The following yoga practices will help us build up not only our physical body but the spiritual body as well. They will support us in reigniting our fire within, melting away apparent self-doubts, and displaying our highest power. While practicing the Asana, use the following affirmations.
Mountain Pose
The mountain is not limited to a postural stance but suggests the embodiment of wisdom. ” – Yoga of the Subtle Body.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and parallel to each other. Rest your arms by your sides and allow your breath to be soft and wide. Keep your weight even on the four corners of your feet. Lift your toes lightly away from the Earth. Notice how the lower body is firming up from its roots. Bring your shoulders down and together. Open the chest wide and allow your palms to face forward. Close your eyes and take a few moments to visualize your mountain. Notice any stillness and peace that may live there.
Mountain Pose How to Do the Yoga Mountain Pose (Tadasana Photo Gallery
Start by lying on your belly and with your head on your hands. Elongate the spine along with the legs. Relax your lower and middle back. Scoop your hands right under the shoulders while keeping your elbows close by your sides. With your inhalation, press down into your hands and start lifting the chest away from the Earth. Lift as far as you can by straightening the elbow and pressing deeply into the ground. Visualize yourself just as a snake sheds its skin. Feel the stretch from the pubic bone all the way up to the chin. Breathe deeply into the belly area. After a few breaths, slowly release back down to the ground. Rest. Repeat two more times once you’re ready.
“Experience yourself as a strong arc of curving energy. Climb into the curve, follow the energy, flow deeper into the pose. Get round. Be as effortless and strain-free as possible. Savor the stretch. ” – Erich Schiffman.
Begin in mountain pose at the top edge of your mat. From mountain pose, step your left leg back three to five feet. Your right foot is at a 90-degree angle to the front edge of the mat. Your back foot is 45 to 80 degrees to the side of the mat. Align your front and back heels. With your inhalation, sweep the arms up and overhead. With your exhalation, soften your right knee. Avoid bending the knee so deeply that it extends beyond the ankle. Say this affirmation out loud: “I am a warrior. I am strong and powerful.” Repeat the pose on the other side.
“Invite Virabhadrasanci I to be an expression of something greater than yourself. Let it be an opportunity for grace and harmony to reveal themselves through your body. Grow as spacious as possible, absorbing the beauty and exhilaration of the moment. Enjoy the magnificent strength and presence this posture evokes. The broad stance of your legs grounds you, providing feelings of earthiness and embodiment. The upward sweep of your spine invites you to reach with inspiration toward the sky. You are both grounded and uplifted, living firmly in the present moment while reaching gracefully toward the beauty and transformation that lies ahead. ” – Claudia Cummins, Yoga Journal, Virabhadrasana I43
Begin with a wide-length stance. Turn your front foot out 90 degrees. Turn your back foot in 30 to 45 degrees. Inhale and lift your arms parallel to the floor, your palms facing down. Exhale, softly bend your front knee and keep your back leg straight. Hold the pose for three to four breaths. Keep your feet and legs the way they are. Flip the front palm facing up to the sky, then sweep the front arm toward the sky. Hold the pose for three to four breaths. Lower the arms, extend the legs and return to a wide-length stance. Repeat on the other side.
“In the pose, we stand centered, while stretching back to the past and forward into the future. The Warrior II demands to be fully present in the moment – the torso of the body remaining aligned and upright. At the same time, we stretch back behind us to recognize the strength we have gained from the past. All our experiences provide a foundation and anchor for action. If we have learned from the past, we can recognize more options and choose wisely, which will lead to a different future. We look ahead and can ask such questions as: What is the vision for my life? What are the internal enemies that are obstacles to this vision? What are the tools or weapons arising from intelligence that will help me overcome the obstacles? Where do I want to go? What does victory look like for me? ”
