How does your body find balance? Maybe it’s in the physical sense by balancing on one leg. Maybe it’s balancing all of your tasks for the day. Maybe it’s balancing your work and home life.
In yoga, we find balance in all areas. Taking what you learn on the mat and bringing it into your daily life is when yoga is really put to the test. Look at the mind, body and breath as a whole: one fluid system; if one of the three is affected you may feel off balance. In yoga, we look to strengthen the connection between the mind, body and breath to enable ourselves to find our true nature and our balance.
If you’re breath is constricted, strained, shallow, check in with the body - is something going on that you were previously unaware of? What about the mind - are thoughts racing causing that altered breathing? This technique can be applied on and off the mat, and however often is needed. By “checking in” we bring more understanding of ourselves to the forefront.
Taking this practice to the mat: Tree Pose.
First, connect your feet to the floor, feeling the toes, the balls of the feet and the heels all grounding the body. Check in with the mind, is it clear to allow fullness to the breath and awareness to your body. If thoughts are racing, allow them to gentle flow by, and bringing your attention to your posture, as you straighten up through the spine, and reach up toward the ceiling/sky with the crown of the head.
Begin to turn out one foot (to a comfortable distance, allowing opening through the hip). As you feel the hip opening, also feel the breath deepening. Ask, is this your balance today?
If more is needed the turned out foot will begin to slide up the standing leg, being sure not to place pressure onto the standing knee with that foot. Can you breathe fully here?
The hands can come together at heart center, or the arms can rise up above the body, or stretch out to the side. Where would be balancing for you?
Breathe into the posture. And as you slowly release out of the posture, notice how it felt, the breath, the body, the mind, being sure to leave judgement behind.
Then as you're ready, take the posture to the other side to find balance in the body.
“Advice from a Tree: stand tall and proud, sink your roots into the earth, be content with your natural beauty, go out on a limb, drink plenty of water, remember your roots, enjoy the view.”
- Ilan Shamir
Find your tree, your balance, your true nature.
Namaste.