Inside Yoga 135 (8/6/2015)

For many of us life can feel like a constant rush, with the pressure to keep up filling our days or, it can feel like a runaway train hurtling forward with us holding on hoping that we will last the journey. The pressure to manage can make us feel stretched to our limit, unsettled and stressed, or simply distracted unable to concentrate.

This is why one of the most basic yoga postures is one of the best solutions: namely, standing still in Tadasana (translated as Mountain, also called samasthithi) or simply known as standing posture. Sometimes all we need to do is stand still!
Standing still offers us the opportunity to return to our centre, to let the dust settle and collect ourselves. Standing allows us to take stock, by stopping and watching and listening to our body and our surroundings.
When we stand in Tadasana we ensure we are standing our feet evenly. Imagine the foot is rectangular, applying even pressure to the four corners (behind big and little toe, and a square heel) we identify our habits – do we lean to one side, is there an injury creating an imbalance? We aim to correct any imbalances.
Rising up from the feet we straighten our legs, pulling up the knee cap using our thigh muscles and engaging our glutes (buttock muscles) to support our lower back, straightening our back we draw shoulders back with palms slightly open to front, thumbs outward, and chest open to encourage breathing. And our head sits atop spine and we gaze forwards.
Standing is so simple but it can feel a challenge, with a restless body and mind questioning the purpose of stopping and standing still – there is always something to do. Stay with the position, and watch the breathing, bringing it to a gentle yet deep flowing rhythm. Quieten the mind by watching and paying attention to breath and body – notice the sensations in your body, the nerves tingling, the breathing, the heart beat… becoming more self-aware.
In times of stress, we are pulled away from awareness of our body to the point that we ignore its needs, so this exercise brings us back home to our core. And when grounded and more at ease with ourselves, we are possibly better placed to deal with the challenges that face us, however large or small.
Standing still also highlights how often we are lost in thought: are we aware of what is around us? A good example of this is a visit to somewhere like a park or countryside, we might be standing or walking, yet we barely notice our environment due to the internal chatter or the external chatter as we engage in conversation with others with us or on the phone.
Mobile phones are useful but we do use them everywhere and anytime, and perhaps when walking in the country this is not the time, because why not take in the surroundings? We might think it is important to use our phone, but ask yourself, do I need to right now? Leave the chatter for later?
Standing still is one of the traditional forms of Buddhist meditation, with the seated meditation being the most recognisable, and along with standing there is walking meditation (walking slowly and mindfully).
Sometimes taking time to stop is all we need – so stand still whenever you can.
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