STAND TALL EVERYDAY ... WITH NEW BEGINNINGS

INSPIRED NEW BEGINNINGS 
In my blogpost entitled "Be Inspired In 2011" (posted January 7th), I invited you to be inspired everyday in 2011 by creating new intentions for yourself throughout the year to create a new You.  On this day of January 11th in 2011  -  11.1.11  -  let's celebrate new beginnings.   "1" being the number of new beginning, I invite you to re-visit your intentions, hold them close to your heart, with goodwill and in good faith, and stand tall everyday with the help of this new message.  Happy New Beginning!  Renew You!


INSPIRED STANDING
Standing, in itself, is a statement.  "Standing" may be used to describe your status, your reputation, popularity, rank or position.  One thing is certain, your posture lets the world see a glimpse into your self-perception, as well as the perception you have of others and the world.  «Stand up», «standoff», «stand tall», «stand proud» are all expression used to describe a stance or an attitude.

Like smiling induces positive thoughts and outlook, standing in TADASANA will induce a new fresh and positive mindset and attitude.  Ultimately, with regular practise, standing will positively transform your caracter and behaviour.  

«TADASANA» is sanskrit for Palm Tree Pose, or Mountain Pose.  It’s a posture that is deeply rooting, strong, uplifting, alive and balanced.  It’s the foundation of all postures, and the foundation to a healthy body structure.  Tadasana enables a person to take a stand, stand tall and strong, and weather with a strong attitude and balanced flexibility whatever life serves as challenges.

TADASANA is THE posture you carry with you.  It supports you, keeps you upright, and helps you work against or with the effects of gravity.  Palm Tree Mountain Pose can easily practised everywhere and anytime of the day.  When standing in line waiting, or in a conversation, a social gathering, Tadasana can be consciously practised often until you don’t really notice you are standing upright, strainght, strong and tall and that all these little conscious efforts have been integrated deeply into your own body and personal caracter.

Tadasana is the posture in which I observe myself everyday.  Observing myself standing gives me a true reflections of the way I am feeling and the way I am expressing what is really going on inside.   Sloutching shoulders, shoulders back, heart leading, head up or down, leaning on one side or the other, these are all glimpses into my inner self and what is going on inside my head.

STAND TALL today and everyday in 2011!!  Practise TADASANA a little everyday, everywhere and everytime you think of it.

TADASANA (Palm Tree or Mountain Pose)

Basic instructions:

                    1.   Stand erect, feet hip widht apart, outer edges of your feet paralelle to each 

                          other.  pressing equally the big toe and baby toe mound, inner and outer heels 

                          («four points of the feet»).  Stretch all the toes flat on the floor.

                    2.   Making sure your weight is neither more on the heels or the toes.  Make sure 

                          your weight is distributed evenly through out the feet.  

                    3.   Contract the hips forward.  Engage the legs firmly, lift the knee-caps, pull up 

                          the back thighs muscles.  

                    4.   Keep the stomach in but soft.  Lift the chest.  Elongate the spine up through the 

                          crown of the head.  Make sure the chin is paralelle to the floor, head in the 

                          continuation of the spine.

                    5.   In this variation, keep the arms to the side of the body, making sure the 

                          shoulders are kept mid-line between the front and the back of the chest.  

Extra instructions:

                    1.   INHALE, as you press the feet deeply into the ground, EXHALE extend the 

                          legs away from the feet, feeling the pelvis lifting.  

                    2.   INHALE, as you keep the leg action, EXHALE elongate the spine upward 

                          feeling the sides of the chest lifting.

                    3.   INHALE, as you keep the spine elongating and chest lifting, EXHALE keep the 

                          shoulders moving away from the ears.

                    4.   INHALE, as you keep the shoulders moving away from the ears, notice if the 

                          shoulders have a tendency of rolling forward, EXHALE descend the shoulders 

                          blades towards the buttocks.

                    5.   As you continue to breath, keep your face relaxed, your tongue relaxed, your 

                          eyes are relaxed, your lips are relaxed.  And as you continue breathing, 

                          observe where your body has a tendency to let go, and re-create the 

                          movement.  

As you continue to hold the effort and the intention in your body, maintain a relaxed face and a soft SMILE.

Keep up the good intentions.  Keep smiling.  And most importantly, HAVE FUN DOING IT.

With much Yoga Love Life,

Julie