Hello April

Spring is definitely in the air here. As the weather swings from warm to cold and back, you may feel the drastic changes physically and emotionally. Warmth opens up and soothes. Cold restricts and accelerates. Consequently, your yoga practice can become a way to restore harmony.

Lately, I’ve been spending time with standing poses that help stabilize and ground. Even something as simple as Mountain Pose (Tadasana) can reveal a lot. Don’t we all know how to stand? Perhaps, but standing or sitting intentionally is different. Try this: stand with your feet together. Already asymmetries become apparent. With the feet touching, you’ll notice difference in how the legs align or the weight on your feet. Your back issues might surface.

From there, step your feet wide apart for Standing Wide-legged Pose (Hasta Padasana). Re-establish the same grounded action of Mountain Pose feet and legs even though they are no long touching. Lift your arms straight up to lift your body. 

Next, keeping the right foot grounded and right leg facing forward, step back with the left foot, turning your body to face between your legs. Bend the right knee, arms outstretched for Warrior II Pose (Virabadrasana II). Step forward and step the other the right leg back to switch sides. When you keep one part of your body firmly on the floor, you maintain stability even in transition. That steadiness in the body echoes in the mind, bringing a sense of balance.

This short practice invigorates the body, focuses the mind, and restores equilibrium. Good for all age groups, move more quickly to build warmth, or slow it down to cool and settle.