This week is all about reminding yourself that true wellness begins with a stable foundation. Establishing alignment from the ground up is key to being stable and powerful––inside and out. Whether both feet are planted on the earth or you’re balancing on one leg, you are building strength and fortifying your mental and physical awareness. Yoga classes focused on standing asanas help you embody a sense of profound connection with yourself and the world around you.
Physically, standing poses cultivate proper posture, including aligning your bones and joints from the feet to the crown of your head. Standing asanas from the simple Tadasana or Mountain Pose to the more complex Virabhadrasana or Warrior poses and to Vrksasana or Tree pose, develop both muscular and bone strength. Whenever you’re practicing standing yoga poses, you’re also working your joints through their full range of motion, enhancing mobility and flexibility. Standing poses assist in building core awareness and power, which are required to maintain excellent posture and prepare the body for deeper poses.
These active asanas benefit mental and emotional health through an emphasis on regulating breath and focusing your gaze. Filtering out distractions and concentrating on a single point of focus, encourages calmness and clarity in our minds. If you fail to focus when you’re balancing on one leg, you’ll topple over. Even in poses like Trikonasana or Triangle, you may have wobbled and had to continually work to achieve a sense of balance and peace. Cultivating self-discipline on the yoga mat creates mindfulness, which is key to remaining steady regardless of external circumstances.
Standing poses remind us we are connected to the earth beneath our feet and the vast world around us. Comfort exists in reminding ourselves that we are an integral part of nature. These steadying postures help us feel more alive by allowing our energy to flow freely, our circulation to improve, and our awareness to deepen. When we focus on these active standing postures, we create a sense of physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Try this week’s yoga classes at home and experience a renewed sense of stability.
Michelle Smith - Stand Tall Like The Trees
Patrick Montgomery - Focus on Form: Standing Poses
Dia Draper - Get Up, Stand Up