tadasana asks us to stand in our magnificent power unwavering in our understanding of our highest and truest self. This pose is a powerful pose engaging all of our muscles and senses and allows us the opportunity to be present with ourselves standing in our own power and acknowledging the power we hold within our bodies, minds and spirits, to be here now, to be powerfully present, to be enough just as we are in this very moment.

Stand both tall & strong

Mountain is my power pose

I will NOT fall down

~Erin Vehige, Blue Sky Yoga Instructor

How To

  1. Stand with your feet inner hip width distance apart, outside edges of the feet parallel to the outside edges of your mat.

  2. Lift and spread through all 10 toes, then press down with your big toe mound, pinky toe mound and then inside and outside edges of the heels (pada bandha)

  3. After you feel grounded in the feet, set your toes back down imagining you can bring each toe down individually from your pinky toe to your big toe.

  4. We root to rise, so once you feel that connection to the earth, feel as though you are drawing energy from Mother Earth herself, up through your feet into your legs

  5. Energetically press your feet as if to widen your mat, feel the energy come up through your strong legs. You are not actually moving your feet; this is an energetic action. Make sure your knees are not locking

  6. Firm and lift through your pelvic floor (mula bandha) and up through the core to support your back.

  7. Let your heart/chest lift slightly, and be sure to soften your shoulders at the same time.

  8. Turn your palms forward and energize through your fingertips.

  9. Draw your chin parallel to the floor and pull your head back to line up with the spine.

  10. Draw up energy again from your feet through the crown of your head. Bring a slight smile to your face.

  11. If it feels comfortable to you, close your eyes and just be here in this moment, standing in your power, knowing that you are perfect and powerful just as you are here and now.

Variations

  • Palms together at the heart in Anjali mudra, chin slightly lowered to fingertips 

  • Try Mountain Pose with your back at the wall

  • In a chair ground through feet, press through sitting bones to engage the core, lift the heart and reach through the crown of the head

  • Urdhva Hastasana/Upward Salute: arms overhead, slight backbend

Benefits

  • Facilitates good alignment and posture, which strengthens and tones the core muscles

  • Creates space within the body allowing internal organs to work more efficiently thus improving respiration, digestion and elimination

  • Stabilizes the body and mind – promotes emotional balance and grounding

  • Relaxes the central nervous system

  • Improves confidence

Prep Poses

  • Shoulder openers-shoulder rotation, shoulder flossing

  • Savasana

  • cat/cow

  • Toe stretches

  • Ankle circles

  • Uttanasana/Standing Forward Fold

  • Ardha Uttanasana/Half Standing Forward Fold

  • Phalakasana/Plank Pose

Counter Poses 

  • Uttanasana/Standing Forward Fold

  • Ardha Uttanasana/Half Standing Forward Fold

  • Adho Mukha Svanasana/Downward Facing Dog Pose

  • Balasana/Child’s Pose

Contraindications & Cautions

  • Low Blood Pressure (if pose held too long)

  • Dizziness

  • Migraines

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My Restorative Practice

by Bryna Parker

“I’m just here the for Savasana” ~T-shirts everywhere

Bryna Parker enjoying Legs up the (Headboard) Wall, a restorative pose you can easily do in bed.

Bryna Parker enjoying Legs up the (Headboard) Wall, a restorative pose you can easily do in bed.

Savasana — you know, that part of a yoga class where you get to find a supportive posture and relax?

I often hear, “This is my favorite part of yoga and it always seems to go by too fast. As soon as I am getting settled and begin to soften into stillness it is always time to come back.” 

We all need more time to settle and soften into our stillness, and that is what a Restorative Yoga Practice provides. Unlike more traditional yoga classes, a Restorative Practice is not about stretching; it is about opening into the stillness and like traditional yoga classes, it can take a little work, but the work happens within while the body is fully supported and still. 

Restorative yoga offers us more time to explore how we are feeling. While we are still we can ask ourselves:  

What is my mind distracted by? 

How do I feel today in my physical body? 

Where am I with my emotions right now? 

Am I fully breathing? 

What is this heaviness or tension in my body connected to energetically?

And through these questions we get to know ourselves more fully.

My Restorative Journey 

Becoming the silent observer of my inner landscapes took practice and time. Learning how to be present and breathe through all the sh*t that bubbles up when we turn inward can be a challenge at first, but this is where we become resilient. Just like Hatha Yoga, Restorative Yoga is a practice that you need to show up for over and over. It wasn’t easy for me to turn off the ruminating thoughts and worry or take a break from my need to accomplish and checking items off a list. I seem to always be creating a bunch of expectations for events that are in the future, or reliving past experiences and wondering how it could have been different. My mind was rarely in the present moment. I was often stuck in the past or asking eagerly what's next? Restorative yoga answered with “How about nothing?” 

With practice, I soon learned how to sit with myself and accept what is real in that moment without judgment. I could acknowledge and allow rather than ignore and avoid. Once I became comfortable observing and being without judgement, I could take the next step of moving closer to meditation. I began having conversations with my body explaining you are allowed to just be. I began thanking my body for all it does and then reassured myself that rest is a healthy healing practice — I don't always have to be preparing for what’s next. It’s ok to take time to just be present and find satisfaction in not doing. I begin to rewire my brain by training my body to unplug from all those sensory inputs so I could pay more attention to what my inner being needed. This practice of connecting to life force energy and listening to my own intuition was when it became so clear that most of the answers I had been searching for were already there inside of me; I was just too busy, distracted or fearful to seek my own inner wisdom. This restorative practice has empowered me to trust myself. Anytime I am unsure, I know I can pause and connect to that source of energy and wisdom that always resides inside of me. It’s there for you, too, I guarantee it. You just have to make your restorative practice a priority. 

Try this…

Your restorative practice could be as simple as taking your legs up the wall (or headboard) first thing in the morning while you are still in bed, breathing in and out intentionally, and observing what is present and honoring where you are today. 

In this way, you can start your day informed and prepared, knowing what you need so you can better support yourself (and others) throughout the day. 

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What a beautiful gift to give yourself!

Join Bryna for Restorative practice on Tuesdays from 6pm-7pm. You can also find her teaching Chair Yoga on Mondays from 11am-12pm as well as occasional restorative popups and workshops on several topics including Yoga for Bigger Bodies, Chair Yoga, and Yoga for Tension Release using Yoga Tune Up balls. Check out our schedule.